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54 J. Offender Rehab. 1 (2015)

handle is hein.journals/wjor54 and id is 1 raw text is: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 54:1-18, 2015 1) Routledge Copyright 0 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Group ISSN: 1050-9674 print/1540-8558 online DOI: 10.1080/10509674.2014.972605 Discharge Planning for Offenders with Co-Occurring Disorders: The Role of Collaboration, Medication, and Staff HIROKI TOI and CRISTINA MOGRO-WILSON School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA Concern for offenders with co-occurring disorders is increasing, and few studies have examined the degree of discharge planning provided for this population. The study explored how well the selected factors (medication, community support, and resources) predict the degree of discharge planning for offenders with co-occurring disorders. A secondary dataset using a national sample of administrators in criminal justice treatment programs (N = 147) was used for the analysis. Provision of medication upon release was the strongest predictor. Furthermore, the findings sug- gested collaborations with external groups and having dedicated staff may impact the level of discharge planning. KEYWORDS co-occurring disorders, discharge planning, mental illness, offenders, substance use disorders A growing number of offenders with co-occurring disorders, particularly mental illness and substance use disorders, presents significant challenges to both criminal justice and community-based service settings (Sacks et al., 2007; Sacks & Pearson, 2003). While concern for this population is increasing and most criminal justice organizations have difficulties in providing adequate discharge planning, little is known about discharge planning for this population and factors that affect discharge planning. This study aimed to further the understanding of treatment systems and services for offenders with co-occurring disorders with a special focus on discharge planning in the service systems. More specifically, the study explored how well the selected factors (medication, community support, and resources) predict the degree of discharge planning. Address correspondence to Hiroki Toi, School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, 1798 Asylum Ave., West Hartford, CT 06117, USA. E-mail: hiroki.toi@uconn.edu