5-1-2019
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office is implementing a new program for people held in the jail who are addicted to opioids.
Sheriff Bill Elfo says the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program has three phases, the first two of which have already started.
Phase one is to medically assist addicted people with their withdrawal symptoms.
Phase two helps those in community-based treatment programs to continue to receive treatment while incarcerated.
The third phase is to help people who are willing to undergo medication-aided therapy to work toward recovery.
Elfo says the program comes with a cost but the goal is to end what he calls the treadmill of addicted people repeatedly cycling back into the jail.