Members

HEART: Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center and Northwestern Community Services Board

The HEART Program is a collaborative initiative between Northwestern Community Service Board (NWCSB) and the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center (NRADC) designed to support justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders, particularly those receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). This program currently serves Clarke County, Frederick County, Fauquier County, and Winchester City.

Launched in January 2025, HEART provides integrated, evidence-based services to help participants stabilize in custody and successfully transition to community-based care upon release. NRADC initially began the MAT program within the jail and then partnered within the OBAT program to develop the HEART initiative. The NWCSB OBAT team supported the pilot phase of HEART by providing therapy, case management, and peer support services inside the jail, while NRADC has maintained responsibility for all medical and administrative oversight throughout.

From the beginning, the staff and participants share the same mission of trying to promote healing and provide support for justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders. HEART’s mission is to reduce recidivism, improve recovery outcomes, and promote person-centered support during a critical transition period. The program is built upon promoting flexibility, treating people with care, and offering real tools to support recovery both inside and outside the facility.

HEART is unique to the unique needs of the community it serves. The region developed a program that worked well for the unique needs of their participants and the needs and strengths of their team.

Successful strategies include:

  • Starting small and letting the program grow over time
  • Getting community buy-in, from the top leadership to security staff
  • Being flexible and creative, always adapting to feedback and resource limitations
  • Engaging the right partners, including peers, therapists, and case managers
  • Operating on a tiered staffing model (therapist, case manager/CSAC, peer recovery specialist) to ensure individualized care and continuity of treatment
  • Building on existing strengths, the program builds on longstanding programs that aim to equip participants with life-long skills after release

What sets HEART apart is its integrated approach—they not only provide MAT through NRADC, but also offer psychiatric services, allowing them to address multiple needs within a single program. Additionally, individuals continue therapy, case management, peer services, and groups.

Services include:

  • Clinical Assessment & Individual Therapy using ASAM criteria
  • Case Management to address housing, employment, and healthcare needs
  • Peer Recovery Support from Certified professionals with lived experience
  • MAT continuation and coordination
  • Group Counseling & psychoeducation focused on relapse prevention, coping skills, and recovery planning

Wraparound Support Post-Release: One key feature of HEART’s Program is its wraparound support post-release. They complete warm handoffs to community providers for ongoing treatment and continued support post-release. They offer resource linkage outside of NWCSB’s service area to ensure individuals returning to other jurisdictions are connected with appropriate care and support upon release.

Early pilot data show promising outcomes, including participants successfully connecting to outpatient services immediately after release. Since the program launched in January 2025, 9 individuals in the HEART program have been released from NRADC, and 8 remain engaged in services at NWCSB. When individuals from HEART transition into OBAT, they affectionately refer to them as “HEART transplants.”  In the therapy space is a large mural designed and painted by inmates in the Inmate Workforce Program at NRADC. A way to symbolize all three communities coming together.

The HEART Program is a compelling program that shows much promise in addressing the needs of justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders.

 

Check out the OAA’s article here.