Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio

Statewide Symposiums Share Best Practices on Using Medication to Fight Opioid Addiction

A woman stands addressing a roomful of people

Medication assisted treatment is a topic of discussion at statewide symposiums, including this one at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus last year.

A woman stands addressing a roomful of people

Medication assisted treatment is a topic of discussion at statewide symposiums, including this one at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus last year.

Faced with staggering statistics of Ohioans dying from the opioid crisis, 20 meetings kicked off recently to help criminal justice professionals learn how to safely incorporate medication assisted treatment (MAT) in drug courts.

One of the conferences was held in Coshocton on Friday, as experts provided training on the nature, application, efficacy, and implementation of MAT.

MAT means using medication or drugs along with therapy to combat substance use problems.

The event brought together local judges, probation officers, community stakeholders, and local specialized docket staff to discuss medication assisted treatment as an essential intervention for people addicted to prescription opiates or heroin.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor delivered welcoming remarks, by video, to the group.

“Not that long ago, using drugs to treat addiction was not an acceptable plan,” Chief Justice O’Connor said. “Fortunately, through addiction medicine, treatment enlightenment, and a culture change in the criminal justice system, acceptance of MAT is now on the forefront of addiction services.”

Symposiums are designed to:

  • Identify trends that have contributed to the opioid epidemic
  • Identify the stigma surrounding addiction disorders
  • Identify myths of MAT
  • Verbalize strategies to increase access to treatment programs with MAT
  • Identify benefits of MAT interventions within the criminal justice system

The symposiums are sponsored by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, a partner of the Ohio Supreme Court’s Office of Court Services Specialized Docket Section.

The goal of the program is also to reduce the stigma of mental health illness across the state and give offenders a sense of hope.