Guest bio

Evan Ashkin, MD, is the founder of the Formerly Incarcerated Transition (FIT) Program, which aims to help recently released inmates with chronic illnesses to receive proper medical care upon rejoining their communities. Ashkin also serves as professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine

Highlights from this episode

1. The challenge of using jails and prisons for mental health care delivery
2. Healthcare needs profile of formerly incarcerated individuals
3. Overview of the Transitions Clinic and NC FIT model
4. Common misunderstandings about care provided to incarcerated individuals
5. Importance of connecting formerly incarcerated individuals with community health workers are also formerly incarcerated
6. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) and the opportunity window to avoid overdose deaths
7. Lack of teaching about jail health in medical schools
8. Tips to get a re-entry program started in your state

Further Exploration

Information about the Transitions Clinic Network and the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition (FIT) program

Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program

https://transitionsclinic.org/

Meeting Health Needs at Reentry: North Carolina’s FIT Program

Ashkin serves as co-guest editor for November issue of NCMJ – Department of Family Medicine

They’re Out of Prison. Can They Stay Out of the Hospital?

 November 01, 2019, 80 (6) | North Carolina Medical Journal

Spotlight on the Safety Net | North Carolina Medical Journal

Prevalence of Chronic Health Conditions Among Adults Released From the North Carolina Prison System, 2015-2016 | North Carolina Medical Journal

Dr. Ashkin’s recommended reads

After Prison, Healthy Lives Built On Access To Care And Community

Allison Roth – Insane: America’s Treatment of Mental Illness

Michelle Alexander. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

13th (film)