Substance use disorder (SUD) is a major public health concern in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Last year, there were 419 emergency room visits related to chronic alcohol use (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 2022a), and 22 visits related to opioid overdose (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 2022b). According to St. Croix County’s treatment court coordinator, at any given time, 20–25 residents of St. Croix County are participating in the treatment court program, an alternative justice pathway that aims to connect justice-involved individuals with substance use treatment. Access to clinically appropriate treatment services is a predictor of successful completion of a treatment court program, but in St. Croix County, residential treatment access remains a problem. St. Croix County partners with three residential treatment facilities in nearby counties, but individuals often must wait for a bed at one of these facilities or travel several hours to Eastern Wisconsin for residential treatment. This proposal recommends three interventions to improve timely access to effective wraparound treatment for St. Croix County treatment court participants.
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