San Juan County is a jurisdiction in the northwestern corner of New Mexico and is composed of predominately native land. San Juan County experienced a fatal overdose death rate of 40.7 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2022. For comparison, the U.S. fatal overdose death rate per 100,000 residents during the same year was 32.4. San Juan County has three detention centers in its jurisdiction: a juvenile facility, an adult facility, and the Alternative Sentencing Division (ASD) facility. The ASD facility focuses on jail-based treatment and is advanced in its multitude of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services compared to its neighbors. The county would like to take the knowledge and skills learned in the Building Bridges Initiative to expand its current MAT program and begin providing MAT services in the county’s other facilities.

San Juan County’s proposed goals for the Building Bridges Planning Initiative are as follows:

• Establish a system for MAT services, particularly methadone, on weekends and holidays within the facility.
• Invite community providers into the facility to provide services.
• Expand access to MAT services for individuals who have criminal justice system involvement once they are released.