Sawyer County is located in northern Wisconsin with a population of slightly more than 18,500 residents and is home to a majority of the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Reservation. Generational substance use is prominent in Sawyer County as well as in the state of Wisconsin as a whole. Data from the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department (SCSD) found that 47 percent of pretrial, in-custody cases were related to substance use (e.g., drug possession), not accounting for crimes committed while under the influence or offenses committed to support an individual’s addiction. The SCSD currently offers continuation of buprenorphine for individuals with an existing prescription but does not offer many other services related to medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

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

• Partner with medical and pharmacy staff to determine best practices for providing and purchasing medications for MAT.
• Work with community providers to determine which medications are available after release, focusing on continuity of care.
• Explore options for hiring a full-time nurse in the jail.