Socorro County, New Mexico, is a small, rural community with a population of slightly more than 16,500 residents. Problematic substance use (particularly alcohol and fentanyl) is common among individuals entering the county’s jail, with 47.3 percent of incarcerated individuals reporting use of fentanyl. While there is no specific overdose data for Socorro County, it is possible that the high rate of problematic substance use in the jail is reflected in the community. Though the jurisdiction is small, the substance use crisis in Socorro County is worsening, and, with the help of the Building Bridges Initiative, the detention center hopes to create a medication-assisted treatment program to begin addressing this crisis.

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

• Implement a screening tool for substance use.
• Add a release-of-information agreement to booking procedures to mitigate communication barriers between providers.
• Develop a schedule and procedures for medical staff to pass medications to incarcerated individuals.