Funding supports new peer recovery partnership between Choices Coordinated Care Solutions and Shelby County Jail

Choices Coordinated Care Solutions and the Shelby County Jail have been awarded a $33,330 GIFT IX Community Support Grant from Blue River Community Foundation to strengthen recovery services for incarcerated individuals affected by substance use and mental health challenges.
The grant funding will support the implementation of a new recovery support initiative that places a part-time Peer Recovery Support Specialist within the Shelby County Jail. The program is designed to provide evidence-based recovery support during incarceration and help individuals successfully transition to community-based treatment and services following release.
The Shelby County Jail currently offers recovery-focused programs, including recovery blocks for both men and women where they can be housed with like-minded individuals allowing them to focus on overcoming addictions, and the Jail Intervention Program (JIP), which is a multiple phase program designed to provide participants with a variety of tools, services, and accountability and propel them to a sober lifestyle beyond incarceration. These programs provide participants with access to services such as Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Celebrate Recovery, cognitive behavioral programming, and various recovery support groups.
The addition of a Peer Recovery Support Specialist will enhance existing efforts by providing dedicated peer-based support from an individual with lived recovery experience. Services will include one-on-one recovery coaching, motivational interviewing, individualized recovery planning, and connection to community resources.
"We are equally grateful to Choices Coordinated Care Solutions and to Blue River Community Foundation for investing in recovery and reentry efforts that can make a lasting difference in the lives of Shelby County residents," said Shelby County Jail Navigator Rod Mohr. "This funding allows us to strengthen support for individuals both during incarceration and as they return to the community, creating greater opportunities for long-term recovery and success."
Through the program, the Peer Recovery Support Specialist will:
• Provide individualized recovery coaching and support.
• Utilize motivational interviewing techniques to encourage positive change.
• Assist participants in developing personalized recovery plans.
• Build trust and engagement through lived recovery experience.
• Increase motivation for treatment and recovery services.
• Coordinate connections to community providers and resources before release.
A key component of the initiative is continuity of care after incarceration. Following release, Choices Coordinated Care Solutions will continue supporting participants through recovery coaching, care coordination, behavioral health referrals, housing assistance, resource navigation, transportation support, employment resources, and other community-based recovery services.
The goal of the program is to improve recovery outcomes, strengthen engagement in treatment, reduce recidivism, and help individuals successfully reintegrate into the community. By creating a seamless connection between jail-based programming and community recovery services, the partnership seeks to break cycles of substance use and incarceration while promoting long-term wellness.
The $33,330 GIFT IX Community Support Grant will primarily fund the salary and related costs associated with the part-time Peer Recovery Support Specialist position, ensuring more individuals have access to critical recovery support services during and after incarceration.  The part-time Peer Recovery Support Specialist will be employed by Choices Coordinated Care Solutions and will work out of the Shelby County Jail at no cost to the county.