State grant helps offset required opioid treatment costs at Mesa County Detention Facility

Mesa County Sheriff's Office has received a $283,243 grant from the Colorado Department of Public Safety's Division of Criminal Justice to help offset the cost of providing medication-assisted treatment to inmates with opioid use disorder at the Mesa County Detention Facility.

The Board of Mesa County Commissioners approved acceptance of the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment grant during its June 16 public hearing. The funding will help reduce local costs associated with a service required under Colorado law.

Colorado law requires county-operated detention facilities to provide medication-assisted treatment, commonly known as MAT, to inmates who have opioid use disorder. The Mesa County Detention Facility provides MAT services to an average of 110 individuals each day.

Providing the required treatment costs approximately $900,000 annually. The grant will reimburse a portion of those expenses, helping reduce the financial impact on Mesa County taxpayers while ensuring the detention facility continues to meet state requirements.

According to the grant agreement, the funding supports jail-based treatment, continuity of care during incarceration and connections to community-based treatment after release. It also helps fund medical staff who provide MAT services at the detention facility.

The grant provides $283,243 in state-administered federal funding and runs through Sept. 30, 2027.