Cascade of care for substance use and mental health disorders for justice-involved populations

Justice-involved populations have dramatically higher rates of substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders (MHD) compared to the general population. Despite high rates of SUD and MHD, treatment for this population is often limited and not evidence-based. The cascade of care model estimates drop-offs in the continuum of care from screening to identification of need, referral, care initiation, care engagement, and care completion. Recently, healthcare providers have utilized the cascade of care to improve the continuity of care for people with SUD and MHD in justice settings. The purpose of the current study is to 1) identify typologies that explain the proportion of new intakes that pass through each level of the cascade of care for SUD and MHD, and 2) describe agency-level factors that predict typology assignments and agency ability to assess client flow through the levels of the care cascade.