Academic and Health Policy Conference on Correctional Health Care

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Academic and Health Policy Conference on Correctional Health is an annual interdisciplinary scientific meeting for health services researchers, policy makers and clinicians concerned with developing empirical evidence to support clinical care for detained populations. The conference provides a unique opportunity for networking as well as the development and dissemination of research. In particular, the forum will serve investigators early in their careers as well as underrepresented minority researchers, facilitating opportunities to develop relationships with clinicians and scientists experienced in the world of criminal justice health care. Topics include the most urgent needs for improving care for detainees including substance abuse evaluation and treatment; care for serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders; strategies to improve care and care coordination for individuals infected with HIV and hepatitis C; community reentry strategies; care for other chronic conditions; and strategies for conducting research in secure environments. Specific aims for the conference: 1. Create a national forum that encourages high quality, interdisciplinary research in correctional health with an emphasis on substance abuse treatment, mental illness and co-occurring disorders as well as prevention and treatment of chronic infections spread through injection drug use. 2. Engage an interdisciplinary group of correctional health researchers, correctional health clinicians, health policy experts and state, county and federal correctional administrators to: network and share experiences; learn from each others' successes and failures; and discuss ideas for interventions to improve outcomes for detainees, 95% of who will return to the community. 3. Facilitate the development of interdisciplinary research teams to: address the most pressing needs in the field; develop research protocols; conduct research; and disseminate and adopt evidence-based clinical practices in correctional settings and post release that emerge from these activities. 4. Develop new areas of applied research informed by the clinical, policy and security agendas across disciplines and geographic areas. Methods: A call for papers is issued annually for submission of presentations and scientific posters. Each conference will include a keynote and two plenary presentations and be followed by themed breakout sessions for presentations accepted following peer review. The conference will also include planned sessions to facilitate discussion of research design and networked research projects. Scholarships are available for a limited number of junior investigators interested in pursuing research on criminal justice health care. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Drug related offenses are estimated at 80% of all arrests and 15% of detainees have serious mental illness. HIV, hepatitis C and TB are prevalent in this population with 95% of inmates returning to communities. Best practices to improve treatment, adherence and community reentry will emerge from the conference.