Sheriff addresses national leaders at White House Office of National Drug Control Policy meeting

Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian was a lead presenter at a meeting of local, state and national leaders in Washington today on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for justice-involved individuals.

The morning presentation was part of an expansive discussion on MAT in corrections, hosted by the White House Office of National Drug Control (ONDCP) Policy and held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. 

Among the speakers at today’s event were ONDCP Director Michael Botticelli and National Institute of Corrections Director Jim Cosby.  The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office was one of just four jurisdictions from across the country invited to present on its MAT program, and Sheriff Koutoujian was the only presenter to also participate in both afternoon roundtables.

Sheriff Koutoujian spoke to attendees about the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office’s Medication Assisted Treatment and Directed Opioid Recovery (MATADOR) Program.  MATADOR is a post-release program, which incorporates the use of an injectable form of Naltrexone (a long lasting, non-habit forming medication which blocks the effects of opioids), substance use counseling/programming and continuity of care for participants upon return to the community.

“I want to thank the Obama Administration for it efforts to address the deadly opioid epidemic plaguing our communities, and ONDCP Director Botticelli for the invitation to present at this convening of national leaders,” said Sheriff Koutoujian.  “Today's session was about innovation and collaboration between state, local and federal stakeholders in an effort to establish effective, successful MAT programs." 

Other jurisdictions invited to present on their MAT programs were the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Connecticut Department of Corrections and Montgomery County (MD) Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.

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