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Kittitas County is currently experiencing a shortage of providers for primary, mental, and <br />dental healthcare. The ratio of Kittitas County residonrs to primary care physicians is 1570: l. <br />This is higher than the state's ratio of i 190: l. 7 The ratio of residents to rnental health providers <br />is 7 I 0: I ' That is more than twice as many residents per mental health provider as the state ratio <br />of 360:l' sThe ratio of residents to dentists is 2,700:1. Again, this is nearly fwice the state ratio of <br />1250:1. e <br />Due to the shortage of primary and mental health care providers, residents are unable to <br />receive the necessary medical attention to treaf substance abuse disorders. According to the NIH, <br />individuals who use illicit drugs are rRore likely to commit crimes, and it is common for many <br />offense$, including violent crimes, to be commifted by individuals who had used drugs or alcohol <br />prior to eommitting the crinte, or who were using af the time of the offense.lO once in the Kittitas <br />Couniy Jail, due to limited budgets and staff, unforhrnately inmates can only receive minimum <br />care for ttreir addictions. To address the provid.er shortage and other rural challenges Kittitas <br />County Sheriff s offrce proposes to expand and enhance evidence-based keatment as well as <br />recovery support services within the Kittitas County Jail and it has been determined to a <br />contractor should be used to deliver services to best serve the inmates at Kittitas County Jail. By <br />identifying a provider group that can provide borh jail full+ime on-site MAT services and <br />establish a local presence the proposed project will impacr the inmates upon release and the <br />greater community. <br />4afZA