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In 2024, 20,883 people were released from North Carolina prisons. Upon release, individuals are frequently without housing, employment, health insurance, or access to healthcare services. The North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition (NC FIT) Program, sponsored by UNC Family Medicine, connects formerly incarcerated individuals who have a chronic disease, mental illness and\/or substance use disorder with essential health services and reentry resources. Community Health Workers (CHWs) with lived experience of incarceration, lead these efforts.<\/p>\n The NC FIT Program is a partnership between:<\/p>\n The NC FIT Program employs Community Health Workers (CHWs) with a personal history of incarceration. CHWs connect recently released people with chronic disease, mental illness and\/or substance use disorder to appropriate health care services and helps put together a comprehensive reentry plan working with local reentry partners.<\/p>\n The NC FIT Program is based on the Transitions Clinic Network<\/a> model that has shown improved outcomes for participants. The NC FIT Program is a member of this nationwide network of 40 clinical sites.<\/p>\n ncfit@unc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Partners:<\/em> Durham County Department of Public Health, Lincoln Community Health Center, The Durham Local Reentry Council<\/p>\n Contact:\u00a0<\/em>Tina Clayton | tclayton@dconc.gov<\/a> | (919) 560-7214<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Monica Cohn |\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mcohn@dconc.gov<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0| (919) 560-7212<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Visit their website<\/a><\/p>\n Partners:<\/em> Orange County Department of Public Health, Piedmont Health Services, Inc., Orange County Reentry Council<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Tommy Green |\u00a0hgreen@orangecountync.gov<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0(919) 339-2410<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Shatocka Carlton | scarlton@orangecountync.gov<\/a> | (919) 245-2397<\/p>\n Contact:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Chrystal Whitley |\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cwhitley@orangecountync.gov<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>(984) 439-9641<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Visit their website<\/a><\/p>\n Partners:<\/em> UNC Department of Psychiatry, UNC Healthcare at UNC REACH, Advance Community Health Center, Wake County Local Reentry Council<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Jennifer Wade | jennifer_wade@med.unc.edu<\/a> | Office: (984) 974-4818 |\u00a0Cell: (919) 322-8185<\/p>\n Contact: <\/em>Tasha Smith | tfinley@unc.edu<\/a> | (919) 576-0244<\/p>\n Contact:\u00a0<\/em>Shawn Baker (FIT Wellness) | shawn_baker@med.unc.edu<\/a> | (984) 974-4857<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Dwight Walker (FIT Wellness) | dwight_walker@med.unc.edu<\/a> | (984) 974-4818<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Partners:<\/em> The Center for Community Transitions, Charlotte Community Health Clinic, Re-entry Partners of Mecklenburg<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Deborah Rose |\u00a0drose@cctcharlotte.org<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0| Office: (704) 374-0762 ext: 3711<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em>\u00a0Rishod Dendy | adendy@cctcharlotte.org<\/a> | Office: (704) 374-0762 ext. 3712<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Sherina Richard | srchiard@cctcharlotte.org<\/a> | Office: (704) 374-0762 ext. 3706<\/p>\n Visit their website<\/a><\/p>\n Partners:\u00a0<\/em>Triad Adult Pediatric Medicine<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Vernice Smith | vsmith@tapmedicine.com<\/a> | (336) 840-9621<\/p>\n Visit their website<\/a><\/p>\n Partners:\u00a0<\/em>MedNorth Health Center, Leading into New Communities (LINC), Inc.<\/p>\n Contact:\u00a0<\/em>Michelle Gunn | mgunn@lincnc.org<\/a> | (910) 332-1134<\/p>\n Contact:\u00a0<\/em>Demond Wells | dwells@lincnc.org<\/a> | (910) 332-1132<\/p>\n Contact: <\/em>Tasha\u00a0 Majette | tmajette@lincnc.org<\/a> | (910) 292-8251 Partners:\u00a0<\/em>Mountain Area Health Education Center, Operation Gateway<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Kelby Benjamin | kelby@operationgateway.org <\/a>| (828) 203-4644<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Taylor Cayton | taylor@operationgateway.org<\/a> | (828) 772-1388<\/p>\n Visit Website MAHEC<\/a><\/p>\n Visit Website Operation Gateway<\/a><\/p>\n Partners:\u00a0<\/em>Agape Health Services<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Donald Woolard | dwoolard@agapechc.org<\/a> | (252) 947-0851<\/p>\n Contact:<\/em> Maurice Gooding | mgooding@agapechc.org<\/a> | (252) 408-2955<\/p>\n Visit their Website<\/a><\/p>\n Partners: Rockingham Co. Health and Human Services<\/em><\/p>\n Contact: <\/em>Darrell Thornton | dthornton@rockinghamcountync.gov<\/a> |\u00a0(336) 613-2751<\/p>\n Visit their Website<\/a><\/p>\n FIT Recovery is a program to identify people in the state prison system that suffer from opioid use disorder and to initiate treatment and medication for opioid use disorder prior to release. This is a collaboration between the prison system, the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), and the FIT Program. The program is in the pilot phase, working with 3 prisons that include the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh, Wake, and Orange Correctional Centers. People in the program are started on Suboxone prior to their release and then given an injection of the same medication that lasts 30 days. The FIT Program coordinates care for people upon release if they will be living in any of the 6 FIT counties, and FIT has partnered with organizations in 58 counties to expand eligibility for people to be treated.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n FIT Wellness is a unique program in our Wake County FIT Program that focuses on people with severe mental illness (SMI). Funded by a grant from the NC Department of Mental Health, FIT is able to offer continuity Psychiatric care for people with SMI released from state prisons and coming to Wake, Orange, Durham and Mecklenburg Counties. Participants work with a FIT Community Health Worker dedicated to this effort that assists them in a comprehensive reentry plan and coordinates their care at FIT clinics in those counties. FIT Wellness participants will see a Psychiatrist\/Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner co-located with their primary care provider. Our partner clinics are the UNC REACH Clinic, MedNorth Health Center and Piedmont Health Services<\/p>\n The North Carolina Technical Assistance Center (NC TAC) is a partnership between the NC FIT Program, The NC Harm Reduction Coalition, the Duke Wilson Center for Science and Justice, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and Dr. Shuchin Shukla. With the support of the NC Department of Health and Human Services in the Division of Mental Health, the collaborative works together supporting programs that work with people at risk of overdose and incarceration. Our scope of services includes Jail-Based treatment of substance use disorder, Harm Reduction, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, Pre-trial and Pre-arrest diversion\/deflection, use of Opioid Settlement funds by counties.<\/p>\n Funding to support our Community Health Workers (CHWs) is from a combination of partnerships with county health departments, local reentry organizations, Federally Qualified Health Centers, grants and a contract with the NC Department of Adult Correction.<\/p>\n A significant barrier to health care services for our clients is a lack of insurance. Many formerly incarcerated people do now qualify for Medicaid but it is often inactive upon release. The NC FIT Program provides vouchers to cover the office visits and medication costs for uninsured patients at our partner community health centers<\/p>\n We are working with our community partners and foundations to obtain long-term funding for the CHWs.<\/p>\n Make a Gift to the Please consider making a donation. Formerly incarcerated people face multiple barriers to care and this program can really make a difference in their lives.<\/p>\n Thank you for your support!<\/p>\n NC prisons ramp up opioid addiction treatment before release | NC Health News<\/a><\/p>\n NC Health News, 12\/4\/25<\/p>\n Healing Justice: Dr. Evan Ashkin on Health, Reentry and Reform<\/a> Prison Reentry Services. More crisis care beds. Better pay for health care workers. Where $835 million in new mental health money is being spent.<\/a> FIT Wellness receives grant to help formerly incarcerated people<\/a> NCDDHS Expands Investment in Reentry Services for People Involves in the Justice System<\/a> Out of prison, but struggling to stay healthy<\/a> Meeting Health Needs at Reentry: North Carolina’s FIT Program<\/a> Health Care Half Hour: Successful reentry- Health issues facing people leaving incarceration<\/a> Increasing MAT use in carceral facilities could save lives, but faces barriers<\/a> Out of Prison and Trying to Build a New, Healthy Life<\/a> They\u2019re Out of Prison, Can They Stay Out of The Hospital?<\/a> UNC-led FIT Program helps former prisoners take on chronic illnesses<\/a> FIT Program Provides Critical Support for Former Inmates<\/a> Serious Mental Illness\u2010Associated Socio\u2010Medical Needs and Imprisonment Risk in Reentry Clients<\/a><\/p>\n David L. Rosen, M.D., Ph.D., Theodore R. Zarzar, M.D., Anna Baker, M.P.H., Evan A. Ashkin, M.D.<\/p>\n NC FIT Qualitative Report: Patient & Provider Perspectives<\/a><\/p>\n Carda-Auten J, DiRosa E, Ashkin E, Rosen D. Patient and Provider Perspectives on Reentry Challenges and Program Benefits: Impact of the NC FIT Program (Qualitative Report)<\/p>\n We Must Do Better: Addressing High Mortality After Release from Incarceration<\/a> Spotlight on the Safety Net: Connecting People Released from Incarceration to Essential Health Services: The North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition (FIT) Program<\/a> Prison And Jail Reentry And Health<\/a> Overwhelming Need, Insufficient Health Care for Justice-involved North Carolinians.<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/fammed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/454\/2021\/11\/NCFIT-Logo-300x110.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat is NC FIT?<\/h2>\n
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Interested in Learning More? Contact Us!<\/h3>\n
NC FIT Program Sites and Partners<\/h2>\n
The FIT Program of Durham County<\/h3>\n
The FIT Program of Orange County<\/h3>\n
The FIT Program of Wake County<\/h3>\n
The FIT Program of Mecklenburg County<\/h3>\n
The FIT Program of Guilford County<\/h3>\n
The FIT Program of New Hanover County<\/h3>\n
\nVisit their website<\/a><\/p>\nThe FIT Program of Buncombe County<\/h3>\n
The FIT Program of Beaufort County<\/h3>\n
The FIT Program of Rockingham County<\/h3>\n
NC FIT Programs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
FIT Recovery<\/h4>\n
FIT Wellness<\/h4>\n
North Carolina Technical Assistance Center<\/a><\/h4>\n
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How is the NC FIT Program Funded?<\/h2>\n
\nUNC Family Medicine NC FIT Program<\/a>\nNews and Media<\/h2>\n
\nPrison to Promise Podcast, 6\/12\/25<\/p>\n
\nNC Health News, 4\/3\/24<\/p>\n
\nThe Daily Tar Heel, 2\/22\/24<\/p>\n
\nNCDHHS, 2\/12\/24<\/p>\n
\nAAMC, 1\/10\/23<\/p>\n
\nPolicy Research Associates, 2\/10\/21<\/p>\n
\nNC Health News, 11\/18\/21<\/p>\n
\nNC Health News, 12\/21\/21<\/p>\n
\nWashington Post, 12\/23\/19<\/p>\n
\nNew York Times, 5\/29\/18<\/p>\n
\nUNC Health Care News 8\/2017<\/p>\n
\nWUNC — The State of Things, June 13th<\/p>\nAcademic Publications & Reports<\/h2>\n
\nBaker A, Ashkin E, Rosen D North Carolina Medical Journal Sep 2022, 83 (5) 342-345; DOI: 10.18043\/ncm.83.5.342<\/p>\n
\nClark E, Ashkin E. North Carolina Medical Journal November-December 2019 80:377-379; doi:10.18043\/ncm.80.6.377<\/p>\n
\n“Prison And Jail Reentry And Health”, Health Affairs Health Policy Brief, October 28, 2021. DOI: 10.1377\/hpb20210928.343531<\/p>\n
\nRosen D, Gifford E, Ashkin E. North Carolina Medical Journal November-December 2019 80:339-343; doi:10.18043\/ncm.80.6.339<\/p>\n