As we commemorate June as Men’s Health Month, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues its work to help justice-involved males successfully return to their communities upon being discharged.
Every year, more than 600,000 individuals are released from federal and state correctional facilities, and millions more are released from local jails. More than 90 percent of them are males. Justice-involved individuals have disproportionately high rates of chronic health conditions and mental health issues and substance use disorders are also common. Many in this already disenfranchised population return to their communities without the links to resources that can help them find a job or get job training, find a place to live, manage chronic health conditions or get help with a substance use disorder.
Last year, OMH launched the Re-Entry Community Linkages (RE-LINK) program to help young adults ages 18 to 26 successfully transition from jail to their communities. The program provides support for eight community-based organizations across the nation to establish links between the re-entry population and health care services and other supportive services, such as housing, adult education and employment assistance programs.
In St. Petersburg, FL, the Pinellas RE-LINK program developed by Metropolitan Charities uses a Health and Social Service Network of seven service providers and organizations to meet the re-entry needs of young adults discharged from Pinellas County Jail, or qualifying individuals who were recently incarcerated elsewhere, but reside in Pinellas County. Metropolitan Charities is expanding the network to include a local college and probation offices.
In New York City, the RE-LINK Wellness Care program operated by the Fortune Society focuses on young adults who have been held in city jails, particularly Rikers Island, one of the most notorious jails in the country. The Fortune Society uses a one-stop-shop model of service delivery for nearly 6,000 people every year. This includes a program which targets youth with mental health and substance use disorders, and offers skill-building and discharge preparation services, and HIV/AIDS transitional health care coordination programs.
RE-LINK is one example of OMH programs that improve health outcomes for men from underserved populations. During Men’s Health Month and throughout the year, HHS and OMH are committed to raising awareness among men of the impact of preventable illnesses and encouraging them to take control of their health.
Visit our Men’s Health Month webpage for information about events for this observance, as well as other men’s health projects, resources, and publications.