What is the LEAP Program?

For those who struggle with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), the road to recovery can be bumpy and difficult to navigate alone. For those who are incarcerated, it can be even more challenging. To support formerly incarcerated people living with OUD, Action Wellness is offering specialized case management services.

The Linkage and Engagement After Prison (LEAP) Program is a medical case management initiative for people with a diagnosis of Opioid Use Disorder who have been initiated on medication assisted treatment at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.

What do LEAP Case Managers do? 

LEAP Case Managers meet with incarcerated individuals at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons to assess their needs and to build a relationship with the individual. Following release, Action Wellness Case Managers continue to engage and support them, ensuring that they are connected to drug treatment and necessary harm reduction or social services. Case Managers will continue to work with the client at regular interval for three to six months post-release to promote a smooth transition back into the community.

LEAP is based on a harm reduction model and abstinence from drug use is not a requirement to participate. All services are client-centered and directed by client need. Services/resources to which LEAP is able to link clients include:

• Health insurance
• Medication Assisted Treatment
• Inpatient/outpatient drug and alcohol treatment
• Mental health treatment
• Primary and specialist medical care
• HIV testing
• Narcan training
• Needle exchange programs
• Educational programs
• Vocation support and job training
• Food resources
• Transportation
• Vital documents
• Housing counseling
• Welfare/Social Security/Veterans benefits
• Court advocacy
• Assistance in meeting probation requirements

How is LEAP funded?

LEAP is funded by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health through a grant received by the Centers for Disease Control. The goal of the grant is to decrease the drug overdose rate from illegal and prescription opioids, decrease the rate of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder, increase provision of evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder, and decrease the rate of emergency room visits due to opioids in Philadelphia.