Building an Integrated Team to Navigate the Legal System for People with SUD

Research to Recovery 2026 Conference presented by Rams in Recovery at VCU Tim Bourdon, Abigail Rittenour, and Chad Wellins present an overview of the Re-Entry and Recovery Specialist Program within Public Defender Offices throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. This program is unique in its approach to treating addiction as a disease within the criminal justice system. They introduce how the Opioid Abatement Authority came to be and how it contributed to the initiation of the Re-Entry and Recovery Specialist program in The Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. They share how the program is implemented, and the ways in which their specialists assist clients throughout their legal journey. This presentation also shows how they address SUD and support recovery beyond the resolution of clients’ legal matters. They will highlight the ways in which these specialists’ experience and training benefit the Public Defenders by appropriately addressing SUD and supporting recovery in conjunction with their legal circumstances.