RECENT NEWS

Learn about important mental health care issues and the latest practices in correctional settings at the National Commission on Correctional Health Care’s 2013 Correctional Mental Health Care Conference, being held July 21-22 in Las Vegas.

Experts working on committees of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) have reviewed and updated seven guidelines for adults and adolescents. They are Guidelines for Asthma (Adult and Adolescent); Guidelines for Diabetes (Adult and Adolescent); Guidelines for Hyperlipidemia (Adult), Guidelines for Hypertension (Adult) and Guidelines for Obesity (Adolescent). All of the guidelines are available for free download at www.ncchc.org/guidelines.

Acute opioid withdrawal is common upon entry into correctional facilities and, untreated, may result in needless suffering, interruption of life-sustaining medical treatments and, rarely, death. A new guideline addresses the significant care gap in opioid withdrawal treatment in correctional settings.

Management of chronic noncancer pain poses an enormous challenge to correctional health professionals and patients. NCCHC has issued a guideline to help clinicians deal with this complicated issue.

Two new guidelines provide valuable assistance in chronic noncancer pain management, opioid detoxification