Medicaid waiver, grants and WorkSource expansions to boost pre‑release care and reentry services

State health and economic agencies described several concrete programmatic steps intended to strengthen health care, housing and employment supports for people leaving custody.

Tyrone Nixon of the Washington State Health Care Authority summarized the state’s approved Medicaid 1115 demonstration waiver, saying that beginning July 1, 2025 Apple Health (Washington’s Medicaid program) will pay for a targeted set of pre‑release services for Medicaid‑eligible adults and youth in prisons, jails and youth correctional facilities up to 90 days before release. Nixon listed covered items: "care management to diagnose, treat, and stabilize," medications for alcohol and opioid use disorder, hepatitis C and HIV treatment, a 30‑day supply of medications and medical equipment at release, and lab and radiology services. He also said the waiver authorizes post‑release supports and a "warm hand‑off" to accountable communities of health for housing navigation and other social needs.

Kurt Myers, program manager for the Department of Commerce Reentry Grant Program, described grant history and scale: a 2021 legislative appropriation of $5,000,000 established competitive grants for nonprofit and tribal reentry programs; a subsequent $12,000,000 addition from the community reinvestment plan expanded award tiers and reach; Commerce reported roughly a 200% increase in individuals served and a 270% increase in services provided between fiscal periods after the program’s design changes. Myers said the department is running solicitations focused on small grassroots organizations in rural counties to close service gaps.

An Employment Security/WorkSource representative outlined employment supports across Washington’s 34 workforce centers and 20+ satellite sites and reported WorkSource service counts: more than 12,000 people served in 2019 and over 9,000 in the most recent year of available data. The presenter said WorkSource provides one‑on‑one job assistance, training access, orientations and referrals to partners for housing and treatment, and that some WorkSource services are being offered inside correctional facilities as pilots.

Panelists and the governor discussed coordination and continuity of care. Nixon confirmed that pre‑release medication‑assisted treatment and care management are covered in the waiver and emphasized that post‑release warm hand‑offs remain a key operational priority. Officials said additional funding and cross‑agency coordination are required to make the handoffs consistent and to expand mental‑health and substance‑use services in the community.