Medicaid and SSI/SSDI application assistance prior to release

Correctional facilities implement a process that allows jail personnel or staff from an outside entity to assist people in the jail with Medicaid and Social Security Insurance/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI) applications, as well as with the submission of ex-parte/administrative renewals of suspended Medicaid benefits, prior to their release. The exact process and timeframes are informed by federal, state, and local policies and considerations.

For more information on this intervention, see this resource:

• Critical Connections, page 43

Local Examples

Champaign County, IL Champaign County Sheriff's Office

• The Champaign County Sheriff's Office and county mental health board established a process for enrolling people with mental illnesses in SSI/SSDI.
• A community mental health advocacy organization has health navigators on site at the sheriff's office to provide assistance with health insurance, Medicaid enrollment, and access to community health services.
• This organization continues to provide services to people upon release.

For more information on this example, see these resources:

• Stepping Up Innovator Counties ("Champaign County")
• Six Questions Case Studies (Question 2: Do We Conduct Timely Screening and Assessments?)