Description
For those individuals coming into the jail who consume alcohol or other drugs, there is a strong possibility that they will begin to experience withdrawal especially since coming to jail essentially forces them to go “cold turkey.” This is an important factor that staff must consider on all new intakes because failing to identify someone could result in them going into acute substance withdrawal, which left unaddressed, can result in serious health complications and even death.
Because of the dangers associated with withdrawal, it is imperative that staff understand that a thorough screening, along with regular and active observations are the foundation for an effective withdrawal management process, which begins upon an individual’s arrival to the jail and continues throughout. That is why it is imperative that custody staff are trained in recognizing the signs and symptoms of withdrawal so that they can quickly identify the emergence of withdrawal indicators related to alcohol, sedatives, opioids, and stimulants. And because it is impossible to predict the intensity of someone’s withdrawal, custody staff must also be trained to explore several factors, such as the duration of heavy and regular use, prior episodes of withdrawal, and presence of other medical conditions, influencing the likelihood and determining the severity of withdrawal.
In this class, we will review these commonly known substances and discuss the signs & symptoms of each of them as they relate to both intoxication & withdrawal. We will also discuss the signs and symptoms associated with an agitated chaotic event, aka in-custody deaths, and explore the role the CO’s play when they suspect an individual is in that state.
This class is intended to provide custody staff with the basics needed in identifying behaviors from a lay person’s point of view that would prompt them to seek medical or mental health care.
