WHAT IS LINKAGE TO CARE

  1. Actively connecting individuals with SUD to appropriate treatment services and support system.
    • Facilitating access to evidence-based therapies
    • Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
    • Harm reduction organizations
    • Recovery support groups
  2. Bridges the gap between identification of a SUD and engagement in treatment.
  3. Involves more than just providing information about treatment options.
    • Outreach
    • Personalized support
    • Navigating barriers to care
  4. Actively encourage individuals to seek help.
  5. Customized Approach
    • Tailored to individual needs and circumstances
    • Considering factors like:
    • Severity of SUD
    • Co-occurring mental health conditions
    • Social determinants of health now known as Non-medical determinants of health

LINKAGE TO CARE TERMS

Warm Hand Offs

  1. Direct introduction:
    • Primary care provider actively introduces patient to the BH/SUD clinician during the medical appointment, rather than simply sending a referral.
  2. Improves access to care:
    • By facilitating a direct introduction, patients are more likely to follow through with a behavioral health appointment.
  3. Builds trust and rapport:
    • The patient can immediately establish a connection with the behavioral health provider, which can increase comfort and willingness to engage in treatment.

Whole Person Care

Whole person care is an integrated, holistic approach to healthcare that considers all aspects of an individual’s well-being, including their physical, mental, emotional, social, and environmental health. It involves:

  • Comprehensive Assessment
  • Coordinated Care
  • Person-Centered Approach
  • Prevention and Early Intervention
  • Long-Term

Peer Navigators/Peer Support

Peer Navigators are trained professionals with lived experience who provide personalized support to individuals seeking help for substance use and recovery. They understand the challenges of navigating treatment and are here to guide you every step of the way.

What Peer Navigators Do:

  • One-on-One Support: Listen to your needs and provide guidance without judgment.
  • Help Finding Treatment & Recovery Services: Assist in connecting you to detox, rehab, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), outpatient programs, and sober living homes.
  • Navigating Healthcare & Insurance: Help you understand your healthcare options, including Medicaid, sliding-scale services, and free programs.
  • Harm Reduction Support: Provide access to Naloxone (Narcan) for overdose prevention, safe disposal of medications, and other harm reduction resources.
  • Social Support & Wraparound Services: Connect you to housing assistance, employment programs, mental health services, transportation, and food resources.
  • Follow-Up & Encouragement: Stay in touch to ensure you have continued support throughout your recovery journey.

LINKAGE TO CARE RESOURCES

Title Type

Overdose Response and Linkage to Care Roadmap

Preventing Substance Use Among Young Adults With Disabilities

Opioid-Overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA) Practice Guide 2023

Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services: Practical Approaches for First Responders

Changing the Conversation: Providing Whole-Person Care

Increasing Equity in Pain Management, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, and Linkages to CARE

Whole Person Approaches to Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment

Whole-Person Care for People Experiencing Homelessness and Opioid Use Disorder: A Toolkit—Part I: Understanding Homelessness and Opioid Use Disorder, Supporting Recovery, and Best Practices in Whole-Person Care

Evidence-based, whole-person care for pregnant people who have Opioid Use Disorder