Collection
Addiction Care

What is a Collection?

Playbook Collections explore interventions that address the needs of people with complex needs by curating available peer-reviewed research, case studies, tools, and on-the-ground perspectives. Resources help address: What is the evidence for an intervention? What does it look like in practice? and How can I do it? Although not exhaustive, Collections will evolve as new and promising research and other resources are available.

Despite the increasing prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) and overdose deaths in the U.S., only a small percentage of individuals receive quality addiction care treatment. Although there are many factors driving this divide in treatment access, even more barriers to care exist for the many people with SUD who have complex needs, such as homelessness and chronic comorbidities.

Several innovative models are starting to take hold to meet people with SUD “where they are at,” such as transitional points within emergency departments, inpatient settings, or through telehealth. This Playbook Collection includes interventions such as medications for addiction treatment (MAT) and interdisciplinary addiction care teams that incorporate addiction medicine physicians and peer recovery coaches. A common theme across these models is a person-centered approach to treatment initiation, engagement, and follow-up care. Many models in this Collection also take into account the need to address racial and health inequities and social factors contributing to addiction.

Health care stakeholders can use this Playbook Collection to understand select evidence behind some of these newer approaches to addiction care, as well as practical strategies to support effective implementation of these programs for people with SUD.

What works in addiction care?

Following are summaries of peer-reviewed research, evaluations, and reports on recent addiction care approaches. Many of these programs have demonstrated positive results, such as improved health outcomes and reduced costs and utilization.

What do these models look like in practice?

Below find on-the-ground perspectives or experiences in implementing addiction care models for people with SUD. Case studies outline details that may be useful for organizations interested in implementing these or similar interventions.

How can my organization implement this approach?

Following are practical tools and strategies that health systems and providers, health plans, policymakers, and other interested organizations can use when seeking to create or improve addiction care approaches.

Share your success: Let us know about your innovations in addiction care for people with complex needs.