CIN Toolkit: Three Strategies to Help Primary Care Teams Treat Substance Use Disorders

This document is a guide for primary care organizations and care teams working to integrate substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services. It provides proven strategies, best practices, and tools used by organizations within California to expand the capability of primary care teams in commercial and safety-net sectors to confidently and willingly provide SUD services.

The ideas suggested in this toolkit were gleaned from a variety of sources: evidence-based practices and resources cited in literature, feedback from experts in the field, and interviews with experienced California health care organizations across
safety-net and commercial settings. This toolkit is applicable for all organizations along the journey of integration,from
those just starting out to those scaling up to full integration.

Toolkit Framework

For each strategy, the toolkit details actions and resources for key tactics: connect to the mission, learn from others, give clear direction, provide support, raise awareness, build skills, clarify the process, and measure impact. The actions and resources build care teams’ confidence in their organizations and their capability to manage change, remove technical barriers, and support staff to develop the knowledge and skills to become confident in their own abilities.

“What would it be like to create a space where patients do not feel shame saying, “I want to be seen for my addiction”?”

— Ako Jacintho, MD, director of addiction medicine, HealthRIGHT 360

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