Issue Brief: Challenges in Standardizing SUD Care Coordination

Substance use disorder (SUD) recovery is a complex, lifelong process requiring coordinated support across health care, social services and community systems. Unlike other chronic conditions, SUD is episodic and has uniquely high stakes due to the lethality of the current drug supply. The lethality of today’s drug supply means that a gap in care or a recurrence of symptoms can quickly become fatal. To improve outcomes and save lives, it is essential to treat SUD as a chronic condition with long-term management and sustained care coordination.

Standardizing care coordination for SUD is critical to bridging gaps and ensuring people receive timely, integrated, lifesaving support. This brief identifies key challenges to achieving standardization in SUD care coordination and offers solutions to create a reliable and fair system of care.

Contributors

Alexandra Plante
Sr. Advisor, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Dr. Annie Peters
Director Research and Education, National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers

Dr. Brett Talbot
Chief Clinical Officer, Videra Health

Cait Larson
Chief Operating Officer, bosWell

Brian Bailys
Chief Executive Officer, Thrive Peer Recovery Services

Eric Bailly
Sr. Director, Third Horizon Strategies

Dr. Patrick Mullen
Cofounder and Chief Clinical Officer, Manifesto Health

Philip Rutherford 
Vice President, National Council for Mental Wellbeing