BCBSRI: Addiction recovery better at home

PROVIDENCE – Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is working to change common opinion that recovery must happen at far-away locales, sharing resources for Rhode Islanders to seek treatment right here in the Ocean State.

The most recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that Rhode Island’s 2015 percentage of illicit drug dependence or misuse among individuals aged 12 or older was higher than the national percentage. In Rhode Island, about 30,000 individuals aged 12 or older (3.4 percent of all individuals in this age group) were dependent on or misused illicit drugs within the year prior to being surveyed.

SAMHSA has identified four dimensions that support a life in recovery. Two of them involve home – having a stable and safe place to live, and community – having relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love and hope.

“This highlights how recovery is supported through relationships with family, friends and social networks,” said Rena Sheehan, managing director of behavioral health at BCBSRI. “Someone who is removed from their home environment is away from these natural supports and may have a difficult time rebuilding those relationships when they return.”

- Advertisement -

“Getting clean and sober is about confronting reality. It’s life on life’s terms, according to the well-known AA saying,” said Dr. Kevin Baill, chief of addiction services at Butler Hospital. “We want people to make healthy changes in the environment and community where they live because those changes are more likely to endure. Family members can provide essential support to recovery and help a person experience moments of positive healing as well as confronting the difficult challenges [that] are inevitable in life.”

The American Society for Addiction Medicine has stated that evidence-based medicine calls for substance use disorder treatment within one’s own geographical area.

“According to ASAM, it’s more effective to stay in your geographic area, so you can learn how to be sober in the area that you plan to live,” said Sheehan. “As with all chronic diseases, a single course of treatment, such as 30 days in rehab, will not solve it. Additionally, while residential treatment can be right for some people, the recommended level of care for many may not be to go away for rehab but to do intensive outpatient treatment right where you live.”

Local resources available for those affected by substance use disorders:

  • Butler Hospital: Inpatient detox, partial hospital programs for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Call 1-844-401-0111 or visit www.butler.org/patient-resourc­es/call-center.cfm.
  • CharterCare: Inpatient detoxification, partial hospital programs and outpatient medication-assisted treatment. Call (401) 456-2362.
  • AdCare: Inpatient, residential, outpatient and family supportive services, as well as family programs. Call 1-800-Alcohol, 1-800-252-6465, or visit www.adcare.com/family-programs/.
  • CODAC: Medication-assisted treatment, care coordina­tion and counseling. BCBSRI partnered with CODAC, the state’s first Cen­ter of Excellence for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment, to expand access to medication-assisted treatment and offer comprehensive services for members with opioid use disorders. Visit codacinc.org.
  • Anchor Recovery Community Center: Peer recovery coaching. BCBSRI partnered with Anchor Recovery Community Center in 2015 to offer peer recovery coaches with no member cost sharing. In 2016, BCBSRI linked recovery coaches to a key substance use treatment provider system to foster better connections to the service. Call (401) 695-9945 or (401) 721-5100, or visit anchorrecovery.org.
  • State of Rhode Island Help Line ‘STOP NOW’: Rhode Island’s Hope and Recovery Support Line. Open 24/7, 365 days a year. Call to speak to a licensed counselor. Spanish-speaking counselors are available. Call (401) 942-7867.
  • Medication-Assisted Treatment program with Roger Williams Medical Center’s Addiction Services Center: In 2018, BCBSRI partnered with RWMC to provide maximal patient care for those struggling with opioid use disorders by working to ensure timely, reliable access to medication-assisted treatment. The program bundles together a portfolio of services, including clini­cal assessment and physician evaluation with ongoing care provided; individual and group counseling; and case management, as well as patient-informed feed­back to ensure the needs of this patient population are met. Call (401) 456-2362 or visit rwmc.org/services/addiction-services-center.
  • HealthPath: The HealthPath program, a home- and community-based treatment team for members with behavioral health conditions, expanded in 2015 to include members with substance use disorders. The HealthPath program engages members and natural supports in addressing mental health and substance use disor­der symptoms and the social determinants of health through a team of psychiatrists, nurses, clinicians, case managers and peers. The bundled payment model enables a monthly copayment to decrease potential cost-sharing barriers. Call (401) 415-8868 or visit continuumri.com/healthpath.
  • Case Management: Beacon Health Options, BCBSRI’s behavioral health partner, provides on-site case management services at BCBSRI’s highest-volume comprehensive substance use disorder treatment facility to engage members struggling with recovery efforts. Case managers are instrumental in connecting members with ongoing recovery supports and treatment as well as in connect­ing the member’s treatment. Call 1-800-274-2958.

Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.