U.S. flag

An official website of the Department of Health & Human Services

AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Substance Use Tools & Resources   

Read the Guide

This collection of tools and resources is for providers, staff, and patients who offer or use services to address substance use, and other interested stakeholders. This collection was originally established following an environmental scan on implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural primary care. (See PDFs of Volume 1 [PDF 0.69 MB] and Volume 2 [PDF 1.28 MB] of that scan). Items have been continuously added to this collection since then, and the collection has expanded to cover substance use more broadly, rather than just MAT for OUD.

Displaying 11 - 20 of 148

CMCS Calls for Improving Service Access for Enrollees Experiencing Homelessness

This bulletin encourages states to to consider leveraging available Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) opportunities to improve access to mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) services for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Format
Other
Audience
States
Behavioral Health Providers
Communities
Policymakers and Payers
Source
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS)
Year
Resource Type
PDF
File Size
397 KB

Community Member Engagement Resource Center

This resource center offers practical guidance to help Medicaid stakeholders, including community-based organizations, engage community members in policy and program design development, especially as a means of increasing health equity.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Communities
Policymakers and Payers
States
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
Center for Healthcare Strategies (CHCS)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Developing a Database of SUD Treatment Needs

A 2020 study examined the feasibility of using substance use disorder (SUD) patient intake assessment data as source of information for treatment planning. Patients are often assessed at the beginning of SUD treatment as part of the treatment planning process and to determine the most appropriate level of care (LOC). This report and issue brief describe the data received from four states that collected LOC assessment data and the process for linking the LOC assessment data with SUD utilization data.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
States
Policymakers and Payers
Source
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
Year
Resource Type
PDF
File Size
1586 KB

Embracing Equity and Cultural Humility to Improve Care for Youth with Trauma

This resource provides information for youth-serving primary care and behavioral health providers to improve quality of care and patient outcomes and reduce clinician burnout
Format
Guide
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Schools
Communities
Other Team Members
Source
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Year
Resource Type
PDF
File Size
473 KB

Engagement and Retention of Nonabstinent Patients in Substance Use Treatment

This document was developed to provide SUD treatment programs and providers with guidance and support to: 1) address the complexities of patient nonabstinence during treatment; 2) reduce administrative discharges; and 3) implement strategies focused on lowering barriers to care to improve engagement and retention of nonabstinent patients in the continuum of care.
Format
Guide
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Other Team Members
Communities
Source
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Year
Resource Type
PDF
File Size
1473 KB

Engaging PWLEE in Overdose Data Collection, Interpretation and Dissemination

This tool highlights examples of successful People With Lived or Living Experience (PWLLE) engagement in data collection, interpretation and dissemination, as well as novel approaches to community-based participatory research, such as patient journey mapping and PWUD/researcher collectives. It also includes key considerations for gathering and disseminating data. The target audience for this tool includes the staff of epidemiology and surveillance departments.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
Graduate Education
Other Team Members
Source
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Year
Resource Type
PDF
File Size
614 KB

Engaging PWLLE in Overdose Data Collection, Interpretation and Dissemination

This tool highlights examples of successful People With Lived and Living Experience (PWLLE) engagement in data collection, interpretation and dissemination, gathered through key informant interviews — including overdose fatality review committees, drug checking, patient surveys and overdose reversal reporting — as well as novel approaches to community-based participatory research.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
States
Communities
Other Team Members
Source
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Year
Resource Type
PDF
File Size
614 KB

Financing the Future of Integrated Care: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

This brief is part of a series that aims to accelerate the ease of implementation of evidence-based integrated care interventions across a myriad of organization settings. It provides practical guidance on MOUD financing strategies.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Medical Providers
Other Team Members
Communities
Source
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Year
Resource Type
PDF
File Size
580 KB

Guide to Equity in Behavioral Health Care

The guide discusses existing behavioral healthcare services in the United States and highlights barriers to care, stigma, and discrimination that exist. It also notes the overdose epidemic and services in place to combat it.
Format
Guide
Audience
Policymakers and Payers
States
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
Urban Institute
Year
Resource Type
PDF
File Size
293 KB