Treating Substance Use Disorder in Individuals With Intellectual Disability: A Regional System Capacity Assessment

This mixed-methods study assessed substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities within California's regional center system. The system is the primary organization in California that coordinates and monitors services for these individuals. Data were solicited from the 21 service centers in the system and six vendored programs overseeing SUD services. This article reports on those programs and analyzes qualitative data from seven service coordinators regarding overall SUD treatment. Both the programs and the coordinators identified 0barriers to treatment, such as a lack of training and inadequate service structures. Despite being formal referral targets, these programs often only offered adaptations for physical access. Proposed solutions included interagency collaboration and adopting a biopsychosocial model of care.