Teamwork of street outreach and OTPs increases methadone treatment

Researchers have found that reducing barriers to methadone treatment via partnerships between mobile health programs, syringe services programs (SSPs), and opioid treatment programs (OTPs) can help reduce opioid overdoses. For the study, published December 2 in Addiction Science and Clinical Practice , researchers focused on patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and unstable housing who utilized a mobile health unit and an SSP in Lawrence, Massachusetts. As part of the federal HEALing Communities Study, the researchers developed an expedited referral process allowing mobile health clinicians to provide preliminary clearance for methadone treatment. Working with SSP staff, recovery coaches, and OTP staff on outreach, engagement, coordination, and intake, patients could get their first dose of methadone within 1 to 3 days. All patients were required to complete the psychosocial intake first. While methadone is the gold standard for OUD, barriers to OTP enrollment exist, the researchers wrote, citing the need for proof of identity, lack of transportation, and limited intake hours. Being homeless just magnifies those barriers, the researchers noted. Over the course of six months, 87 individuals were linked to treatment and 64 were admitted and received methadone at the OTP. “Many patients who had previously assumed they could not seek treatment with methadone were eager to do so when barriers to access were reduced,” the researchers noted. The study's title: “Expedited referrals from community health center to opioid treatment program: innovative approaches to improving access to methadone treatment for patients who use opioids and experience homelessness.”