Addressing Barriers to Care for Substance Use Disorder Pilot Study

Care navigation is an intervention that seeks to help patients follow up on substance use treatment plans that are established by care coordinators in the health system by reducing barriers to accessing treatment. This includes advocating for patients to reduce disparities based on language, income or geographical barriers, and cultural preferences (i.e., linkage to available services); and using motivational enhancement techniques to help patients maintain their motivation to obtain substance use treatment while working through these barriers (i.e., motivational intervention). Thus, the care navigator's role is to take the care plan developed between the patient and the mental health care coordinator forward and connect the patient to available services and provide motivational enhancement techniques to help direct the patient toward completion of the care plan.