Driving Recovery: NEVHC’s Approach to Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Providing access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is an essential step in promoting health equity for all individuals. As the SUD landscape evolved through the years, NEVHC ensured its services reflected the needs of the community.?

At the onset of the California Vehicle Code regulation in 1911, “driving under the influence” concerned driver’s licensing, vehicle registration, emissions and highway design. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, a shift occurred as scientific, federal and medical communities began to weigh in on the case of drunk driving. In the late 1970s, NEVHC initiated its first SUD program, the NEVHC DUI (Driving Under the Influence) Program, in response to a change in California law. The "Wet Reckless Law" passed legislation in 1976, allowing drivers who were initially charged with DUI to plead guilty to a lesser offense if they completed a state-approved alcohol education program. This new law paved the way for NEVHC to begin one of its longest-standing programs.?

NEVHC’s DUI Program involves education and counseling aimed at helping individuals understand the dangers and consequences of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. By building trust with counselors and participating in group therapy and individual counseling, participants address the underlying issues contributing to their substance use. DUI Counselor Emily Peirano states, “Making a client feel comfortable and not feel like they are being judged is an important first step. One way I like to approach it is by telling my clients a story about myself. I have seen that it helps clients open up and makes them feel understood.”?

While NEVHC has responded to increased SUD rates through the years, a few of the most notable changes have occurred within the past five years.??

As deaths caused by overdose dramatically increased, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) invested in efforts to lower barriers to SUD treatment. In 2018, NEVHC introduced its Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) Program at Transitions to Wellness (TTW) Van Nuys to provide treatment for individuals experiencing SUD.???

NEVHC’s MAT Program is a SUD treatment that combines medication with behavioral therapies to assist in the recovery from an addiction to opioids or alcohol. These FDA-approved medications reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, helping patients stay in treatment and reduce their use of drugs or alcohol. NEVHC’s 60-day retention rate of 46% – the extent to which individuals continue to engage in and receive treatment for a specified period – surpasses an external MAT study’s rate of 38%.?

Later, NEVHC introduced a DUI MAT Integration Outreach Project in 2019, which was made possible by the State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant Program. The DUI MAT Integration Outreach Project creates a treatment access point through NEVHC’s DUI Program; the DUI Program conducts SUD prescreen assessments and facilitates MAT services for clients participating voluntarily in the MAT program. Additionally, to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DUI Program offered virtual individual and group therapy sessions, and counselors noted increased engagement and memory retention. ?

When implemented together, the DUI and MAT programs provide a more comprehensive and effective approach; by addressing both the behavioral and physiological aspects of addiction, individuals may be more likely to successfully achieve and maintain sobriety, reducing their risk of future DUI incidents. The DUI and MAT programs served a combined total of 551 individuals in 2022.? ?

To continue making strides against SUD, NEVHC will expand MAT services to a third health center in 2023. Additionally, NEVHC will dedicate resources to learning about health equity in SUD treatment to ensure it remains culturally competent for all. SUD is a complex and widespread issue that can impact anyone, and NEVHC believes that anyone experiencing SUD must have equal access to care and early intervention.?

Written by Selena Sierra, Development Communications Coordinator