Nearly 50 million Americans need substance use disorder treatment each year, but only about one in five of those people get care. Fortunately, substance use disorders are highly treatable medical conditions.
What is a substance use disorder?
A substance use disorder is a pattern of using drugs or alcohol that can harm your health, daily life, and well-being. It includes misuse of prescription medications, such as opioid painkillers.
When taken in excess, these substances directly activate the brain’s reward system, which affects the way we behave. They can produce such an intense activation of the reward system that a person chooses to use substances and neglects other activities. Sometimes, individuals with a substance use disorder also have a mental health diagnosis.
People with substance use disorders can get care, improve their health, and have full, meaningful lives in recovery. They can participate in their recovery by setting their goals for wellness and working with their care team to create a treatment and recovery plan that best supports them.
Fear of stigma can sometimes be an obstacle to people getting help for substance use disorders. Seeking treatment is simply a form of accessing needed health care, so people can live their healthiest, best lives. It’s a choice to support and celebrate, not fear.
What substance use disorder services are available through Vaya Health?
All Vaya members and recipients have access to services that treat and support people with substance use disorders. Treatment choices are not the same for everyone. People can receive care that matches their needs, experiences, and hopes for recovery.
The specific services available depend on your health plan and personal needs. They may include:
- An assessment and treatment recommendations
- Detoxification services in a facility or in the community
- Mobile crisis services
- Intensive outpatient treatment
- Outpatient therapy
- Medication
- Peer support
Your Member Handbook or Recipient Handbook lists services that may be available to you. You can also call our Member and Recipient Service Line at 1-800-962-9003
How can I get an assessment for substance use disorder?
Vaya members and recipients do not need a referral to be assessed for a substance use disorder. If you have a primary care provider or care manager, you can ask them to help you get an assessment. You can also visit a walk-in center in your county or call Vaya’s Behavioral Health Crisis Line at 1-800-849-6127.
Can prevention strategies help reduce substance use?
Prevention is powerful. Prevention strategies can stop substance use before it starts, and they can help a person stop using substances before it becomes a disorder.
Prevention strategies include:
- Educating people about the use and risks of substances and about seeking appropriate care
- Building healthy and supportive social networks
- Teaching resiliency strategies
- Sharing stories of substance use and recovery experiences
- Providing peer-to-peer education and support
- Reducing risk factors for substance misuse
- Talking to youth about drug and alcohol misuse, including underage drinking
- Locking medications in a locked box or cabinet to prevent unprescribed use
- Seeking mental health support whenever it’s needed
- Normalizing conversations about mental health and substance use
- Offering early intervention or referral services in times of need
- Reducing and eliminating stigma for seeking help
What other Vaya programs support opioid and prescription misuse prevention and response?
Opioids are prescription medications that sometimes can be a good choice for treating severe pain. However, opioids may have serious side effects, such as addiction and overdose. Vaya’s Opioid Misuse Prevention Program supports safe and appropriate opioid use.
Vaya’s Pharmacy Lock-In Program helps identify members who are at risk for possible overuse or improper use of pain medications and nerve medications. The program also helps identify members who get medications from more than one prescriber.
Vaya offers programs that distribute naloxone, also known under the brand name Narcan®. Naloxone is a medication that can help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. In North Carolina, participating pharmacists can dispense naloxone without a prescription to anyone who may need it for themselves or for another person. To learn more, talk to your provider about how you can get naloxone for free.
Call the Member and Recipient Service Line at 1-800-962-9003 to learn more about these programs.
What are some other resources for substance use disorders available outside of Vaya?
These organizations provide information, support, and advocacy for people with substance use disorders and their loved ones:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services
- National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers
- North Carolina Peer Warmline: 1-855-PEERS-NC (talk to a peer support specialist)
