In 2016, we launched an initiative to help California health centers treat opioid addiction as part of their primary care services. One of the clinics was Marin City Health and Wellness Center, where today 100 patients have received treatment — and hope.
Watch the video above to learn more about medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and how the approach is changing lives in this corner of Marin County. "I feel released," said Morgan, one of Marin City's patients. "I feel like myself again and then some because I feel the gratitude that I never felt before. I’m so like just grateful for the chance to redeem myself and to be the person I know I wanted to be." Overall, the two-year initiative helped sustain and expand MAT services in 25 California clinics. Combined with other efforts, it doubled the number of X-waivered clinicians and tripled the number of patients receiving MAT for opioid use disorders. We're now building on this work with a new program aimed at treating addiction in primary care. In partnership with California Department of Health Care Services and Cedars-Sinai, we’re launching Addiction Treatment Starts Here: Primary Care.This new program focuses on increasing access to MAT in primary care for patients with opioid use disorder. We’ll provide grants of $50,000 and a range of support to connect you with peers and experts who are successfully implementing, scaling, and financially sustaining MAT in primary care settings. Up to 40 health center sites in California will be selected to participate in this 18-month learning community beginning in February 2019.
