Integrating Hepatitis Services into Substance Abuse Treatment Programs: New Initiatives from SAMHSA

How outpatient substance abuse treatment unit director activities may affect provision of community outreach services

“…Time devoted to these organizations may increase awareness of the increased emphasis on infectious disease testing by federal agencies such as NIH, CDC and SAMHSA (Kresina et al, 2007; SAMHSA, 2010). Involvement in professional associations may also help unit directors identify strategies for providing community outreach, such as grant opportunities.…”

“…For example, directors who interact with local stakeholders may be more aware of community prevention needs. Many federal agencies and accrediting bodies also emphasize the importance of HIV and HCV prevention (Kerker & Dore, 2006; Kresina et al, 2007; SAMHSA, 2010). Thus, directors’ boundary spanning activities are hypothesized to impact OSAT provision of HIV and HCV community outreach services both because they can shape directors’ beliefs about the need for HIV and HCV prevention and because they can serve as a way for units to convey their public health commitment to other agencies.…”

“…Outpatient substance abuse treatment units (OSATs) serve the majority (62%) of individuals entering substance abuse treatment in the United States (Grella, Etheridge, Joshi, & Anglin, 2000) and are well-positioned to educate drug users about infectious diseases (Hagan, Strauss, Astone, & Des Jarlais, 2005; Sorenson & Copeland, 2000). Governmental agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) all acknowledge the important role that substance abuse treatment units play in infectious disease control, and actively promote the provision of both testing and community outreach services by OSATs and other treatment units as part of their ‘Seek, Test and Treat’ paradigm for addressing the HIV and HCV epidemics (Kerker & Dore, 2006; Kresina, Hoffman, Lubran, & Clark, 2007; SAMHSA, 2010). …”

Advancing Integration of HIV, STD, and Viral Hepatitis Services: State Perspectives

“…Continued and expanded collaborations among federal partners (e.g., CDC, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 29,30 Health Resources and Services Administration) 4 and nongovernmental professional organizations (e.g., the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, the National Coalition of STD Directors, medical associations) are needed to reinforce integrated programs for health providers serving at-risk clients. Currently, major national conferences are held separately for HIV, STD, and viral hepatitis.…”

Integrating Viral Hepatitis Prevention into Public Health Programs Serving People at High Risk for Infection: Good Public Health

“…24,41 In addition, CDC describes progress in bringing together related prevention programs on a national level and promoting a comprehensive approach to prevention of HIV, STD, and viral hepatitis; 24 and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes several new federal programs to advance integration of viral hepatitis prevention into drug treatment programs. 44 …”