Gateway Healthcare and Wood River Health have partnered to better serve the residents of Washington County.
Gateway Healthcare, an affiliate of Brown University Health, is Rhode Island’s largest nonprofit behavioral health organization for treatment, intervention and prevention. Designated as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), it provides a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services to patients.
CCBHCs are certified by the state and serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use, regardless of their diagnosis, place of residence, insurance status, or age. This includes developmentally appropriate care for children and youth. CCBHCs offer behavioral health services and are encouraged to coordinate care with a Designated Collaborating Organization (DCO) to ensure patients have access to high-quality medical care and specialist referrals.
A DCO is an entity that is engaged in a formal relationship with a CCBHC and delivers services under the same requirements. Wood River Health recently partnered with Gateway Healthcare to serve in this capacity. A federally qualified health center, Wood River Health has provided health care services to residents of Washington County, Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut since 1976. It is a full-service medical, dental, and behavioral health care facility offering patient-centered care.
“The goal of CCBHCs is to ensure individuals have access to a coordinated package of services more quickly, rather than accessing services through separate organizations,” said Susan Stevenson, Director, CCBHC Services, Gateway Healthcare. “This is an expansion of our reach to the community. Gateway Healthcare expects to serve 4,000 individuals through CCBHCs this year alone. By partnering with Wood River Health, we are dramatically increasing Washington County’s access to the primary care and wraparound support services they require to thrive.”
“Rhode Islanders have a higher prevalence of substance use disorder, including alcohol and opioid use disorder, than the national average,” stated Alison L. Croke, President and CEO of Wood River Health. “We embarked on this effort to better serve the members of our community by helping them improve their overall health and wellness.”
Through this partnership, Gateway Healthcare and Wood River Health are working to expand community access to Medication Assisted Treatment, peer support services, and primary care/preventive services at Wood River Health’s Hope Valley and Westerly facilities.
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is one of the safest and most effective options available for individuals living with opioid and alcohol use disorders. It is an evidence-based method of treatment that provides individuals with the tools they need to manage their substance use. MAT medications relieve the withdrawal symptoms and cravings that cause chemical imbalances in the body.
Similar to diabetes, asthma or heart disease, substance use disorders can be managed. Wood River Health’s collaborative teams consist of doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses and behavioral health clinicians who work in partnership with patients. During treatment, patients receive tools to help them get through withdrawals, manage their cravings and get their lives back on track.
Additionally, program participants are provided with counseling services by behavioral health staff including certified peer recovery specialists with lived experience in mental health or substance use disorder recovery. Peers provide support and guidance to others in recovery and act as mentors, role models, and advocates, utilizing their own experiences to help others navigate the recovery process.
Peers help participants address life issues and connect them with critical resources. During sessions, patients learn to develop safe coping skills, manage cravings, change routines, identify triggers, seek out support systems, create recovery behaviors, stay motivated and achieve recovery.
The cost of MAT is covered by Medicaid and by most private insurance companies. This program is available to current Gateway Healthcare patients, current Wood River Health primary care patients, or current Wood River Health patients interested in becoming Gateway patients.
Programs and services are provided at 823 Main Street, Hope Valley, RI and 17 Wells Street, Westerly, Rhode Island. Individuals who want help coping with alcohol, opioid or tobacco use can call 401.539.2461 to schedule an appointment with a medical provider and get enrolled in the MAT Program. More information is available at WoodRiverHealth.org.