Transforming ER Hospitals into Substance Abuse Treatment Centers:
Providing 24 Hour Access to the Public
Jackie Phillips
Sociology, Post University
SOC217 – Alcohol and Drugs Unit 5 Assignment: Drug Prevention in Your Community
AJ Roy
Due Date: 11:59 pm EST on Sunday of Unit 5
Drug prevention strategies are packaged and delivered in a variety of different ways. With what you’ve learned do these interventions hit the mark? Do these strategies fit the needs of your community?
What is the drug prevention strategy needed for your community?
What is needed in Alameda County is a lifelong 24-hour program to cover all bases to prevent drug abuse in a multi-faceted approach. One approach is to keep children in school and then once as an adult, then continue to show adults options of education like community colleges and vocational and adult schools.
Another option is to make sure that everyone in the community is aware of these issues and that everyone is responsible for the care of their neighbors. If they see crime occurring, then it needs to be reported. If they see a child in danger of taking drugs, then the parents need to be told. If a teacher suspects behavior from a child that the child might need further behavioral health, then the teacher needs to act.
Use the following tips to help guide thoughts and behaviors about drugs:
- Talk honestly. ...
- Really listen. ...
- Help develop self-confidence. ...
- Help develop strong values. ...
- Be a good example. ...
- Help deal with peer pressure and acceptance. ...
- Encourage healthy, creative activities. ...
- Know what to do if someone you love has a drug problem.
My favorite is being a great example. Teach by example and show everyone around you how to properly act and be responsible and how to treat others.
Please do research to find out which substances are abused in your region, and from the information obtained, develop a drug prevention program that fits your community’s needs. For your paper create a name, identify the need, and discuss the plan for your drug prevention program.
I found a very interesting program in use here in Alameda County at describes a very thoughtful and thorough program that shows how substance abuse can be worked on through an ER department in a hospital. This allows the doctors to work one on one with patients and the patient does not have to attempt to make an appointment with a doctor that often has a waiting list of weeks or months.
“Often there is a history of chronic pain from an injury or surgery. The patient gets a medical prescription for opioids for the pain and that leads to addiction. When the prescription runs out, he moves on to illicit pills or heroin. Addiction often stems from the recreational use of pills, heroin, and smoking opium as well.” (Firth, A., 2017)
A lot of people who are addicted to drugs may be afraid to visit an ER room because of the price and the fear of being judged. However, if a person knows that help is available in the beginning and is willing to work with a doctor to help themselves, it is a viable option that I see many people choosing.
“ER visits related to opioids are climbing. Typically, patients’ symptoms are treated, but the underlying disease of addiction is not. Buprenorphine, an effective addiction treatment, is now being offered by physicians in some emergency departments. Patients are started on the treatment and referred to outpatient care from there. Studies show that patients who start buprenorphine in the emergency department are significantly more likely to still be in treatment down the road than those who are not given the medication.” (Herring, A., 2025)
How will the program be implemented, who will it target, and what are the specific strategies of the program? What strategies or interventions will not be used based on research? Build upon the programs that you know empirically to be effective.
One program is called CalBridge, covering the state of California.
“CalBridge Behavioral Health Navigator Program Overview
CA Bridge is administering the CalBridge Behavioral Health Navigator Program (CalBridge Navigator Program) to support emergency departments (EDs) to become primary access points for treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Hospitals participating in the CalBridge Navigator Program are addressing SUD as a treatable medical emergency, utilizing trained behavioral health (BH) navigators to facilitate Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) and referrals to ongoing treatment for substance use and mental health services. The CalBridge Navigator Program supports hospitals to implement the CA Bridge model of low-barrier treatment, connection to on-going care, and a culture of harm reduction.” (No Author Given, 2025)
Additional information about the Navigator program where it helps to improve patient care for substance abuse and follow up through the ER hospital.
“Navigators improve performance metrics. The California Department of Health Care Services has identified a 50% increase in follow-up after an emergency department visit for substance use disorder as one of its five top goals for Medi-Cal quality improvement for both health plans and county SUD programs. Navigators are uniquely positioned to address these increased expectations for EDs.” (No author given, 2025)
In conclusion, I think this is a wonderful idea of transforming ER hospitals into a more accessible and usable location for substance abuse treatment. In places like Alameda County that have a very, very high populations, both housed and unhoused, wait times for a doctor’s appointment can be months. 24-hour ER rooms don’t follow that problem and can be accessed by the public for a long list of reasons, and I am glad to see that substance abuse is in that list of ailments that are considered important to be seen and treated at any time, rather than waiting months for a doctor’s appointment.
References
Firth, A., 2017, Alameda Health Systems, Facing the Opioid Emergency, https://www.alamedahealthsystem.org/facing-opioid-emergency/
Herring, A., 2025, Alameda Health Systems, Treating Opioid Addiction in the ER, https://www.alamedahealthsystem.org/treating-opioid-addiction-er/
No author given, 2025, Alameda County Health Systems, Alcohol and Drug Prevention, https://acphd.org/learn-earn-havefun/
No Author Given, 2025, Bridge to Treatment, CalBridge Navigator Program, https://bridgetotreatment.org/addiction-treatment/ca-bridge/calbridge-navigator-program/
No author given, 2025, Bridge to Treatment, Critical Ways to Sustain Navigators in the Emergency Department, https://bridgetotreatment.org/addiction-treatment/ca-bridge/sustainability/
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