Initiation and Engagement of Alcohol and Other Drug Dependence Treatment

Last update: Sept. 30, 2020

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Virginia knows how busy you are every day – and we want to help.

We appreciate your taking an active role in screening your patients ages 13 and older for substance abuse disorder (SUD). The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommend following the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) guideline at https://www.samsha.gov/sbirt.

Screening tools are available on providerexpress.com > Clinical Resources > Alcohol or Other Drug Disorders, including:

• AUDIT – The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
• AUDIT-C – A 3-Item Brief Alcohol Screen
• APA DSM-5 – Adult Substance Use Questionnaire
• CAGE-AID – Adult Alcohol and Drug Use Questionnaire
• CRAFFT – Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Use Questionnaire

How You Can Help

If your patient has a SUD, it’s essential for them to attend treatment with a substance abuse provider within 14 days of their diagnosis. You also can provide support by:

• Encouraging them to accept your treatment plan.
• Anticipating resistance and having ideas to overcome it.
• Helping them identify challenges to receiving care.
• Asking them to engage their family for support.
• Following up regularly to make sure they’re staying on track.

Refer to a Substance Abuse Professional

You can request coordination of care and referrals for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Virginia members by calling the number on the back of the member’s health plan ID card or searching liveandworkwell.com. Patient education information is available on liveandworkwell.com > Mind & Body > Mental Health.

 Virtual Visits: You can also refer your patients to talk to and see a provider online using virtual visits. There are options for referral to treatment on liveandworkwell.com > Find a Resource > virtual visits.