Gateway Healthcare and Wood River Health partner to increase access to care
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.
About Gateway Healthcare
Gateway Healthcare is one of Rhode Island’s largest nonprofit behavioral health organizations providing treatment, intervention and prevention services to individuals in our community. Gateway and its affiliates employ more than 450 staff members including psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical specialists and other paraprofessionals. We reach more than 12,000 Rhode Islanders each year through residential, outpatient and community-based programs and stand alongside our affiliates in a mutual effort to address creative solutions for community care. This impressive continuum places Gateway at the forefront in assisting individuals in the community in a myriad of ways.
About Wood River Health
Since 1976, Wood River Health has delivered medical, dental
and social services to the communities of southwestern Rhode Island and
southeastern Connecticut. Its mission is to provide its patients with
high-quality and affordable health care services through a compassionate,
team-based approach. Its vision is for every member of its community to
experience physical, emotional and social well-being.
A private, non-profit Community Health Center, Wood River
Health is devoted to providing quality patient care to over 10,500 patients. It
is recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a
Patient-Centered Medical Home. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC),
Wood River Health receives funds from the HRSA Health Center Program to provide
primary care services in underserved areas.
