Last Updated: November 10, 2022

Addiction is a ruthless and ever-changing phenomenon. Therefore, recovery options and care protocols must constantly evolve to provide the best opportunity for individuals to find and maintain addiction recovery.

A substance use disorder is both a mental and physical ailment that requires treatment for the mind and the body. An effective approach for a person to receive all-inclusive treatment involves a blending of primary care for the physical being and mental health. This approach is known as collaborative care, and it is changing the landscape of addiction treatment practices in a positive way.

Collaborative care combines the benefits of behavioral health into primary care practices. It demonstrates an understanding of the importance of mental health in the treatment of physical health. Collaborative care involves a team of medical professionals in the top of their fields, led by a primary care provider and consisting of various health professionals as needed.

Why Is Collaborative Care Needed?

In the initial phases of addiction treatment, a person often experiences intense physical and mental symptoms. Without the assistance of mental health and medical professionals, these symptoms can cause a person to leave the recovery process early.

In a collaborative care environment, these instances can be handled appropriately and the likelihood of a person leaving a treatment program too quickly is reduced.

Care coordinators, as part of a collaborative care team, meet with patients throughout the treatment process to maintain their commitment to and enthusiasm about the process of addiction recovery.

This extra push from care coordinators and a well-rounded evaluation of overall physical and mental health throughout the program can increase an individual’s chance of experiencing a successful long-term recovery.

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that, when compared to traditional tactics, collaborative care increased the number of individuals who entered professional treatment as part of their primary care and the number of individuals who remained abstinent in using substances for at least six months.

These findings support the conclusion that addiction treatment programs, when integrated with a patient’s primary care protocol, support improved health and addiction recovery.

Every substance use disorder is different. In addition to using a collaborative care addiction treatment approach, there are several local and readily available rehab resources available to you if you have a substance use disorder.

You can reach out to recovery resources in the Ohio area. Not only can you find collaborative care, but you can also find many holistic and personalized addiction treatment options for you or your loved ones.

Contact The Recovery Village Columbus today to learn about treatment options and admissions to a local program.