Project Summary:
Wisconsin continues to experience an escalating substance use crisis, with 1,437 opioid overdose deaths in 2021—an 86% increase from 2014—and an estimated 8.4% of adults reporting a substance use disorder. Rural and underserved communities are disproportionately affected and face limited access to addiction treatment, workforce shortages, and structural barriers to integrated care. Primary care clinics represent a crucial but underutilized setting for identifying and treating substance use disorders (SUD), yet few have the training or infrastructure to provide evidence-based, team-based care.
This project, led by the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine (WISAM) in partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), will establish a statewide Collaborative Care for Addiction Technical Assistance (TA) Program and complementary Addiction Medicine Consultation for Collaborative Care. The consultation service will provide real-time guidance from addiction medicine specialists to primary care and behavioral health teams during the implementation of the collaborative care model. Together, these initiatives will equip at least 10–12 Wisconsin clinics to integrate the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) for SUDs, providing structured training, implementation coaching, and fidelity monitoring to ensure sustained adoption and independent scalability.
The project addresses a statewide health priority by expanding workforce competence and care coordination for SUDs while supporting sustainability by using existing CoCM billing codes. The intended impact is to reduce disparities in access to addiction treatment, improve patient engagement and outcomes, and create a scalable, sustainable infrastructure that strengthens Wisconsin’s capacity for integrated addiction care.
Community Partner: MCW Department of Family and Community Medicine