The Role of the Nurse Care Integration Specialist in Co-Occurring Disorders: the Integrated Team to Increase Rates of Substance Use Treatment

Abstract

Substance abuse and mental health disorders have been identified by many governmental and public health stakeholders as diagnoses necessitating new interventions. Expanded outpatient treatment options are needed to support patients’ co-occurring substance use care, psychiatric care, and physical health care. To combat existing service gaps for patients with co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness diagnoses, nurses have been identified as a key member of the outpatient interdisciplinary care team to support patients. An addiction nurse care integration specialist assesses mental health, physical health, and substance use; provides care coordination; and engages in clinical recommendations to the care team regarding plan of care. Utilizing Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory to adapt a care pathway for patients with cooccurring disorders, the intervention of a Certified Addiction Registered Nurse care integration specialist role was created to increase rates of treatment for substance use disorder at an integrated clinic that houses both psychiatric and primary care. Intended to be implemented over a 12-month period in the community-based clinic, the role’s success would be measured through rates of medication prescribed for opioid and alcohol use disorders (buprenorphine and naloxone) before and after the role’s implementation.