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Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute > Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology and Research > Health Engagement Programs

Health Engagement Programs

The Health Engagement Program Model 

Hub and spoke model with client in the center and boxes around that read prescriber, care navigator, nurse care manager, and mental health coordinator

Health engagement program is a broad term for a range of models providing low-barrier substance use treatment, harm reduction, and basic medical services for people who use drugs (primarily opioids and stimulants).

This includes low-barrier buprenorphine programs at harm reduction programs, “drug user health hubs,” WA State’s Health Engagement Hub model1, and post-overdose recovery centers.

Health engagement programs are ideally co-located with syringe services programs (SSPs) and/or housed within and operated by community-based programs grounded in harm reduction philosophy and practice. In Washington State this model evolved in part from drop-in buprenorphine clinics at the Public Health-Seattle & King County syringe services program2 and the Olympia Bupe Clinic3.

The central goal of this model is to provide a range of coordinated services in a single, easy to access point of care where clients can build trusting relationships that encourage them to engage—and stay engaged—with health care and support services to make progress towards health and life goals. 

Interest in models like health engagement programs is high among potential clients. In a 2023 survey conducted at harm reduction programs, 75% of program participants said they would see a health care provider at that harm reduction program if available.  

References

  1. Substance Use and Recovery Services Plan Recommendation – Establishing Health Engagement Hubs. Washington State Health Care Authority.
  2. Engaging an unstably housed population with low-barrier buprenorphine treatment at a syringe services program: Lessons learned from Seattle, Washington. Hood JE, et al. Substance Abuse 2020;41(3):356-364.  
  3. Walk-in clinics for opioid addiction offer meds first, fast. Johnson CK. Associated Press, December 18, 2019.  

Implementation Resource Kit 

Screenshot of the toolkit cover

The Implementation Resource Kit for Health Engagement Programs contains a number of tools to help community organizations plan, implement, and sustain a health engagement program for people who use drugs. The particular model featured in this resource kit uses a care team or “health support team” of a prescriber, nurse care manager, care navigator(s), and a mental health coordinator, all working together with the client. 

The Resource Kit includes:

  • An Implementation Roadmap to guide you through the four phases of project implementation: 
A series of four boxes along a pathway with arrows pointing from one to the next. First box says "Explore: Should/could we do this?" Then Prepare: How will we do this? Then Launch: let's do this! Finally, Sustain: How do we keep doing this?
  • Sample protocols, policies, and staffing documents. 
  • Templates for planning budgets, service flow, and training agendas. 
  • Other tools such as training manuals, client materials, and data collection forms. 

Download the Implementation Resource Kit here!

Links for Auxiliary Documents 

Publications and Reports