There's No Time like the Present: Improving the Current System of Care for Low-Income Substance Abusers with Comorbid Health Conditions

Abstract

Due to social determinants of health, people living in poverty are at high risk for having comorbid substance use and medical disorders, yet are also the least able to afford and access the care needed to adequately address their health. There has been a recent call for providing integrated care for behavioral and physical health problems, yet there are challenges to fully integrating the two systems. In this article, several suggestions for improving the current system of care for low-income individuals are presented. Suggestions are derived from components of the chronic care model, the model underlying most conceptions of integrated care, and include increasing the use of technology and interdisciplinary teams to supplement assessment and intervention.