PITTSBURGH — Allegheny Health Network has announced the establishment of a comprehensive program to help patients with opioid-related substance use disorders receive community-based care and support.

The AHN Center of Excellence for Opioid Use Disorder is one of 45 programs implemented across the state which are being funded through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Health care providers selected to participate in the program were chosen for being ahead-of-the-curve when it comes to substance use disorder treatment.

Rather than treating just the addiction, the principal goal of the AHN Center of Excellence is to treat the whole person by integrating behavioral health and primary care services into their treatment regime.

“Many of the patients we see with addiction to opioids often have underlying issues related to their behavioral and/or physical health,” said Dr. William Johnjulio, AHN’s chair of Family Medicine. “It’s about surrounding the person with a range of services and resources which address all of their challenges, to give them the very best chance at overcoming their addiction.”

In addition to Johnjulio and Stuart Fisk, the director of AHN’s Center of Excellence, the system’s care management team includes a registered nurse, social workers and peer recovery specialists. The program is also supported by an addiction medicine specialist and a board certified addiction psychiatrist.

The team focuses on coordination of care for patients who are addicted to opioids, including various levels of social welfare assistance as they transition throughout the treatment process. To date the team has cared for more than 120 patients.

The program uses half-day clinics at patients’ primary care office to introduce people to treatment options that range from medically-assisted treatment to outpatient therapy. The program also connects patients with various community-based resources to address social issues like unemployment and housing. For those in need of higher levels of treatment, referrals are made to inpatient, residential or intensive outpatient programs.

In Pennsylvania, opioids were found in 85 percent of drug-related overdose deaths in 2016. That year 74 people died in Butler County from overdoses.