Wednesday, September 21, 2016
What is it?
The Army’s Substance Use Disorder Clinical Care (SUDCC) program uses a multidisciplinary approach to treat and provide Soldiers, Family members and Army Civilians the resources and support they need to overcome the challenges of illicit drug use, prescription medicine and alcohol abuse.
What has the Army done?
After a comprehensive review, the secretary of the Army directed the realignment of the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) clinical care from the Army Installation Command (IMCOM) to the Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) to integrate substance abuse care with the Behavioral Health System of Care. IMCOM will retain responsibility and policy oversight for ASAP drug deterrence and testing programs, prevention training and the ASAP training curriculum.
SUDCC pilot programs are currently underway at Fort Riley, Kansas, Fort Stewart, Georgia, Joint-Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, to integrate care for substance use disorders and other behavioral health conditions to improve access to care and coordination between clinical teams.
What continued efforts are planned for the future?
No later than May 31, 2017, Headquarters, Department of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff G-1, IMCOM and MEDCOM will transform the ASAP to more effectively meet the personal and health readiness needs of Soldiers, Family members and Army Civilians.
The end state is a synchronized program with improved leader understanding and compliance to program regulations and policies; improved substance abuse prevention, deterrence and training practices; and a seamless, integrated clinical care program and services for substance use disorder within MEDCOMs Behavioral Health System of Care.
Why is this important to the Army?
The SUDCC program will provide Soldiers and the Army Family holistic, integrated care in accordance with Department of Defense policies, national standards and best practices, to enhance command awareness and engagements through unit-aligned behavioral health care. Clinical services will be integrated with behavioral health to address co-occurring mental and physical illnesses and substance use disorders for effective and evidence-based intervention.
The Army’s top priority is readiness. Integrating SUDCC treatment into the Behavioral Health System of Care will help the Army enhance access to care for Soldiers to improve the readiness of the force.
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