INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Feb. 23, 2022 – CareSource, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan, today announced a partnership with Wayspring, a leading, value-based provider of high-touch care coordination and treatment services for those with substance use disorder (SUD), launching the first-of-its-kind SUD Home program for the state of Indiana. This collaboration leverages Wayspring’s SUD-focused analytics platform and local, community-based teams of medical clinicians, social workers and peer recovery specialists to support the complex medical, behavioral and social needs of members with SUD.

Through the integration of Wayspring’s clinical and peer recovery team with CareSource’s case management team, a collaborative relationship was established to promote greater data exchange, shared problem solving and clinical rounds. The SUD Home program, the result of this partnership, aims to reduce the burdens and barriers on members throughout the full rehabilitation process by:

• • • Supporting care navigation during high-risk care transitions, each individual’s connection to outpatient services and the critical early recovery periods.
    • Establishing clients with a primary care provider in order to effectively detect and manage any current or underlying medical conditions.
    • Prioritizing the management of high-risk individuals through the use of Wayspring’s virtual and in-person behavioral health, primary care and addiction medicine services.
    • Utilizing CareSource’s case management team to ensure the development of an individualized and integrated care plan, facilitation of interdisciplinary care team meetings, and that members receive assistance with matters such as transportation, appointment scheduling and housing.

“The challenges that our communities and individuals with SUD face have never been greater, and the stakes have never been higher,” said Carter Paine, chief executive officer of Wayspring. “Through this innovative partnership with CareSource, we will work together to solve the complex social, medical and behavioral needs of this population with a community-based service offering.”

The implications of COVID-19 have exacerbated the number of mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that one in ten individuals relied on substance use in order to cope with stress brought on by the pandemic. For the last several years, occurring prior to and alongside COVID-19, the drug epidemic has continued to hold a tight grip over populations across Indiana and throughout the entire U.S. As an increasing number of Hoosiers fall within these vulnerable populations, struggling to access fair, adequate and affordable care, the SUD Home program is equipped to help overcome these external issues by relying on evidence-based treatment options and reliable support systems.

“The process of accessing and completing proper treatment and care for substance use disorder was greatly hindered during the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Steve Smitherman, president of CareSource Indiana. “Simultaneously, the number of vulnerable Hoosiers within these populations greatly increased as well as the barriers standing in their way of receiving assistance. We are thrilled to be a part of the SUD Home program as it upholds CareSource’s mission of transforming health care for our members, ensuring that their care is obtainable, beneficial and improves their well-being.”

The SUD Home program will launch in central Indiana, available to eligible Medicaid members in 25 counties. Members eligible for Wayspring’s services have a physical living address within Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Clinton, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Putnam, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion or Wayne counties in Indiana. For more information about CareSource or the SUD Home program, visit www.wayspring.com.