Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation

This proposed project would increase community members’ access to substance use treatment, behavioral health treatment, and group therapy support. A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) will lead billable clinical groups, with the goal of progressively increasing services to ultimately provide intensive outpatient programming (IOP). Groups and peer interactions will promote a philosophy of hope & healing, aim to reduce stigma, honor the lived experience, and promote the formation of supportive relationships that may continue outside the clinical setting. All programs and interventions have been developed by evidenced-based best practices and feedback from people who use drugs and/or alcohol. The project will increase participation and patient retention by providing financial support to help eliminate barriers and incorporate evidence-based contingency management for patient involvement. The consortium consists of community organizations from multiple sectors to support patients across the continuum of care including prevention, treatment, and recovery from substance use. The organizations are well established in the community and this funding opportunity will strengthen and streamline our referral processes, increase comprehensive access to care, and improve consistency in therapeutic services from adolescence to adulthood.