Guidance on Becoming an Opioid Treatment Program Provider

In response to Wisconsin’s opioid crisis, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is committed to expanding access to evidence-based medication-assisted treatment and substance use disorder counseling across the state. The goal is to integrate medication-assisted treatment into the various settings where members receive services, including behavioral health clinics, community health centers, tribal federally qualified health centers, and primary care settings as well as free-standing opioid treatment programs. Wisconsin Medicaid supports the delivery of medication-assisted treatment and substance use disorder counseling in each of these settings.

Opioid treatment programs (OTPs) provide medication-assisted treatment for individuals diagnosed with opioid use disorder. Under federal law, only certified OTPs may dispense methadone to treat individuals with opioid use disorder. As such, OTPs are an integral component of the opioid use disorder treatment delivery system. OTPs provide a range of services to reduce, eliminate, or prevent the use of illicit drugs, potential criminal activity, and the spread of infectious disease. OTPs focus on the quality of life of those receiving treatment. Program requirements for OTPs are found in Wis. Admin. Code §§ DHS 75.15 and 75.03.

ForwardHealth Update

ForwardHealth has published the June 2018 ForwardHealth Update (2018-20), titled "Certification and Service Provision for Opioid Treatment Programs," to provide guidance on certification and service delivery for OTPs.

DHS Webpage

Additional information is available on the Opioid Providers and Pharmacists webpage of the DHS website.

Wisconsin Opioid Project ECHO

The DHS Division of Care and Treatment Services, in joint sponsorship with the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, has established the Wisconsin Opioid Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes). Project ECHO is a statewide educational, teleECHO initiative that connects clinical experts with primary care providers and medication-assisted treatment prescribers in an effort to reduce opioid-related complications.

Providers are encouraged to participate in these collaborative discussions and may learn new skills and earn continuing education (CE) credit through this program. For more information about the program and how to earn CE credit, refer to the Project ECHO website.

Addiction Consultation Hotline

An additional tool available to help providers combat the opioid epidemic is the University of Wisconsin Addiction Consultation Hotline. Aided by a DHS grant, UW’s hotline offers daily on-call help to providers who seek support and direction to deal with their patients with substance-abuse problems. Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., providers may call the hotline at the UW Health Access Center at 800-472-0111 or 608-263-3260.