Adjustments to Service Organization in Specialized Addiction Services and Clinical Strategies for Better Meeting the Needs of People with a Persistent Substance Use Disorder.

Specialized addiction services (SAS) are typically designed for people with a transient substance use disorder (SUD). However, some people who use these services have a persistent SUD. Apart from the need to offer continuity in services over time, there is little scientific data on the resources to deploy to better meet the needs of this population. Using a modified Delphi method, a consensus-building process was conducted with managers and clinicians from seven SAS centres in Quebec. The three phases of the process led to the identification of 93 service development proposals that were agreed upon by participants. These proposals were organized along three axes (duration, acuity, complexity) and four clinical principles. The resulting model can be used as a basis for further reflection on the development of services for people with a persistent SUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]