California Launches CA Bridge Connect to Expand Same-Day Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched CA Bridge Connect, a free, statewide call- and text-based service designed to provide immediate assistance and continued support to Californians seeking treatment for opioid use disorder.
Described as the first service of its kind statewide, CA Bridge Connect is part of California’s broader response to the opioid and overdose epidemic. The initiative is intended to make addiction treatment easier to find and access while connecting people with evidence-based care as quickly as possible.
The confidential service is available to people seeking treatment, as well as their families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Assistance is available regardless of whether someone has health insurance.
Individuals who contact CA Bridge Connect can receive same-day support from Behavioral Health Navigators, who evaluate their needs and help coordinate referrals in real time. Depending on the circumstances, navigators can connect people with treatment clinics, emergency departments, community-based providers, and telehealth services. When clinically appropriate, people may also be connected with providers who can prescribe Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT), an evidence-based approach for treating opioid use disorder.
“CA Bridge Connect reinforces our commitment to ensuring Californians can access timely substance use treatment when and where they need it,” said Michelle Baass, director of the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). She said the state is working to build a system centered on care, dignity, and recovery.
For people experiencing opioid use disorder, the decision to seek treatment can be a critical moment. CA Bridge Connect is intended to make that process more straightforward by providing a direct pathway to care on the same day someone reaches out.
Expanding access to evidence-based treatment, including MAT, is an important component of California’s efforts to prevent fatal overdoses and improve health outcomes for people affected by opioid use disorder.
“CA Bridge Connect works with addiction treatment providers throughout California that have embraced compassionate, evidence-based care,” said Arianna Campbell, DMSc, MPH, PA-C, co-founder of CA Bridge. She noted that fragmented healthcare systems can make it difficult for people to navigate treatment options.
Through clinical partnerships and Behavioral Health Navigators, the program aims to reduce those barriers and help people connect with appropriate care without unnecessary delays. Campbell emphasized that people experiencing addiction should not have to navigate the treatment system by themselves.
A “No Wrong Door” Approach to Treatment
California has adopted a “no wrong door” approach to behavioral healthcare, with the goal of ensuring that people can access the services, resources, and support they need regardless of where they initially seek assistance.
CA Bridge Connect provides another entry point into that system while building on the state’s longstanding partnership with the Public Health Institute’s CA Bridge program.
CA Bridge, launched in 2018, was created to expand low-barrier access to MAT and help hospitals, street medicine teams, and community-based organizations provide immediate treatment for people with opioid use disorder. The program has grown into the largest emergency-department-based opioid addiction treatment model in the country.
Experience from the CA Bridge program has demonstrated that people struggling with addiction are often willing to accept treatment when it is offered in an accessible and timely way.
According to the program, 40% of patients offered treatment in an emergency department accepted it. When a substance use navigator was involved, treatment acceptance increased to 85%.
Treatment was also accepted frequently by people who had initially visited an emergency department for reasons unrelated to their substance use. More than half of these patients accepted treatment when it was offered.
These results have helped support California’s broader strategy of making addiction treatment available through multiple points of contact rather than requiring people to navigate complicated systems before receiving help.
Both CA Bridge and CA Bridge Connect are designed to simplify the process of entering treatment. Together, they support statewide efforts to reduce barriers, increase access to evidence-based addiction care, and strengthen connections among providers throughout California’s behavioral health system.
To further expand awareness of the service, DHCS has partnered with California-based 988 crisis call centers and the Addiction Treatment Locator, Analysis and Standards (ATLAS) treatment locator to make CA Bridge Connect available as a resource within those systems.
Expanding California’s Response to the Opioid and Overdose Epidemic
The overdose epidemic continues to claim thousands of lives across the United States each year, prompting California to pursue a broad, multi-agency response that combines treatment, prevention, harm reduction, and enforcement.
A major component of the state’s overdose-prevention strategy is increasing access to Naloxone, a medication capable of rapidly reversing an opioid overdose.
California is also using its CalRx program to offer over-the-counter Naloxone at a substantially reduced price. In addition, eligible organizations and entities throughout the state can obtain free Naloxone kits through California’s Naloxone Distribution Project.
According to the state, kits distributed through the program have been used to reverse more than 460,000 overdoses, underscoring the role of broad Naloxone availability in California’s overdose response.
The state has also enacted legislation aimed at expanding access to treatment for substance use disorders.
In 2022, Governor Newsom signed SB 184, requiring treatment facilities to either provide MAT directly to their clients or maintain an effective referral process with narcotic treatment programs, community health centers, or other qualified MAT providers.
In 2024, he signed AB 2376 (Bains), legislation intended to increase the number of hospital beds available for substance use disorder treatment, including MAT. The measure provides facilities with additional flexibility in managing treatment slots and expanding available capacity.
California has also developed several initiatives specifically focused on increasing access to MAT. These include the Tribal MAT Project, MAT Access Points, and the California Hub & Spoke System, along with other programs designed to connect people with treatment closer to where they live and seek care.
Combining Treatment, Prevention, and Enforcement
California’s response to the opioid crisis extends beyond treatment and overdose prevention. The state is also pursuing measures intended to disrupt the trafficking and distribution of illicit FYL and other dangerous drugs.
State officials have expanded cooperation with local law enforcement agencies and increased the role of the California National Guard in drug interdiction efforts throughout California and along the state’s border.
The launch of CA Bridge Connect adds another component to this broader strategy by focusing on what happens when a person is ready to seek help.
By providing a confidential call- and text-based service, same-day navigation, direct referrals, and connections to evidence-based treatment, California is seeking to make the path from asking for help to receiving care shorter and easier to navigate.
The initiative reflects a broader shift toward meeting people where they are and reducing the logistical and administrative barriers that can prevent individuals with opioid use disorder from entering treatment.
For Californians seeking help, CA Bridge Connect is intended to provide another accessible starting point — connecting people, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals with treatment resources and ongoing support throughout the state.
Source: Governor Gavin Newsom