People struggling with unhealthy drug or alcohol use sometimes face challenges when it comes to accessing treatment. Research has found that lack of insurance, unfamiliarity with treatment options, a shortage of available treatment slots, and concern that treatment will not work can all contribute to a person hesitating to seek help.
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services wanted to learn more about the barriers that people face when accessing publicly funded treatment in our region, so we interviewed more than 60 consumers, family members, and staff who had experience with the treatment system. Using a human-centered design approach, we summarized the information from the interviews into insights and then used the insights to ask “how-might-we” questions related to future system improvements.