The California Substance Use Line (CASUL) was a round-the-clock, free tele-consultation service for substance use evaluation and management, made available to all California clinicians in any health care setting. CASUL was a unique collaboration between the California Poison Control System and the National Clinician Consultation Center at the University of California, San Francisco. CASUL offered on-demand, 24/7 assistance to clinicians of any level of experience. Through CASUL, expert physicians, clinical pharmacists, and advanced practice nurses were available to provide evidence-based guidance and clinical decision support on evaluation and management of opioid, alcohol, and other substance use. The CASUL helped clinicians by:
- Providing point-of-care assistance — no matter how basic or complex the scenario — and helping to guide treatment planning.
- Building skills, capacity, and confidence with substance use management or treatment, including connecting callers with general information and resources.
- Guiding development and implementation of protocols for opioid overdose/withdrawal and its aftercare.
- Welcoming follow-up calls for continued conversations.
This project received funding from the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This project concluded in September 2024.
Free tele-consultation on substance use evaluation and management is available to all California clinicians in any health care setting through the National Substance Use Warmline and the California Poison Control System. Their teams are staffed by expert physicians, clinical pharmacists, and advanced practice nurses who are available to provide evidence-based guidance on the evaluation and management of opioid, alcohol, and other substance use.
If you would like to be connected to the National Substance Use Warmline, M – F, 6 am – 5 pm PT, 1-855-300-3595. If you would like to speak with someone at the California Poison Control System 24/7, 1-800-411-8080.