The California Substance Use Line (CASUL) is a round-the-clock, free tele-consultation service for substance use evaluation and management that is available to all California clinicians in any health care setting. The CASUL is a unique collaboration between the California Poison Control System and the National Clinician Consultation Center at the University of California, San Francisco. The CASUL offers on-demand, 24/7 assistance to clinicians of any level of experience. Through CASUL, expert physicians, clinical pharmacists, and advanced practice nurses are standing by to provide evidence-based guidance and clinical decision support on evaluation and management of opioid, alcohol, and other substance use. The CASUL can help 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 receives funding from the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).