California launches statewide helpline for same-day opioid treatment
California launched a statewide call and text service this week designed to connect people seeking treatment for opioid use with care providers the same day.
CA Bridge Connect, announced Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is a free confidential service available to people seeking treatment, as well as family members, caregivers and clinicians, regardless of insurance status. The service is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The initiative builds on California’s CA Bridge program, which since 2018 has worked to expand access to medication treatment through emergency departments, street medicine teams and community providers. The state is also integrating the service with California 988 crisis call centers and the Addiction Treatment Locator, Analysis and Standards treatment doctor.
“CA Bridge Connect makes it easier for Californians to find the right help, at the right time, so more people can begin treatment and take their next step toward recovery,” Newsom said in a press release.
Officials at the Department of Health Care Services said CA Bridge Connect is intended to close the gap between traditionally fragmented systems that can often make it difficult for people to find treatment when they are ready to seek it.
“We are building a system that prioritizes care, dignity, and recovery,” Michelle Baass, director of DHCS, said in a statement.
California previously launched an opioids website in 2023, a centralized page providing information about opioid prevention, treatment centers and services across state agencies.
The new helpline adds a direct, human-supported entry point to those digital resources, giving Californians another way to navigate the state’s behavioral health system.
