Allegheny County is overhauling its approach to substance use treatment in an effort to keep people in care longer and reduce repeated trips to rehabilitation centers, emergency rooms and the criminal justice system.

The county Department of Human Services on Wednesday unveiled the Allegheny Recovery Partnership Plan, describing it as a major shift toward long-term, community-based treatment.

The plan comes as county data show many people leaving residential treatment soon return to crisis services. About two-thirds of admissions to residential treatment are readmissions, and nearly one in five of those people have had five or more previous treatment episodes.

A review of people discharged from residential treatment between 2018 and 2025 found that within a year, 60% had visited an emergency department, 40% had been readmitted to residential treatment, 25% had been booked into the county jail and 2.6% had died.

“This plan represents a fundamental shift in how we support people facing substance use challenges,” County Executive Sara Innamorato said.

The initiative has three primary components.

The county plans to establish new contracts with selected residential treatment providers, with an emphasis on coordinating care with outpatient providers.

It also will create an assertive outreach and retention program designed to help people remain in treatment, reconnect with those who have dropped out of care and assist people who repeatedly cycle through hospitals, emergency departments, jails and residential treatment.

The county also plans to establish a unified entry point for substance use treatment to improve coordination for people seeking services or moving between treatment programs.

Alex Jutca, interim director of the Department of Human Services, said the goal is to replace episodic treatment with a system that provides continuing support.

Implementation is expected to begin in the coming months as the county develops new contracts with residential treatment providers and establishes the outreach program.