SUD Recovery Incorporating Health-Related Social Needs: An IHPA Best Practice Case Study
Transportation, housing, food insecurity, and other health-related social needs can directly influence whether individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) enter treatment, remain engaged, and sustain recovery. The challenge for provider organizations is building care models that can address these real-world barriers when they matter most.
In the ninth webinar of the 2026 RECADEMY series, Gilbert Lichstein, LCPC, Chief Executive Officer of the Illinois Health Practice Alliance (IHPA), shares how the organization incorporated health-related social needs into SUD recovery. Through IHPA’s On-Ramp Model, the organization introduced flexible funding, stage-based care planning, and provider workflows designed to respond to individual needs while strengthening engagement and reducing avoidable utilization.
Drawing on IHPA’s real-world experience, the discussion explores how organizations can build funding flexibility, provider partnerships, and the operational infrastructure needed to address health-related social needs. The discussion also offers practical lessons healthcare leaders can apply to build more integrated, person-centered approaches to SUD recovery.
Featured Speakers:
Gilbert Lichstein, LCPC
Gilbert Lichstein brings extensive experience in behavioral healthcare operations, contracting, and business development, with a particular focus on advancing value-based care models. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Illinois Health Practice Alliance (IHPA), a clinically-integrated behavioral health network, where he sets strategic direction for the organization, builds partnerships with health plans and provider organizations, and leads efforts to expand access to integrated, value-based behavioral health care across the state.
Deanne Cornette, MHA, GPC
Deanne Cornette, MHA, GPC is a Senior Associate with OPEN MINDS and brings more than 25 years of experience in behavioral health strategy, healthcare operations, grant funding, and revenue development. She works with provider organizations on strategic planning, business development, and operational transformation.
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