OBIC Clinic

The Office-Based Integrated Care (OBIC) program is a behavioral health service operated by the Department of Substance Abuse and Addiction Medicine (DSAAM) within the City and County of San Francisco's public health system. Located centrally at 1380 Howard Street in San Francisco, OBIC provides outpatient evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services for individuals with substance use disorders, serving as a vital component of San Francisco's comprehensive approach to addressing addiction within its communities.Evidence-Based Outpatient TreatmentOBIC delivers outpatient substance use treatment utilizing evidence-based approaches that have been shown to be most effective in supporting recovery. Services include medication-assisted treatment with methadone and buprenorphine, individual counseling, group therapy, and psychiatric evaluation and medication management for co-occurring mental health conditions. The program integrates pharmacological treatment with psychosocial support to address the full spectrum of factors that contribute to substance use disorders.Harm Reduction ApproachCentral to OBIC's treatment philosophy is a harm reduction framework that recognizes the complex realities of substance use and meets individuals where they are in their readiness for change. This approach prioritizes reducing the negative health, social, and economic consequences of substance use while supporting individuals on their personal paths toward recovery. Harm reduction services may include safer use education, overdose prevention and naloxone distribution, health screenings, and connections to social services including housing and medical care.Part of DSAAM's Integrated NetworkOBIC operates within DSAAM's network of addiction treatment programs across San Francisco, which includes the Opioid Treatment Outpatient Program (OTOP) on the campus of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, the Bayview Van providing mobile methadone and buprenorphine treatment with comprehensive psychosocial services, and the Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) program embedded in participating primary care clinics. This network approach ensures that individuals can access treatment through multiple entry points across the city, in settings that best match their needs and preferences.Research and Community ImpactDSAAM researchers contribute to improving addiction treatment through controlled observational studies and clinical trials, ensuring that the care provided at OBIC and other DSAAM programs reflects the latest scientific evidence. This research commitment means that patients in San Francisco's public treatment system receive care informed by the same rigorous science as the nation's leading academic medical centers. The program serves the diverse populations of San Francisco, providing culturally responsive care that addresses the unique challenges of urban substance use including homelessness, co-occurring medical conditions, and the intersection of substance use with mental health, poverty, and social marginalization.