The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), which leads the Opioid Response Network (ORN) – a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-funded grant in partnership with a coalition of nearly 50 national partner organizations – is collaborating with Columbia University Department of Psychiatry’s Division on Substance Use Disorders, the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
ORN’s focus is to promote the use of evidence-based practices in the prevention, treatment and recovery of opioid and stimulant disorders, as well as other substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. The ORN network provides training, education, and consultation at no cost to all 50 states, 9 territories, and Tribal communities to address the opioid and stimulant use crises. Every location has a defined Technology Transfer Specialist and a pool of local ORN consultants. In partnership with local agencies and national organizations, Technology Transfer Specialists and ORN consultants help to expand SUD-related training and education opportunities to bridge gaps and strengthen resources offered to communities.
In this initiative, ORN‘s partner organizations AAAP, Columbia University, CSWE and NAADAC in collaboration with NBCC, will provide the following curricula to be available to master’s-level behavioral health students, clinicians and educators (e.g., in counseling, social work, etc.) and beyond. The primary goal of these courses is to increase knowledge and skills in the implementation of prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric disorders with a focus on opioid use disorders and stimulant use. These courses are offered at no cost to the learner through SAMHSA-funded grant led by AAAP, Yale University, and the Providers Clinical Support System-Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (PCSS-MOUD) in partnership with the ORN:
- Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers (SAMHSA Prac-Ed grant): This course was designed to provide skills for clinicians in the care of their patients in the prevention, identification and treatment of substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by standardized patients, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their substance use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment. You will ultimately be prepared to provide compassionate and evidence-based care to a large population of patients living with addiction — a chronic, often relapsing-remitting disease, but a treatable one.
- SUD for the Healthcare Team (SAMHSA PCSS-MOUD grant): This is an introductory-level course designed by AAAP and the Providers Clinical Support System for MOUD (PCSS-MOUD) to provide fundamental information for all staff working in a healthcare setting. The four modules, taken together, cover essential information about substance use disorders, including history and treatment, with particular emphasis on opioids, stimulants and other substance use disorders.
Note: These courses also offer continuing education credits for social workers, nurses and nurse practitioners, physicians, physician associates, and other learners (i.e., ICPE and AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™) provided by AAAP.
How can the Opioid Response Network help you help others beyond these courses? ORN works with healthcare professionals, organizations, grass roots initiatives, and anybody that seeks evidence based training and educational resources. If you and/or your organization would like additional training or educational support related to SUD, ORN can provide these services at no cost. For example, ORN can:
- Provide mentorship to clinicians including behavioral health professionals beyond the courses provided.
- Support professors and instructors provide SUD education to their students.
- Deliver on-demand presentations on various topics including but not limited to the science of, screening for, and treatment of/referral for treatment of opioid use disorders, stimulant use disorders and other SUDs to behavioral health students, individual students, and clinicians working in the field.
How does it work? ORN responds to requests for education and training within 1 business day to schedule a day/time to learn more about your needs. Get started by completing this brief form which will be directed to your local ORN representative.
Don’t delay – it’s available at no cost and designed to meet your needs.
Questions? Email [email protected].
This project is made possible through AAAP’s and Columbia Universities collaboration with the AAAP-led Opioid Response Network (ORN). ORN is funded by the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It is designed to provide free technical assistance and consultation at a variety of levels (e.g., individual providers, administrators, institutions, state agencies) to aid in the prevention and treating patients with medications for OUD. More information about ORN can be found at this website: www.opioidresponsenetwork.org.
Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. 6H79TI085588-02M003 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.