Prescribing Buprenorphine
This module provides clinicians with practical guidance on prescribing buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Participants will learn how to identify and diagnose opioid use disorder, initiate buprenorphine safely, manage withdrawal symptoms, and support ongoing treatment. The activity aims to increase clinician confidence and competence in providing evidence-based medication treatment and expanding access to care for individuals with opioid use disorder.
Objectives:
- Identify in office screening and intake principals for recognizing and treating Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
- Comprehend the role of urine drug screens (UDS) as part of medical evaluations and treatment plans
- Discuss the methodology and available approaches of initiating buprenorphine
- Identify and understand best practices for follow-up care
Culturally Competent Care for People Who Use Drugs
This module focuses on providing culturally competent and respectful care for people who use drugs. Participants will explore how stigma, cultural beliefs, and social determinants of health influence patients’ experiences with substance use and healthcare systems. The activity emphasizes strategies for reducing bias, improving communication, and delivering compassionate, patient-centered care that supports engagement in treatment and harm reduction services.
Objectives:
- Understand the 3 core principles of cultural respectfulness in addiction care
- Discuss why culturally respectful care is important and how it’s implementation can lead to improved patient outcomes
- Identify barriers certain populations experience
Co-Occurring Substance Use & Psychiatric Disorders
This module focuses on the identification and management of co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders within addiction treatment settings. Participants will learn how mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders commonly intersect with substance use disorders and influence treatment outcomes. The module emphasizes integrated, addiction-focused approaches to assessment, treatment planning, and ongoing care to improve recovery and patient stability.
Objectives:
- Define co-occurring diagnoses
- Understand the rationale for integrated treatment in individuals with co-occurring diagnoses
- Describe common issues encountered with co-occurring illness and management options
Cultural Considerations with Chronic Pain Patients
This module explores the role of cultural factors in the assessment and management of chronic pain. Participants will examine how cultural beliefs, communication styles, and social determinants of health can influence patients’ experiences of pain, help-seeking behaviors, and treatment preferences. The activity aims to help clinicians provide culturally responsive, patient-centered care that improves engagement and outcomes for individuals living with chronic pain.
Objectives:
- Review the historical context of bias in pain assessment, diagnosis, and treatment
- Discuss current biases and inequities in BIPOC pain management
- Recognize current trends and risks for chronic pain patients with changing prescribing patterns in the opioid crisis
- Recognize the need for culturally sensitive care for BIPOC, LGBTQIA and chronic pain patient groups
- Utilize recommended pain management options while recognizing the need for shared decision making and compassionate care.
Chronic Pain Management
This module focuses on evidence-based approaches to chronic pain management with an emphasis on multimodal treatment strategies and safe opioid prescribing. Participants will learn how to assess chronic pain, implement non-opioid and non-pharmacologic therapies, and manage patients with co-occurring pain and substance use risks.
Objectives:
- Discuss risks and benefits of opioid medication
- Understand the guiding principles of 2022 CDC chronic pain clinical practice guidelines
- Describe the risk of rapid opioids tapers
- Manage common types of pain with multimodal pain care
- Incorporate an Integrative Pain Management approach for best outcomes