According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health an estimated 43.6 million (18.1%) Americans ages 18 and up experienced some form of mental illness. In the past year, 20.2 million adults (8.4%) had a substance use disorder. Of these, 7.9 million people had both a mental disorder and substance use disorder, also known as co-occurring mental and substance use disorders."
The Section of Addiction Medicine is a multidisciplinary component of the Department of Psychiatry that is undergoing a period of growth and expansion. With clinical programs in both inpatient and outpatient settings, the section seeks to provide comprehensive care for patients seeking treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders. The Substance Use Intervention Team (SUIT) and RUSH Addiction Medicine Program (RAMP) are two of the clinical programs run by the section, that consist of physicians trained in addiction medicine, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, licensed social workers and pharmacists working together to identify and treat patients with substance use disorders.
With research programs led by Professors Martin, Napier and Karnik, the section hosts a range of scholarship that stretches from the laboratory to the community. The section also plays a large teaching role both in the Psychiatry Residency Program and also in medical student education. As part of this teaching mission and in collaboration with the RUSH University College of Nursing, the section leads the RUSH University SBIRT Life Course Training Program funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration.