Treating the Addictions

Amid the post-pandemic substance use and mental health crisis, clinicians are faced with a significant prevalence of these disorders in their patients. In urban, suburban and rural settings; for both insured and uninsured, addiction plagues our society and causes widespread suffering.

Clinicians in this environment need immediate and practical strategies to help their patients manage and recover. How can primary and specialty care providers better communicate and integrate efforts? What are examples of feasible and successful group care models? How can patients be empowered toward self-healing? What are the emerging trends focused on trauma and mindfulness techniques? And crucially, how can clinicians prioritize their own self-care as the opioid epidemic continues?

Join both new and longtime colleagues at this course to review the latest clinical findings and treatment strategies for addictive behaviors in adolescents and adults. We welcome all health care clinicians, including substance and mental health specialists as well as anyone concerned with the care and treatment of addicted individuals.

Who Should Attend

• Specialty Physicians
• Primary Care Physicians
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Counselors
• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Review the trajectory of addiction recovery theory and practice over the past few decades.
• Summarize the latest trends and treatment strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.
• Discuss the challenges and keys to success for implementing group-based addiction care models.
• Outline strategies to increase and improve communication and integration between behavioral health specialists and primary care providers.
• Describe an innovative model for treating trauma and addiction.
• Summarize the clinical effects of using mindfulness-based techniques in treating addiction, and how to use them in practice.
• Review key harm reduction strategies.
• Apply skills to better counsel teens on the risks and benefits of cannabis.
• List several ways clinicians can promote their own mental health, reduce burnout and maintain resiliency.

ABMS/ACGME Competencies

This course is designed to meet the following American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) / Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Educational (ACGME) competencies:

• Professionalism
• Patient Care and Procedural Skills
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• Medical Knowledge

IOM Competencies

This course is designed to meet the following Institute of Medicine Core Competencies:

• Provide Patient-Centered Care
• Employ Evidence-Based Practice

Questions?

Please contact the Continuing Education Programs with any questions by email at ceprograms@hms.harvard.edu.

Shaun Bries, LCSW, MSW-ITR, EMDR

Division Director of Ambulatory Services, Lowell House Addiction Treatment and Recovery

Dharma Cortés, MA, PhD

Senior Scientist, Health Equity Research Lab, Cambridge Health Alliance
Instructor in Sociology in the Department of Psychiatry, Part-Time, Harvard Medical School
Director of Latino Projects, Environment & Health Group

Elizabeth Davis, MD

Medical Director, Outpatient Addiction Service in Psychiatry and Clinical Director of Addiction Care, Cambridge Health Alliance
Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Michael Flores, PhD, MPH

Research Scientist, Health Equity Research Lab, Cambridge Health Alliance
Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Kiera Fredericksen, LICSW

Clinical Social Worker, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion and the Outpatient Addiction Services (OAS) Program, Cambridge Health Alliance

Ellie Grossman, MD, MPH

Medical Director for Primary Care / Behavioral Health Integration, Cambridge Health Alliance
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

William Heran, PhD, LICSW

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Providence Treatment

John F. Kelly, PhD

Associate Director, Center for Addiction Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
Founder and Director, Recovery Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital
Elizabeth R. Spallin Professor of Psychiatry in the Field of Addiction Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Lisa Najavits, PhD

Adjunct Professor, University of Massachusetts, T.H. Chan School of Medicine
Director of Treatment Innovations

Janet Osterman, MD, DLFAPA

Associate Director, Physician Health Services, Inc. a Massachusetts Medical Society Corporation

Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD

Director, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance
Director of Research and Director, Mindful Mental Health Service
Director of Addiction Research, Cambridge Health Alliance
Investigator, Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Randi Sokol, MD, MPH, MMedEd

Assistant Professor, Tufts Family Medicine Residency Program
Instructor, Harvard Medical School

Andrew Tatarsky, PhD

Founder and Director, Center for Optimal Living
Director of Clinical Programming, Freedom Institute

Gary L. Taylor, MD

Hospitalist, Morton Hospital, Taunton, MA

Timothy Wilens, MD

Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Co-Director, Center for Addiction Medicine, Director, Substance Abuse Services in Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Course Directors

Harvard Medical School Continuing Education attracts the best and brightest faculty from all around the world. As a student in this course, you’ll have access to outstanding course directors and faculty.

Mark Albanese, MD

Medical Director of Physician Health Services, Massachusetts Medical Society
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Part-Time, Harvard Medical School

Janice Kauffman, RN, MPH, CAS, LADC 1

Vice President, Addiction Treatment Services, North Charles Foundation, Inc.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Karen Kuc, MPH

Director, Continuing Education in Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance​​​
Associate in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

In support of improving patient care, Harvard Medical School is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians

The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 14.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses

For the purpose of recertification, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board and the American Nurses Credentialing Center accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ issued by organizations accredited by the ACCME. We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.

Psychologists

The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 14.00 continuing education credits.

Social Workers and Family Therapists

This program has been approved for a total of 14 Social Work Continuing Education hours for re-licensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approval Program Authorization Number D92292. NY Social Workers: The Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an Approved Provider #0038 of continuing education for licensed social workers. This course has been approved for 14.00 contact hours.

This activity has been certified by NEAFAST on behalf of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health & Human Services Professions, for LMFT professional continuing education. Certification # PC-042146, for 14.0 contact hours.

Counselors

The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5444. This program meets the requirements for 14.00 continuing education hours. CHA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This offering is also applicable for Commonwealth of Massachusetts Counseling/Allied Mental Health accreditation for 14.00 credits.

Disclosure Policy

Harvard Medical School (HMS) adheres to all ACCME Accreditation Criteria and Policies. It is HMS's policy that those who have influenced the content of a CME activity (e.g. planners, faculty, authors, reviewers and others) disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial entities so that HMS may identify and resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. These disclosures will be provided in the activity materials along with disclosure of any commercial support received for the activity. Additionally, faculty members have been instructed to disclose any limitations of data and unlabeled or investigational uses of products during their presentations.

Disclaimer

CME activities accredited by Harvard Medical School are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of certification of competency. Practitioners should always consult additional sources of information and exercise their best professional judgment before making clinical decisions of any kind.