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Treating OUD in a Corrections
Setting the Focus of January ORN Conference
What started as a technical assistance request to the Opioid Response Network from the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) became a national conference for department of corrections staff and others in the justice system to learn promising models in implementing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD).

The free, 2.5-day meeting was held from January 28-30, 2020 in Providence, RI. It highlighted RIDOC's model (one of the first states to incorporate MOUD state-wide, offering all three FDA approved medications), as well as other evidence-based delivery models from around the country.

Over 230 people, representing 34 states, attended the conference, which featured plenary sessions with leading behavioral health, clinical, justice and corrections experts followed by skills development workshops.

In 2016, as reported by Brown University, RIDOC became the first state correctional system in the U.S. to screen all incarcerated individuals for opioid use disorder and provide medications for treatment. A 2018 study found that the program reduced post-incarceration drug overdose deaths by more than 60%.
Do you have a need in your community? We'll connect you with a prevention, treatment or recovery consultant who understands your local needs in addressing the opioid crisis. Make your technical assistance requests today! Check out here how others have benefited from SAMHSA's Opioid Response Network . Questions? Email [email protected] or go to www.opioidresponsenetwork.org to make a request.
If you would like to sumbmit a request for training or education from the Opioid
Response Network:

  • Go to www.OpioidResponseNetwork.org
  • At the top right corner, click on "Send a Request"
  • Complete a technical assistance (TA) request form
  • Within one business day, a technical transfer specialist (TTS) will contact you to get more information about your request.
  • Once approved, the request will be forwarded to the TTS designated for your region to schedule a call to speak with you to learn more about what you need. 

It really is that simple!
Pilot Project Uses Standardized Patients to Train Clinicians
To increase prescribers' comfort level in treating opioid use disorder (OUD), clinicians participated in a pilot project using standardized patients. The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), an  ORN  partner organization, hosted the pilot project to help prescribers feel more confident in prescribing medications to treat OUD.
 
The training included a small group of physicians, a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner. Participants were asked to run an assessment for opioid use disorder and then develop a treatment plan. The training provided an opportunity for the prescribers to ask the standardized patient/actor questions and learn from an experienced prescriber.

PAEA is looking to expand the project through 2020, targeting physician assistants across the country.
Bernard Noveloso, Associate Director, CMU Health Partners Family Medicine Residence and Kara Elmore, Standardized Patient.
Summit Looks at Stigma and OUD in the Emergency Room
ORN partner organization, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), convened a summit to discuss and share lessons learned and ideas about how to limit the impact of stigma on the care of emergency room patients with opioid use disorder.

ACEP is developing a policy statement, a policy resource and education paper, and a paper on the role of stigma in the emergency department and how to effectively eliminate it. Read more.
Texas "Pop Up Academy" Examines Recovery Services
Participants of the Recovery Capital Pop Up Academy in Austin, Texas
ORN  hosted the first Recovery Capital Pop Up Academy in Austin, Texas with 41 recovery specialists from various regions of Texas, as well as state employees and  ORN  staff.

The first day provided an overview of key recovery support services that are available in Texas including: recovery housing, recovery community organizations, collegiate recovery
programs, recovery high schools,
alternative peer groups and certified peer support specialists. Day two was an opportunity for a more in-depth examination of technical assistance mechanisms that can be utilized to establish, strengthen or assess recovery support services in communities.

Every participant agreed or strongly agreed that the information learned was critical to the recovery efforts in their communities.
DHHS Looking for Director for Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Job Announcement: Director/ Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). As Director, the incumbent is fully responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating the activities of the Center in close working partnership with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and other SAMHSA leadership (e.g. Center Directors). Read more.
Together we CAN make a difference!
If you would like to sign up for ORN's newsletters please contact [email protected] with the subject line: Please add me to the ORN Newsletter.

[email protected] 401 270-5900
www.OpioidResponseNetwork.org
Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. 6H79TI080816 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.