SUD 101 Core Curriculum Library

Healthcare professionals are often on the front lines of treating substance use disorders (SUDs), yet many have limited formal training in this area. The SUD 101 Core Curriculum is designed to build a strong foundation in current research, evidence-based practices, and available resources.

The SUD 101 Curriculum includes:

  • Foundational Courses: Eight interactive, case-based courses that simulate real-world clinical scenarios and provide foundational SUD training.
  • Supplemental Courses: These courses offer a deeper exploration of specialized topics and expand on core concepts.

Together, these courses enhance healthcare professionals’ competence and confidence in caring for patients with SUDs across the continuum of care, with a particular focus on opioid use disorders (OUD).

Learners may complete courses in any order and select topics based on their interests. Each course offers 0.75–1.5 continuing education (CE) credits and awards an individual certificate upon completion. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) indicate newly added or recently updated content. For details on release dates, please refer to the individual course page.

Target Audience:

  • Physicians
  • Nurse practitioners and advanced practice nurses
  • PAs
  • Pharmacists
  • Interprofessional healthcare teams

All courses are available at no cost.

Leadership: This curriculum is developed and overseen by a dedicated team of addiction medicine experts. We would like to acknowledge our Course Directors: Michelle Lofwall, MD; Larissa Mooney, MD; and Kenneth Morford, MD.

Foundational SUD 101 Core Curriculum Courses

These eight NEW interactive courses feature immersive, case-based learning that simulates real-world clinical scenarios.

Course components:

  • Interactive learning: 35–60-minute interactive presentations with knowledge checks and reflection questions.
  • Resources: Downloadable slide decks, resource links, references, and mentorship opportunities.
  • Facilitation Guides: Tools to support discussion and implementation within clinical teams.
  • Accredited CE credits: A certificate following each completed course with continuing education ranging from 0.75 to 1.5 credits.
  • Choice of available CE Credit types: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit.

Completion:

  • After completing each course, learners will receive a CE certificate.
  • 8-Hour SUD 101 Completion BadgeDigital badge: Learners who complete all 8 foundational courses can receive an 8-Hour SUD Training Digital Badge. The badge confirms completion of at least 8 hours of training on substance use disorders and fulfills the 8-hour DEA training requirement. It can be shared on social media, added to email signatures, or included in online portfolios and resumes.

Note: Learners seeking a certificate verifying 8 hours of training must complete the full 8-course bundle via the PCSS-MOUD website under the 8-Hour DEA Training.

View Foundational Course Listing
Review Foundational Tools and Resources

Supplemental SUD 101 Core Curriculum Courses

Supplemental courses explore specialized areas within substance use disorders (SUDs), building on the foundational SUD 101 Core Curriculum courses. Course components:
  • Interactive learning: 30-to-60-minute virtual presentation, with knowledge checks and reflection questions.
  • Resources: Downloadable slide decks, resource links, references, and mentorship opportunities.
  • Team-based takeaway guide: This tool provides important course takeaways from and for specific members of the team. It was designed to help the team learn from and about one another.
  • Accredited CE credits: A certificate following each completed course, with continuing education ranging from 0.75 to 1.5 credits.
    • Choice of available CE Credit types: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit.
Completion: Learners who complete one or more courses in this series will receive:
  • After completing each course, learners will receive a CE certificate.
View Supplemental Course Listing

Foundational SUD 101 Core Curriculum Courses

Course 1: Overview of Substance Use Disorders

Interactive, SCORM-based Activity
Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Basic Science, Assessment, Chronic Disease Model, Co-Occurring Addiction / Psychiatric, Continuum of Care, Developmental Risks, DSM-5, Epidemiology, Ethics, Neurobiology of Addiction ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Larissa Mooney, MD
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Understanding addiction is essential to successfully addressing it. In this overview of substance use disorders, we discuss the spectrum of use, neurobiological responses to substances, theories that explain the disorders, public health impact and epidemiology, comorbidity, and integrated care for this chronic condition.
Read More >

Course 2: Patient-Centered Care: Stigma and Advocacy

Interactive, SCORM-based Activity
Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Basic Science, Buprenorphine, Discrimination, Education Addiction Psychiatry / Addiction Medicine, Environmental Factors, Ethics, Faculty Development, Full Agonists, Harm Reduction, Methadone ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Anna Maria South, MD, FACP, FASAM
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Patient-centered care has become a crucial approach when working with patients with substance use disorder (SUD). Unfortunately, the care continuum can be interrupted for patients with SUDs, often due to stigma and discrimination. Each interruption increases challenges in access to care and can lead to patient harm. Language can intentionally or unintentionally perpetuate stigma. As people who care for patients with SUDs, we need to learn their rights so we can advocate for them and change our language to reduce stigma. This course will discuss the importance of patient-centered care, improved language when discussing substance use, and advocacy strategies that clinicians can use when caring for people who use substances.
Read More >

Course 3: Screening, Assessment, and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Interactive, SCORM-based Activity
Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Screening and Assessment, ASAM Criteria, Assessment, AUDIT-C, DSM-5, Primary Care, Screening and Brief Intervention, Screening Tools, SUD Core Curriculum ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Derek Blevins, MD
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Unhealthy substance use and substance use disorders may often go unrecognized in primary care settings, either due to insufficient screening or provider discomfort with how to manage a positive screening. There are brief, simple, validated screening tools and strategies that can provide information to indicate unhealthy substance use or the possible presence of a substance use disorder. This information can inform providers whether a simple brief intervention or a referral to treatment is warranted. This course will: introduce screening tools for alcohol and other drug use; review more detailed substance use, medical, and psychiatric assessment considerations; demonstrate effective strategies for brief interventions; and discuss considerations for treatment referrals.
Read More >

Course 4: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

Interactive, SCORM-based Activity
Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Harm Reduction, Antagonist, Buprenorphine, Chronic Disease Model, Full Agonists, Integrated Healthcare, Medications, Methadone, Naltrexone, Opioids ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Opioid use disorder (OUD) has highly effective FDA-approved medications for its treatment. This course reviews and compares pharmacological treatment options for individuals with OUD, including methadone, buprenorphine (sublingual and injectable formulations), and naltrexone (oral and long-acting intramuscular formulations). Current evidence for each medication is reviewed in detail, and studies comparing each are discussed. The purpose and goal of medications for OUD are reviewed, and different treatment models are presented. The course includes case vignettes in which medication options for OUD are considered.
Read More >

Course 5: Management of Opioid Use Disorder in Clinical Care

Interactive, SCORM-based Activity
Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Co-Occurring Addiction / Medical Disorders, Assessment, Buprenorphine, Chronic Disease Model, DSM-5, Emergency Medicine, General Medical Comorbidities, Harm Reduction, Hospitalist, Integrated Healthcare ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Laura Fanucchi, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
This course discusses the importance of integrating opioid use disorder (OUD) pharmacotherapy into general medical settings, and describes models in primary care, emergency rooms, and hospitals where medications for OUD treatment are successfully included as standard care. Through reviews of OUD pharmacotherapy implementation in clinical practice, participants will learn how to adapt these strategies to their own settings. The course also introduces evidence-based counseling approaches to enhance motivation, treatment engagement, and sustained remission. Standard Medical Management (SMM) will be highlighted as an efficient, structured option readily incorporated into primary care. Participants are encouraged to adapt this information for use in their own clinical practices.
Read More >

Course 6: Lab Testing in Assessment of  Substance Use Disorders

Interactive, SCORM-based Activity
Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Pharmacology, Benzodiazepines, Biomarkers of Alcohol Use, Cannabis, Ethyl Glucuronide / Ethyl Sulfate, Laboratory, Medications, Opioids, Screening and Assessment, Sedatives ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Kevin A. Sevarino, MD, PhD
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Lab testing in the assessment of substance use disorders may involve many different substrates, though urine drug testing (UDT) dominates clinical practice. This course is meant to provide a short guide to effective use of lab testing in the treatment of the patient with a substance use disorder, which, to a surprising degree, is often misused or misunderstood. The course describes the clinical role of lab testing to guide treatment and not to be punitive. To properly use and interpret UDT, it reviews common false positives and false negatives that might occur in the immunologic-based first step in UDT. To understand confirmatory gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, it goes on to describe the metabolism of common opioids and benzodiazepines, because the detected substance is often just a downstream metabolite of several possible parent compounds to which the patient was exposed. The course concludes with a discussion of the difference between UDT for clinical purposes versus forensic ones.
Read More >

Course 7: Management of Other Substance Use Co-Occurring with Opioid Use Disorder

Interactive, SCORM-based Activity
Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Co-Occurring Addiction / Medical Disorders, Acamprosate, ADHD, Alcohol, Anxiety Disorders, Buprenorphine, Cannabis, Co-Occurring Addiction / Psychiatric, Disulfiram, Gabapentin ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Edward V. Nunes, MD
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Other substance use disorders can often co-occur with opioid use disorder (OUD). These can include benzodiazepines and other tranquilizers, cocaine and stimulants, and cannabis. Alcohol and nicotine are also considered commonly used substances alongside opioids. In this educational activity, these other substances will be reviewed leading to a discussion of principles of diagnosis and evaluation of treatment for each substance by themselves, and in the context of OUD.
Read More >

Course 8: Life-Saving Overdose Prevention, Response, and Safety Planning

Interactive, SCORM-based Activity
Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Harm Reduction, Antagonist, Full Agonists, Laboratory, Naloxone, Opioids, Partial Agonists, Pharmacology, Screening and Assessment, SUD Core Curriculum ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Kevin A. Sevarino, MD, PhD
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Overdose is the leading cause of accidental injury death in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle crashes, claiming more than 100,000 American lives annually in 2022 and 2023. Promisingly, overdose deaths dropped to 80,341 in 2024. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid sold as heroin and counterfeit prescription opioids, and commonly contaminating cocaine and methamphetamine, is driving surges in overdose deaths in most communities. This course will introduce tools to combat overdose, which include overdose education and naloxone distribution, compassionate overdose response, drug checking, engagement and treatment, and safety planning.
Read More >

Supplemental SUD 101 Core Curriculum Courses

Principles of Motivational Interviewing: Useful for Primary Care Providers

Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Co-Occurring Addiction / Psychiatric, Brief Intervention, Collaborative Care Motivation Enhancement, Competencies, Education Addiction Psychiatry / Addiction Medicine, Faculty Development, Psychotherapeutic, Recovery Maintenance, Relapse Prevention, Screening and Assessment ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Joji Suzuki, MD, Director, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Member, Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Motivational interviewing (MI) has emerged as one of the most critical evidence-based approaches when working with patients to promote behavior change. Originally developed in the context of treating substance use disorders, MI is a collaborative method of communication that pays particular attention to the language of change. MI helps to strengthen intrinsic motivation for change by exploring the patient’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance, partnership, evocation and compassion. This educational activity will introduce key MI principles, including the four processes, the spirit of MI, patient-centered communications skills, and the importance of evoking change talk.
Read More >

Mutual-Help and Related Clinical Interventions

Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Recovery Maintenance, 12 Step Programs, Access / Disparities, Chronic Disease Model, Continuum of Care, COVID Pandemic, Mutual Supports, Relapse Prevention, SMART Recovery, SUD Core Curriculum ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
John F. Kelly, PhD, Elizabeth R. Spallin Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Director, MGH Recovery Research Institute
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Mutual-help organizations (MHOs) such as Alcoholic Anonymous, SMART Recovery, LifeRing and many others, are ubiquitous across the United States and are found in small, medium, and large cities. They can be a valuable addition to treatment plans and extend the reach of the clinician by providing their patients with ongoing paths to recovery via crucial sober social support that has been found to confer valuable relapse prevention skills. This presentation provides education about the origin, types, scope, and theoretical orientation of a variety of MHOs, including new evidence for their clinical and public health utility, as well as evidence on why they are so helpful. Examples of proven clinical strategies to enhance involvement with MHOs during and following treatment will be provided including for those patients taking medications.
Read More >

Medical Considerations for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder

Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Co-Occurring Addiction / Medical Disorders, Cardiovascular, Ethics, General Medical Comorbidities, Hepatic, Infectious Disease, Stigma, SUD Core Curriculum ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Jeanette M. Tetrault, MD, FACP, FASAM, Professor of Medicine and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
This module reviews features of skin and soft tissue infections among people who inject drugs, reviews risk factors for Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV, describes prevention interventions for HCV and HIV, and discusses treatment approaches for HCV and HIV in patients with opioid use disorder.
Read More >

Primary Care Management of Co-Occurring Psychiatric Disorders in Those with Substance Use Disorders

Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Co-Occurring Addiction / Medical Disorders, ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Assessment, Basic Science, Co-Occurring Addiction / Psychiatric, DSM-5, Emergency Setting, Epidemiology, General Medical Comorbidities ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
John A. Renner, Jr., MD; and Kevin Sevarino MD, PhD
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Co-occurring psychiatric conditions are frequently seen in patients with substance use disorders. Clinicians should be alert to the signs and symptoms of common psychiatric disorders and should understand how to distinguish independent psychiatric disorders from substance-induced disorders. Depressive disorders and anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, are the most common co-occurring conditions, though ADHD is often encountered across the range of substance use disorders. Substance use disorder patients with co-occurring psychiatric disorders will respond to most standard psychological and pharmacological treatments for these psychiatric conditions, though clinicians should avoid the use of scheduled medications and must always focus on sobriety as a primary treatment goal. Treatment that integrates addiction and psychiatric care is the most effective.
Read More >

Adolescent Substance Use

Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Basic Science, Adolescents, Alcohol, Alcohol, Developmental Risks, Epidemiology, Neurobiology of Addiction, Nicotine, Pediatrics / Adolescent, Pediatrics / Neonate ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Sharon Levy, MD, MPH, Director, Adolescent Substance use and Addiction Program
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Brain development during adolescence makes youth particularly vulnerable to both initiating substance use and developing substance use disorders (SUD). Alcohol and cannabis use are both common and the impacts of these substances on the developing brain leads to a predictable set of consequences. Primary and secondary prevention and treatment can all improve outcomes. This module discusses Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to identify and address substance use, and the medical management of SUD treatment in primary care.
Read More >

Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults

Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Co-Occurring Addiction / Medical Disorders, 12 Step Programs, Acamprosate, Alcohol, Alcohol, Alcohol, Antagonist, Assessment, Benzodiazepines, Buprenorphine ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Louis A. Trevisan, MD, MEd, Associate Professor, Adjunct, Yale University School of Medicine
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Substance Use disorders in Older Adults is a growing problem not only in the United States but throughout the developed world. The Baby Boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964 is turning 58-76 years old this year. This group is presenting with more Substance Use Disorders and need for substance use treatment now. The use of an artificial cut off age of 65 years of age as the definition of elderly or old is somewhat arbitrary and this will be discussed. The module will look at the prevalence, screening and treatment of tobacco, alcohol, opioids, non-medical use of prescription drugs and illicit opioids as well as stimulants and cocaine, marijuana and non-opioid sedative hypnotic agents. A case vignette will drive the CME portion and elucidate the tenants of the module.
Read More >

Treating Pregnant People for Opioid Use Disorder: Clinical Challenges

Target Audience(s):
Interprofessional Teams, Nurses, PAs, Pharmacists, Physicians, Students and Educators
Topic(s):
Basic Science, Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs), Alcohol, Alcohol, Breast Feeding, Cannabis, CARA, Co-Occurring Addiction / Medical Disorders, Developmental Risks, Discrimination ...
Organizer(s):
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter(s):
Hendrée E Jones, PhD, Division and Executive Director, UNC Horizons, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina
Credit Available:
CE Credit(s): Yes
Designations: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Opioid use disorder (OUD) among women and people who become pregnant is increasing in prevalence in clinical settings. The standard of care is to provide buprenorphine or methadone as a part of a complete treatment approach during pregnancy and beyond the postpartum period. This module reviews the historical and current context of opioid use among women and birthing people during pregnancy. It compares pharmacological treatment options for women and people who become pregnant with an OUD and also discusses the issues with detoxification or medically assisted withdrawal from opioids during pregnancy. Issues related to the treatment of OUD during pregnancy and in the postpartum period for the birthing person, fetus and child will also be discussed (e.g., induction, dosing, pain management, neonatal withdrawal and how to reduce its severity).
Read More >
Adam Bisaga, MD, 2018 Steering Committee Meeting

Mentoring

Designed for health professionals treating individuals with OUD or prescribing opioids for pain. Our experts provide support by phone, email, or in-person if logistically possible.

Request a Mentor