Educational Activities Archives

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.

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.

Explore how to effectively address the association SUD and OUD to improve care for individuals at risk for and/or experiencing co-occurring SUD and suicidality. Attendees will hear from two leading experts in suicide prevention and behavioral health.

Join our 4-session online case-based learning collaborative series focused on treating opioid use disorder. Delve into strategies to effectively assess and manage opioid withdrawal and explore real-world cases provided by addiction experts, applying knowledge to practical situations. Each session is presented live online and spans 1.5 hours. Designed for healthcare team members new to treating patients with opioid use disorder and opioid withdrawal, the series aims to offer additional insights, knowledge, and confidence. 

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.

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.