Learning Objectives

Module 1: Harm Reduction-Informed Care

Submodule 1.1: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. Describe the detrimental aspects of US policies that reinforce racism and criminalization of substance use
  2. Describe the limitations of the current SUD treatment system

Submodule 1.2: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. Assess the broad application of harm reduction interventions
  2. Analyze the spectrum of substance use and its connections to a person’s social context
  3. Describe how harm reduction principles inform the actions, responses, and communication approaches between health care provider and patient

Submodule 1.3: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. Describe the qualities of stereotypes and stigma towards patients with substance use disorders
  2. Describe the purpose of reinterpreting patient behavior through the lens of self-preservation and the mesolimbic reward pathway
  3. Describe specific communication points to prioritize in response to ongoing substance use

Module 2: Goals of Care

Submodule 2.1: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. List primary goals of care for OUD by comparing and contrasting OUD with other chronic health conditions

Submodule 2.2: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. Analyze that discontinuation of medication treatment is associated with poorer outcomes and higher rates of morbidity and mortality compared to maintenance medication treatment
  2. Assess why low threshold models of care can improve retention in care for patients with OUD

Submodule 2.3: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. Explain preferred clinical approaches for patients with OUD 

Module 3: Clinical Management of Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders and Symptoms

Submodule 3.1: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. Describe the inadequacies of treatment systems that address physical, mental health, and substance use disorders separately
  2. Describe the relationship between anxiety symptoms  and OUD and strategies for addressing anxiety

Submodule 3.2: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. Describe important considerations related to trauma and mood disorders when caring for individuals with OUD
  2. Use a brief “Behavioral Activation” approach to counseling a patient with OUD

Submodule 3.3: At the end of the program, participants will be better able to:

• 1. Describe the use of a solution-focused approach to clarifying the patient’s treatment goals
  2. Compare and contrast various approaches different patients can take when addressing their opioid use disorder

Module 4: Lived Experience: An Interview with Stephen Murray

1. 1. Understand the effects of traditional SUD treatment approaches and overdose epidemic from an individual with lived experience of a substance use disorder