Practical Approaches to Addiction in Our Community

Appreciate the basic differences between opiates and opioids

Detail the prevalence of opioids in Michigan

Understand the variables associated with drug and substance identification

Become familiar with laboratory tests available for opiates, opioids, and non-opioids

Review the illicit drug surveillance program (STORM) in Michigan

Give an overview of plan for an addiction medicine fellowship at WMed

Describe current addiction medicine research projects in our region

Discuss opportunities for ongoing addiction medicine education for learners and existing healthcare teams

Define moral injury and professional resistance.

Identify emerging theories of moral injury development and trajectory.

Understand approaches to mitigating moral injury when working with individuals who use substances.

Identify the neurobiological and psychosocial characteristics unique to stimulant use disorder.

Apply evidence-based harm reduction strategies and behavioral interventions to engage patients impacted by stimulant use disorder.

Develop a plan of care that includes contingency management, additional indicated behavioral interventions, and pharmacological treatments for stimulant use disorder.

Implement treatments for both acute intoxication and long-term management of patients with stimulant use disorder, including those with co-occurring medical or psychiatric conditions.

Describe the pharmacology of the three FDA approved medications for Opioid Use Disorder.

Apply evidence-based strategies to manage acute pain in patients maintained on MOUD to minimize the risk of opioid relapse or withdrawal.

Discuss strategies for interprofessional communication and care coordination to optimize acute pain control and opioid use disorder treatment during (1) hospitalization for planned surgery or other painful procedures and (2) acute injury or unexpected surgery or painful procedures.

Apply proactive strategies to promote patient engagement and retention of non-abstinent patients.

Understand how non-abstinence can be managed clinically without judgment, as part of the chronic disease model of addiction.

Recognize the role of patient safety in fostering a more welcoming, non-judgmental treatment environment.

Identify strategies for assessing readiness to change unhealthy substance use

Name techniques for efficiently connecting unhealthy behavior to personal health experiences

Select interviewing strategies that will facilitate patient centered self-reflection related to unhealthy substance use

At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to describe the basic procedures for contingency management treatment.

At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to identify the patient populations most likely to benefit from contingency management treatment.

At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to counsel their patients on the potential benefits of contingency management.

At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to identify key indicators of quality contingency management programs that conform to best practices.

Learn how to diagnose substance use disorders using DSM-5-TR criteria, which is essential for guiding treatment decisions.

Understand that asking about substance use in a compassionate, nonjudgmental way encourages disclosure and honest communication which is crucial for better treatment outcomes.

Appreciate that obtaining reliable information and cooperation with treatment increases job satisfaction and reduces clinician’s burnout.

Review best available evidence on maternal and fetal impacts of substance use including tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, and opioids

Outline specific interventions that may be offered to pregnant patients with SUD

Identify existing individual and institutional practices that may contribute to stigma or bias against pregnant patients with SUD, and review mitigation strategies to best support patients.

Become familiar with the concept of Polypharmacy and some of its impacts

Appreciate the extent of off-label use of psychoactive drugs in the elderly

Understand the concept of therapeutic inertia and the role of deprescribing in overcoming it.

Synthesize the potential problems of recreational drug use in older patients.

Explain the current scientific evidence supporting psychedelic substances as potential treatments for substance use disorders.

Discuss the regulatory, ethical, and clinical hurdles that must be addressed before psychedelics can become mainstream therapies.

Explore future research directions and the practical considerations for integrating psychedelic-assisted treatment into standard addiction care.

Define the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) and the research study

Connect ACEs to mental and physical health outcomes

Understand the common risk factors for ACEs, as well as the protective factors that can mitigate the negative effects of ACEs.

Define the standard four-abilities model of decision-making capacity and identify its limitations when applied to patients with substance use disorder (SUD).

Analyze how emerging frameworks — including relational models (Navin & Wasserman) and the Narrative Coherence standard — provide richer tools for evaluating capacity in SUD contexts.

Evaluate clinical and ethical case examples to distinguish when SUD genuinely undermines decision-making capacity and when assumptions of incapacity reflect bias or overreach.

Identify the fundamental liberties (e.g., bodily integrity, privacy, family life, medical self-determination) that are at risk when capacity is misapplied in patients with SUD.

Apply principles of nuanced, rights-sensitive capacity assessment to clinical decision-making in order to balance patient protection with respect for autonomy.