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ASAM one of eight national healthcare and professional organizations working to expand PCSS-MAT initiative
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry Awarded $3 Million Grant to Expand
Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment Initiative
Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment Initiative
ASAM one of eight national healthcare and professional organizations working to expand PCSS-MAT initiative
PROVIDENCE, RI,May 13, 2016—In an ongoing effort to address the opioid use disorder epidemic, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) and a coalition of national professional organizations a three-year grant totaling $3 million to expand the Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment (PCSS-MAT) initiative.
Led by AAAP, the PCSS-MAT coalition of addiction and primary care healthcare professional organizations, has been expanded to include eight national healthcare and professional organizations, including the American College of Physicians, American Psychiatric Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse, American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine, and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. The coalition and the PCSS-MAT steering committee represent more than one million health professionals and stakeholders.
In 2014, more than 47,000 people in the U.S. died of opioid overdose—surpassing car accident fatalities—and it is estimated that 2.5 million people are suffering from opioid use disorders (OUDs). The PCSS-MAT initiative will address this public health crisis by training and mentoring physicians and other health professionals in the prevention, identification, and treatment of OUDs using FDA-approved medications (methadone, naltrexone and buprenorphine) and evidence-based care. PCSS-MAT will continue to be a major force in the Nation’s response to this public health priority. Over the past three years, PCSS-MAT developed a robust program of web-based and in-person training modules, webinars, list-serves, and clinical mentoring resources, which provided training on treatments for OUD, including buprenorphine waiver training, to thousands of physicians, other prescribers, and allied health professionals.
This newly funded initiative for PCSS-MAT will be expanded in response to the changing landscape of the opioid epidemic and treatment systems and by lessons learned in our most recent work. In response, this initiative increases AAAP’s partnerships to include more primary care organizations and include a “MAT Implementation Program” in which four community health centers will receive intense multi-disciplinary training by a team of experts addressing their local needs to implement treatment for opioid use disorders including MAT. These sites will be located in underserved regions, including urban and rural areas.
“ASAM is honored to be a part of this important coalition of healthcare professional organizations training and mentoring physicians and other health professionals in the prevention, identification, and treatment of OUDs,” says Dr. Olsen who will serve as ASAM’s Clinical Director and Clinical Expert. “These resources will be a great benefit to our members and the larger field of addiction medicine professionals,” adds R. Jeffrey Goldsmith, MD, DLFAPA, DFASAM, ASAM President.
A major component of the initiative will be to increase the number of clinicians and health provider teams who are trained in the prescribing of the three FDA-approved medications including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone to treat OUD.
In 2014, more than 47,000 people in the U.S. died of opioid overdose—surpassing car accident fatalities—and it is estimated that 2.5 million people are suffering from opioid use disorders (OUDs). The PCSS-MAT initiative will address this public health crisis by training and mentoring physicians and other health professionals in the prevention, identification, and treatment of OUDs using FDA-approved medications (methadone, naltrexone and buprenorphine) and evidence-based care. PCSS-MAT will continue to be a major force in the Nation’s response to this public health priority. Over the past three years, PCSS-MAT developed a robust program of web-based and in-person training modules, webinars, list-serves, and clinical mentoring resources, which provided training on treatments for OUD, including buprenorphine waiver training, to thousands of physicians, other prescribers, and allied health professionals.
This newly funded initiative for PCSS-MAT will be expanded in response to the changing landscape of the opioid epidemic and treatment systems and by lessons learned in our most recent work. In response, this initiative increases AAAP’s partnerships to include more primary care organizations and include a “MAT Implementation Program” in which four community health centers will receive intense multi-disciplinary training by a team of experts addressing their local needs to implement treatment for opioid use disorders including MAT. These sites will be located in underserved regions, including urban and rural areas.
“ASAM is honored to be a part of this important coalition of healthcare professional organizations training and mentoring physicians and other health professionals in the prevention, identification, and treatment of OUDs,” says Dr. Olsen who will serve as ASAM’s Clinical Director and Clinical Expert. “These resources will be a great benefit to our members and the larger field of addiction medicine professionals,” adds R. Jeffrey Goldsmith, MD, DLFAPA, DFASAM, ASAM President.
A major component of the initiative will be to increase the number of clinicians and health provider teams who are trained in the prescribing of the three FDA-approved medications including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone to treat OUD.
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