Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Criminal Justice Settings (3 CE)

Course Level: Intermediate

This course is for: Social Workers, Psychologists, Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Graduate Students

Course By: Helen Hinton, LPCC

Content By: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Criminal Justice Settings. HHS Publication No. PEP19-MATUSECJS Rockville, MD: National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019.

Course Description: The opioid crisis that occurred in 2017 was resultant from an overall increase in opioid-related deaths. Increased arrest and incarceration rates for opioid-dependent individuals were also noted at that time. Consequently, treatment (tx) modalities for opioid addiction were deemed necessary in community, correctional, and post-release community settings. Additionally, incarcerated individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) evidenced decreased opioid tolerance rates.  Approximately 1 in 3 individuals experienced relapse post-release. Opioid relapse, concomitant with decreased tolerance rates, led to an increased risk of overdose.  Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) was/is an effective tx modality that can be employed in correctional and post-release settings. Providers who employ MAT may increase offender tx engagement, reduce criminal recidivism rates, and decrease both relapse and overdose rates.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the importance of providing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for incarcerated individuals with Opioid Use Disorder both during incarceration and upon release to the community
2. Understand the US FDA approved medications for OUD tx respective of medication dispensing, effectiveness and prescribing practices
3. Understand the risks and benefits associated with each medication for OUD tx in correctional and post-release settings
4. List some examples of MAT supported tx methods/programs and related outcomes
5. Understand plausible solutions relative to the barriers that are associated with MAT implementation

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Criminal Justice Settings
• Read and review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Consider tx modalities that are feasible to employ in correctional and post-release settings
• Work through the post-test questions; bear in mind that answer selections should be derived from the respective journal article
• Return to the referenced article for any missed questions, or to review tx methods for OUD

Course Completion Requirements: All course materials are included in your AATBS student account. Attendees must read the course material and complete the accompanying test with a score of 75% or higher. Customers may retest if they score below 75%.

Evaluation: The course evaluation is also accessible in your student account. After completing the course, you will need to complete the course evaluation.

How certificate is issued: When all requirements for the course have been successfully completed, customers will be able to access and print a personal CE certificate in their student account.

Approvals: