With the understanding that substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic brain disease, it is more effectively treated in the chronic care model. The chronic care model is an organizational approach to caring for people with chronic disease, e.g., diabetes, high blood pressure, and opioid use disorder. The model is a practical, supportive, evidence-based approach to interactions between patients and their treatment team.
Educating ourselves is one way to improve the care of people with SUD. The purpose of this page is to deliver resources and training opportunities for providers, clinicians, and care team members working with patients who have SUD. It includes information about screening, referrals, communication skills, patient safety and education materials, and evidence based treatment.
Patient Education Materials
If you’re looking for resources or materials for your patients and their families, please go to the Patient Education and Shared Forms Portal to search and order documents.
Provider Education Materials
NEW: Addiction Medicine Tiered Curriculum
We are offering three one hour modules that address core concepts of addiction medicine. Maine Medical Center has designated this educational activity for a maximum total of 3.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. The modules also fulfill MOC requirements for certain specialties. Additionally, these modules count toward the State of Maine biannual three-hour opioid education requirement for prescribers of controlled substances.
Learning Objectives
- Develop your interest and ability to identify and intervene upon patients with unhealthy substance use (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment-SBIRT).
- Enhance your communication skills and address your implicit bias when working with patients with substance use disorder.
- Develop an opioid-sparing, risk mitigating approach to treatment of acute pain in adult patients.
Access Courses
MaineHealth is pleased to offer two additional provider education modules. Upon completion, 0.50 CME hours are available for each training (AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits). These modules also count toward the State of Maine education requirement. Click "View Module" to skip the CME credit process.
Module 1: Naloxone - Reducing Risk and Saving Lives
- Recognize who is at highest risk of overdose
- Describe the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose
- Compare and contrast use of various naloxone formulations
- Review how to talk to patients about their overdose risk and offer naloxone
- Detail the tools in Epic that relate to naloxone prescribing
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View for CME Credit
Additional Resources can be found in the Naloxone Toolkit
Module 2: Difficult Conversations with Your Patient
- Express concerns that they may have an opioid use disorder
- Discuss tapering their chronic opioid pain regimen
- Address unexpected urine drug screen results
- Discuss the safety of MAT and alleviating any fears
- Address concerns around opioid use during pregnancy, including DHHS reporting
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View for CME Credit