Document Resources

MAT and Tele MAT Pre Appointment Self Assessment

This one-page self-assessment can be utilized before individual or group MAT appointments; this tool aligns with ASAM criteria allowing the provider to plan for the current session and to aid in treatment planning. With a slight modification, this could also be used by persons not on MAT in preparation for individual or group appointments for substance use disorders. Critical questions required for all telehealth appointments are reviewed, such as the address and phone number where the person can be reached today.

Virtual Best Practices for Providers and Care Team Members

The front of this handout reviews what providers need to know, do and have a plan for prior to individual or group telehealth sessions. The back of the handout reviews important features of Zoom (TM) for those staff using Zoom (TM) as a platform for delivering telehealth sessions.

Buprenorphine Outpatient Prescriber Information

This one-page handout is designed for busy outpatient providers who wish to start a patient on buprenorphine but need guidance on what to do before, important things not to forget when starting, how to monitor patients on buprenorphine, what to do if the patient is or is not doing well and duration of treatment.

Patient Guide to Starting Buprenorphine

This one-page handout will help patients understand when they will start buprenorphine, based on the last time they used opioids and their current level of symptoms. It describes how to take buprenorphine in order for it to help with cravings and withdrawal symptoms, what dose of medication to take when starting and afterwards, and other important information about buprenorphine.

Problem Solving Worksheet

This worksheet guides the clinician and person receiving services in following the seven steps of problem-solving: Identifying the problem Describing the goal Brainstorming solutions Evaluating the pros and cons for each potential solution Choosing the preferred solution Creating a detailed action plan Evaluating the outcome.

Relaxation Handout

This patient-facing handout reviews basic steps for meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and imagery. This can be used when explaining stress reduction techniques to patients.

TEAMcare An Integrated Multicondition Collaborative Care Program for Chronic Illnesses and Depression

Patients with poorly controlled diabetes, coronary heart disease, and depression have an increased risk of adverse outcomes. In a randomized, controlled trial, we tested an intervention designed to improve disease control outcomes for diabetes and/or heart disease and coexisting depression. Patients with one or more parameters of poor medical disease control (ie, HbA1c ≥8.5, or SBP >140, or LDL >130) and a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) ≥10 were randomized to the TEAMcare intervention or usual care (N = 214). This article will describe the TEAMcare health services model that has been shown to improve quality of care and medical and psychiatric outcomes.

Physician Burnout

The health care environment—with its packed workdays, demanding pace, time pressures, and emotional intensity—can put physicians and other clinicians at high risk for burnout. Burnout is a long-term stress reaction marked by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment. In recent years, the rising prevalence of burnout among clinicians (over 50 percent in some studies) has led to questions on how it affects access to care, patient safety, and care quality. Burned-out doctors are more likely to leave practice, which reduces patients’ access to and continuity of care. Burnout can also threaten patient safety and care quality when depersonalization leads to poor interactions with patients and when burned-out physicians suffer from impaired attention, memory, and executive function.

Correlates of Patient-Centered Care Practices at U.S. Substance Use Disorder Clinics

Substance use disorder treatment professionals are paying increased attention to implementing patient-centered care. Understanding environmental and organizational factors associated with clinicians’ efforts to engage patients in clinical decision-making processes is essential for bringing patient-centered care to the addictions field. This study examined factors associated with patient-centered care practices in substance use disorder treatment.

Telehealth Tips: Managing Suicidal Clients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current need for social distancing and isolation related to the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a quick expansion of the provision of mental health services via remote platforms. This tip sheet provides some tips for evaluating and treating suicidal individuals remotely via telehealth.

ASHP Guidelines on Preventing Diversion of Controlled Substances

Controlled substances (CS) diversion in health systems can lead to serious patient safety issues, harm to the diverter, and significant liability risk to the organization. Diversion driven by addiction puts patients at risk of harm, including inadequate relief of pain, inaccurate documentation of their care in the medical record, exposure to infectious diseases from contaminated needles and drugs, and impaired healthcare worker (HCW) performance. In addition to patient harm, there are regulatory and legal risks to the organization, including fraudulent billing and liability for resulting damages, and decreased community confidence in the healthcare system. These guidelines provide a detailed and comprehensive framework to support organizations in developing their CS diversion prevention program (CSDPP) in order to protect patients, employees, the organization, and the community-at-large. Ultimately, each organization is responsible for developing a CSDPP that complies with applicable federal and state laws and regulations but also one that applies technology and diligent surveillance to routinely review process compliance and effectiveness, strengthen controls, and seek to proactively prevent diversion.

How to Measure Motivational Interviewing Fidelity in Randomized Controlled Trials: Practical Recommendations

Many randomized controlled trials in which motivational interviewing (MI) is a key intervention make no provision for the assessment of treatment fidelity. This methodological shortcoming makes it impossible to distinguish between high- and low-quality MI interventions, and, consequently, to know whether MI provision has contributed to any intervention effects. This article makes some practical recommendations for the collection, selection, coding and reporting of MI fidelity data, as measured using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code. We hope that researchers will consider these recommendations and include MI fidelity measures in future studies.
Integrated Care DC is managed by the DC Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) in partnership with the DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH). This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A total of $3,500,365, or 81 percent, of the project is financed with federal funds, and $810,022, or 19 percent, is funded by non-federal sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, or an endorsement by, HHS or the U.S. Government.