It is our honor to share our models, best practices and outcomes with other experts in our field — particularly as we face the dual crisis of the opioid crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic.
CRANSTON, R.I. (PRWEB)
April 06, 2021
CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, the largest non-profit, outpatient provider for opioid treatment in Rhode Island, today announced that it will be presenting at three sessions during the 2021 American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc. (AATOD) Conference, to be held virtually April 10-14, 2021. The theme of this year’s conference, AATOD’s first all-virtual, is “Forging Partnerships to Improve Access to Quality Care.” CODAC’s experts plan to highlight three of its innovative programs: collaboration of the state and opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in addressing the opioid crisis; the Heroin-Opioid Prevention Effort Initiative (HOPE Initiative); and addressing tobacco/nicotine use concurrently with medication assisted treatment (MAT) and behavioral health.
“We are excited to be presenting at the first virtual AATOD conference, which is expected to bring together an exceptional number of peers and other key decision makers interested in exploring viable solutions to our nation’s opioid epidemic, said Linda Hurley, President/CEO of CODAC. “It is our honor to share our models, best practices and outcomes with other experts in our field — particularly as we face the dual crisis of the opioid crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic.”
CODAC’s presentations at the AATOD 2021 virtual conference will be as follows:
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Monday, April 12, 2021 — 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM PDT
Workshop: Community Partners & Continuum of Care
#1 — Building a Tobacco Cessation Treatment Model Through Multi-Dimensional Partnerships
Primary Presenter(s): Linda Hurley, MA, CAGS, LCDCS, President and Chief Executive Officer, CODAC
Co-Presenter(s): Lisabeth Bennett, NBC-HWC, NCTTP, Clinical Director of Tobacco Treatment and Training, CODAC
Excerpted from program/schedule: The tobacco treatment landscape is constantly shifting and changing. SUD and BH patients smoke at rates far greater than the general population… Quality care depends on addressing tobacco/nicotine use concurrently with MAT and behavioral health…
- Tuesday, April 13, 2021 — 4:10 PM – 4:25 PM PDT
Workshop: Public Policy/Regulatory and Financial Issues
D3 – Systems Collaboration for Model Programming and Sustained Change
Primary Presenter(s): Linda Hurley, MA, CAGS, LCDCS, President and Chief Executive Officer, CODAC
Co-Presenter(s): Rebecca Boss, MA, Chief Operating Office and VP of Strategic Development, CODAC
Linda A. Mahoney, CAADC, LCDCS, CS, State Opioid Treatment Authority- Administrator- BH Program National Treatment Network President- NASADAD
State of RI- Division of Behavioral Healthcare
Excerpted from program/schedule: Like many states, Rhode Island experienced a significant increase in overdose deaths, with rates doubling from 2011 to 2016. In her first year in office, Governor Raimondo established the Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force. Guided by expert advisors, the Task Force created a strategic plan which identified clear goals within four key pillars: Prevention, Rescue, Treatment and Recovery. Treatment was identified as the cornerstone of the plan, specifically recognizing that “making Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) as available as possible, whenever possible, can save lives.” The plan called for increasing capacity for MAT and expanding access through new care settings such as hospital emergency rooms and correctional settings… Rhode Island benefits from the strong collaboration of state and OTPs in addressing the opioid crisis and has been one of few states to recognize overdose decreases for three consecutive years…
- Wednesday, April 14, 2021 — 11:05 AM – 11:20 AM PDT
Workshop: Community Partners & Continuum of Care
F5 – The HOPE Initiative Redefines the Mission of Community Safety
Primary Presenter(s): Rebecca Elsing, MA, CAGS, QMHP, Clinical Supervisor of the HOPE Initiative, CODAC
Co-Presenter(s): Leslie Bridgman, MA, JD, LCDP, Director of Correctional Services, CODAC
Matthew Moynihan, MA, Law Enforcement Overdose Response Coordinator/ Director of the HOPE Initiative, Rhode Island State Police
Excerpted from program/schedule: … To support the ongoing efforts of state and local government to address the opioid crisis, the Heroin-Opioid Prevention Effort Initiative (HOPE Initiative) was created in 2018; making it the nation’s first statewide law enforcement-led opioid overdose prevention outreach and engagement program. Designed after several successful single jurisdictional outreach models, the HOPE Initiative is a distinct multi-jurisdictional program that draws expertise and resources from agencies and police departments across the state…
About CODAC Behavioral Healthcare
CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, a non-profit organization founded in 1971, is Rhode Island’s oldest and largest provider of outpatient services for opioid use disorder, other substance use disorders, and concurrent behavioral health challenges. With eight locations across Rhode Island, CODAC has attained Center of Excellence designations for each of its treatment sites. CODAC has done extensive work with individuals involved in the criminal justice system since 1994 and, in 2016, launched a program with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) that was the first of its kind in the United States to screen all inmates for opioid use disorder and provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for those in need. Results from CODAC’s RIDOC program have been studied and published, and the program has been recognized as “a model for all 50 states” by the Department of Justice, SAMHSA and multiple other national agencies. In addition, CODAC is now licensed in Massachusetts to operate an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). For more information about CODAC, visit: http://www.codacinc.org
About AATOD 2021
The 2021 American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc. (AATOD) Conference theme is “Forging Partnerships to Improve Access to Quality Care.” Conference objectives are: to discuss the latest research and regulatory developments relevant to the field of medication assisted treatment and critically evaluate the implications in managing the opioid epidemic; to disseminate innovative and evidence-based initiatives designed to increase access to services, improve program development and administration, and enhance patient outcomes; to strategize approaches to promote, support, facilitate, and integrate medication assisted treatment into the judicial and penal systems, government, social service organizations, and mainstream medicine; to identify and promote strategies that assist healthcare partnerships and collaborations by advancing understanding and acceptance of medication assisted treatment as a crucial element to community wellness and response to the opioid epidemic; and to address and refute misinformation and stigma and promote acceptance of comprehensive medication assisted treatment throughout the continuum of care. For more information, visit https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/AATOD/
Contact:
Bill Gordon; PR/Media Relations
646-924-6146
billgordon37@hotmail.com
Alisha Bourdeau,CFO; CODAC
(401) 275-5038
abourdeau@codacinc.org