Treating Co-Occurring Opioid Use Disorder in Mental Health Settings-View Presentation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Benjamin Druss and Dr. Brian Hurley conducted a webinar on treating co-occurring opioid use disorder in mental health settings. They discussed the importance of integrating medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) into mental health care and highlighted key medications, including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Dr. Hurley emphasized the significance of using medications as the first step in treatment, citing that these can prevent overdose and increase treatment retention. Tools for diagnosing OUD were presented, and the importance of assessing mental health alongside substance use was underscored. The session also addressed practical issues such as prescribing practices, patient readiness for medication, and the insufficiency of current mental health and substance use disorder treatment integration. Methadone’s accessibility limitations were contrasted with buprenorphine’s broader prescribing capabilities. Naloxone's role as an emergency treatment was explained, focusing on its life-saving potential during overdoses. The webinar concluded with a Q&A session, touching on the challenges clinicians face in integrating OUD treatments into existing mental health services. Overall, the session aimed to encourage a more holistic approach to treating patients with co-occurring disorders by integrating medication treatments into mental health settings.

Keywords

opioid use disorder

mental health

medications

methadone

buprenorphine

naltrexone

treatment integration

overdose prevention

naloxone