Opioid Addiction and Its Treatment: A Brief Overview for Psychotherapists

The persisting opioid epidemic has resulted in unprecedented rates of addiction, overdose deaths, emergency room visits, and treatment admissions. Because rates of addiction are especially high among people affected by other types of mental health problems, it behooves all psychotherapists to have a working knowledge of SUDs and be able to skillfully assess and treat these disorders in office-based practice. This presentation will describe demographics of the current opioid epidemic, the pharmacology of opioid agonists and antagonists, medications for treating opioid dependence (including naltrexone and buprenorphine), and evidence-based behavioral and psychosocial interventions. Lecture material combined with case vignettes will be used to demonstrate how to formulate an initial treatment plan, respond to various challenges and setbacks, and work collaboratively with medication prescribers. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0123. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.