Shows
Think Out LoudProviders say more access to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders neededOregon consistently ranks near the bottom of the country in terms of access to treatment for substance use disorders. Portland-based Boulder Care seeks to address that by providing telehealth and medically assisted treatment options. The company launched in 2017 and has been based in Portland since 2019. Its aim is to normalize this kind of treatment and make it available in the first days or hours when a person with substance use disorder decides they want to get help. Dr. Honora Englander, who directs the Improving Addiction Care Team (IMPACT) at Oregon Health and Science University, says access to telehealth and...
2025-11-2020 min
Free Culture RadioEvidence Still MattersOn this edition of Free Culture Radio: Evidence Still Matters #AMERSA2025
The Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research on Substance use
and Addiction, AMERSA, held its 49th annual national conference November
13-15 right here in my home town of Portland, O...
2025-11-2000 min
Free Culture RadioEvidence Still MattersOn this edition of Free Culture Radio: Evidence Still Matters #AMERSA2025
The Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research on Substance use
and Addiction, AMERSA, held its 49th annual national conference November
13-15 right here in my home town of Portland, O...
2025-11-2000 min
AMERSA TalksKimber King, Tj Thompson and Dr. Ruchi Shah, SafeSpot Hotline: Virtual Spotting and Real-Time Overdose PreventionSafeSpot Overdose Prevention Hotline provides free, 24/7 virtual spotting services to people who use drugs alone. Born out of the grassroots Never Use Alone Massachusetts line, SafeSpot has evolved into a nationally recognized program housed at Boston Medical Center. In this episode, host Dr. Ruchi Shah speaks with Kimber King and TJ Thompson about SafeSpot’s journey from a volunteer-run initiative to a fully funded overdose prevention organization. Together, they discuss the importance of lived experience, lessons learned from rapid growth, and how SafeSpot is saving lives while challenging stigma, health disparities, and overdose risk in both urban and rural co...
2025-10-0254 min
AMERSA TalksDr. Emily Skogrand, Dr. Mike Winer and Dr. Honora Englander, Methadone Outside of an OTP: Meeting People Where They AreMedications methadone and buprenorphine – are the most effective treatments for opioid use disorder. Decades of evidence show that they treat acute withdrawal and cravings, improve quality of life, reduce risk for HIV and hepatitis C, reduce overdose, and reduce risk of drug-related and all-cause mortality. Yet in the US, fewer than 1 in 5 people with OUD accesses them.In the US, Methadone is regulated unlike any other medication, including methadone for pain. With a few exceptions, in ambulatory settings, methadone must be administered from an opioid treatment program – a highly regulated addiction treatment setting.This episode talk...
2025-09-1838 min
AMERSA TalksJohanna Sluser, Kelly Brandon, and Kristin Wason, ACT Now: Advancing Hospital Addiction Care Through a Nurse Liaison ProgramThis episode explores the Addiction Care Team Nurse Liaison Program (ACTNLP), a program that equips hospital nurses with substance use disorder (SUD) training to reduce stigma and improve outcomes for patients with SUD. Developed within an urban safety-net hospital, the program includes didactics, precepting with addiction specialists, and community site visits. Participants become SUD champions, educators, and leaders on their units. Early outcomes show high program completion and addiction certification rates, strong curriculum relevance, and improved knowledge and engagement. ACTNLP is a feasible, scalable model to enhance nursing capacity to provide addiction care in hospital settings....
2025-09-0440 min
AMERSA TalksDr. Holly Drone & Dr. Timothy Kummer, Beyond Overdose: Integrating Buprenorphine into EMS for Lasting ImpactIn this episode, host Dr. Tim Kummer is joined by Holly Drone, EMS Pharmacist, and Jackson Thiets, paramedic and buprenorphine advocate with the Hennepin EMS Bridge Program. Together, they share the journey of implementing a paramedic-driven buprenorphine protocol, the lessons learned from their first year, and how the program has evolved to include holistic post-overdose care. The conversation highlights barriers faced, culture shifts needed in EMS and ED settings, and how moving from judgment to empathy—and empathy to action—can transform care for patients with opioid use disorder.Learning ObjectivesDescribe the development and implementation of a...
2025-08-2146 min
AMERSA TalksPhil McNamara, Bella Wilklow, and Elizabeth Abbs, Enhancing Treatment Access: How collaboration with multidisciplinary providers and community members increases connection to long term care.This episode will focus on the outreach and support service efforts within MATTERS that address barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder. While MATTERS is widely recognized for its harm reduction efforts, this episode will dig deeper into the essential support structures that make treatment more accessible, which can enhance the likelihood of a successful connection once referrals are made.The episode will cover how the program uses emergency telemedicine, peer networks, and wraparound programs to address barriers such as lack of insurance, transportation, and stigma. Additionally, it will discuss how follow-up with individuals navigating treatment helps...
2025-08-0738 min
AMERSA TalksDr. Triveni DeFries, Dairo Romero and Dr. Marlene Martin, Promoting health: Community health workers address unhealthy substance useThe Program for Education in Drugs and Alcohol for Latine (PEDAL) is an example of a partnership between community-based organizations and addiction medicine clinicians. In this episode the guest discuss their collaboration to co-develop a training program for promotores, also known as community health workers, to address unhealthy substance use in the Latine community, offering a model for building workforce capacity to address increasing rates of overdose amongst Latine in a culturally and linguistically informed approach.Learning ObjectivesDemonstrate how to develop a collaborative partnership with community-based organizations to build workforce capacity.Identify the factors for...
2025-07-2445 min
AMERSA TalksDr. Carrie Wilkens, Dr. Brandee Madden, & Dr. Jeff Foote. Stigmatized by Association- Impact of SUD and Stigma on FamiliesThis episode explores the "contagious" nature of stigma in substance use disorders (SUDs), revealing how shame and discrimination spread beyond the 45-50 million Americans with SUDs to affect an estimated 45-300 million family members. While stigma's impact on individuals with SUDs is well-documented, this conversation spotlights how families become "stigmatized by association," driving them "underground" and leading to isolation, delayed help-seeking, compromised mental health, strained relationships, and poorer recovery outcomes for the entire family system.Learning ObjectivesIdentify at least three ways stigma impacts family members of individuals with substance use disorders, including specific effects on...
2025-07-1750 min
AMERSA TalksDr. Lauren Broyles, Jackie Slaugenhaupt, and Holly Hagle, Untapping Social Potential: Teetotal Initiative’s Model for Empowering Recovery and Challenging StigmaIn this episode, Teetotal Initiative will provide insight into an innovative and underexplored but critical component of recovery: the impact of social interaction on recovery capital ecosystems and prevention of return to use. Despite its importance, organizing substance-free events for the community as a recovery tool is underutilized, leaving a gap in day-to-day sober- and recovery-oriented quality of life. This episode highlights Teetotal Initiative’s unique, scalable model for sober-focused events, offering tangible ideas for complementing formal treatment with consistent, community-rooted programming that addresses return to use predictors, stigma, and supports long-term recovery success.Learning ObjectivesId...
2025-07-1046 min
AMERSA TalksMichelle Kavouras, Dr. Nichole Nidey, and Dr. Sunny Kung, Why Language Matters in DocumentationIn this episode, we dive into why language in client and patient records matters—and how it can shape care experiences. We explore practical ways to use non-stigmatizing language in health records and discuss the role of electronic health record (EHR) in shaping documentation. Who designs these systems, and how can they be improved? We also examine real-world case scenarios where stigmatizing notes have had lasting impacts on individuals. Whether you're a provider, policymaker, or advocate, this episode offers insight into making health records more respectful, equitable, and aligned with patient-centered care.Learning ObjectivesRecognize how th...
2025-07-0351 min
AMERSA TalksMeghann Perry, Dr. Dani Snyder-Young, and Dr. Felipe Vasudevan, Dignity Starts With Us: Rewriting the dominant narratives of substance useRedemption stories in recovery are often more harmful than helpful. We’ve all absorbed the War on Drugs narrative—but even well-intended stories about substance use often reinforce stigma. In this episode, Meghann Perry and Dr. Dani Snyder-Young explore how internalized shame shapes personal and public storytelling, influencing care access and policy. They discuss research and applied storytelling techniques that shift the dominant narrative, promoting dignity and inclusion for people with lived and living experience of substance use. By embracing strength-based storytelling, we can rewrite the script—reducing stigma, fostering resilience, and broadening pathways to well-being. Tune in to l...
2025-06-1955 min
AMERSA TalksMichelle Durham, Cindi Salinas, and Dr. Deepika Slawek, On the Texas Frontlines: How Substance Use Disorder Stigma Affects HIV Prevalence in the South In San Antonio, HIV is treated with love, not judgment—and it’s working. We will discuss how stigma: 1) contributes to HIV acquisition, 2) prevents people living with HIV from seeking and remaining in care, and 3) effective, evidence-based strategies for mitigating stigma. We will explore effective ways to reach, support, and treat individuals who use substances, who are at a high risk for acquiring HIV and, once acquired, falling out of care.Learning ObjectivesAnalyze root-causes of HIV stigma;Explain the intersectionality of HIV risks and SUD;Identify evidence-based strategies for treating individuals with SUD who ar...
2025-06-0549 min
AMERSA TalksJessica Heil, Dr. Rachel Haroz, & Dr. Jeffery Bratberg, Building Meaning: How Emergency Department Bridge Programs Improve Physicians’ Lives Through PurposeAddiction care in the ER isn’t just about patients—it’s about fixing medicine itself.Emergency Department Bridge Programs allow ED physicians to connect patients in the ED with comprehensive addiction care. While the benefits of bridge programs for patients with opioid use disorder are known, what’s less understood is how these programs affect the lives of the providers themselves. For a paper published in Academic Emergency Medicine last year, researchers interviewed providers about these programs and found that patients were not the only benefactors.Learning ObjectivesED bridge programs may require extra wo...
2025-05-2232 min
AMERSA TalksSiobhan Morse & Nicole O'Donnell, Using Peers to Combat StigmaTurns out, the most powerful tool against addiction stigma might just be someone society once gave up on. Despite significant advancements in addiction treatment, stigma remains one of the greatest barriers to care for individuals struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). Among healthcare professionals, stigma can manifest in ways that impact patient outcomes, access to care, and overall recovery success. This episode will explore how leveraging peers—those with lived experience in recovery—can be a powerful tool in combating stigma in medical settings. We will discuss real-world applications of peer support, the latest statistics on stigma in h...
2025-05-0835 min
AMERSA TalksDr. Devin Oller, Kayla Strother, and Kate Roberts, Overcoming Substance Use Disorder Stigma in AppalachiaWe’ve been blaming Appalachia for a healthcare crisis it didn’t create. Addiction in Appalachia isn’t what you think. This episode unpacks the nuanced reality of substance use disorder in a region that’s been stereotyped, ignored, and misunderstood for too long. Through powerful stories and clear strategies, it reveals how healthcare professionals, community leaders, and people with lived experience are fighting against systemic stigma and rebuilding trust.Dr. Devin Oller, a primary care and addiction medicine physician at the University of Kentucky, and Kayla Strother, a certified advanced practice nurse specializing in adult ger...
2025-04-2449 min
AMERSA TalksDr. Joe Wright & Allyson Pinkhover, Learning from Hamsterdams: How Zoning, Real Estate, and Public Policy Create Drug Containment ZonesWe don’t have a drug crisis—we have a policy crisis. In episode one, Allyson Pinkhover, MPH, CPhT, CHO and Dr. Joe Wright explore some of the ways that urban planning, zoning, policing, and the location of addiction services combine to create or enforce a geography of containment. In Boston, Wright argues, land prices and the politics of what another scholar describes as “complaint-oriented policing” led to a smaller and smaller area in which visible drug use and homelessness were tolerated, and services for people with substance use disorders were located. This kind of geography, variations of which...
2025-04-1043 min
AMERSA People and Passion – Sponsored by the ATTC NetworkHistory of AMERSA with Sid SchnollSid Schnoll, one of the founders of AMERSA, discusses with Paul Lum the origin of the organization out of the Career Teacher Program of the early 1970s. The desire by the federal government to cultivate experts in substance use disorders into health professional schools has resulted in a vibrant, growing organization that helps health educators provide cutting-edge information to their students.
2021-10-251h 14AMERSA People and Passion – Sponsored by the ATTC NetworkKey Conversations: Dismantling Racism Against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Across the Substance Use ContinuumThe Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction (AMERSA) released a solidarity statement and a position paper articulating racism’s deadly effects on persons who use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. This cascade of negative effects, compounded with the social determinants of health results in higher rates of incarceration, increased risk of overdose, fewer employment options, multi-generational poverty and economic disadvantages for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC).The AMERSA Board of Directors (BOD) proposes an initial set of strategies to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion using a framework that speaks to four key AMERSA...
2021-10-2037 minAMERSA People and Passion – Sponsored by the ATTC NetworkA Path for Substance Use Disorder Content in the Education SettingJoin AMERSA and ATTC in celebrating a journey through AMERSA time with Marianne Marcus, in conversation with Sid Schnoll.This podcast summarizes Dr. Marianne Marcus’ career as a nurse educator and researcher, and the role AMERSA played in developing her understanding of substance use disorders. Her career included sequential faculty positions in Herman H. Lehman College and Columbia University in New York and the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston ,Texas. A serendipitous opportunity to open a primary care clinic in a residential substance abuse treatment facility led her to increase substance use content in nursing curricula an...
2021-09-2338 minAMERSA People and Passion – Sponsored by the ATTC NetworkScreening and Brief Intervention, AMERSA, and What You Should DoIn this podcast Rich Saitz, former AMERSA President, is interviewed by Nic Bertholet, discussing whether screening and brief intervention is effective, and what the controversy is. We learn about the evidence, what research should still be done, what we should teach, what we should do in practice, and how it has loomed large at AMERSA.
2021-09-0341 min