Trainings to Support SUD Programs

Trainings can help equip staff, partners, and community members to support substance use disorder (SUD) programs, including prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies. Examples of trainings include:

• The International Society of Substance Use Professionals Rural-based Prevention and Treatment Curriculum for Substance Use Disorders is designed to strengthen the prevention and treatment workforce while encouraging community participation. It helps social workers build community support for sustainable prevention and treatment programs and assists outreach and treatment workers in developing services to reduce drug-related risk and improve health outcomes in rural areas.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continuing education credits include modules on SUD for physicians, nurses, and other health professionals.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) training resources and networks of technology transfer centers support practitioners in delivering evidence-based SUD practices.
• Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) by NORC at the University of Chicago provides trainings and resources on implementing SBIRT with medical/behavioral health professionals, adolescents, workplace professionals, military, and addiction professionals. The website also includes resources on suicide prevention.

Programs may also deliver training to law enforcement personnel, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, first responders, community members, family members, and individuals with SUD on how to administer naloxone. The trainings might cover:

• Basic life support, including CPR and external defibrillation
• Identifying adverse side effects
• Medication storage
• Proper administration of naloxone
• Providing referrals, appropriate transport to healthcare facilities, and follow-up care
• Recognizing the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose
• Reporting results

Rural programs may also provide technical assistance to healthcare providers to increase buprenorphine prescription and dispensation for opioid use disorder.

Telehealth and emerging technologies have expanded training opportunities available in rural communities. Organizations such as the Institute for Research, Education & Training in Addictions (IRETA) and the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (ATTC) offer a variety of online trainings addressing screenings, interventions, and treatments. For additional information on telehealth training for rural communities, see the Rural Telehealth Toolkit.

To ensure sustainability, rural opioid reversal programs are implementing "train the trainer" models, enabling partner organizations to educate their own staff in the future.

Resources to Learn More

Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS)
Website
Compiles educational resources, training modules, online trainings, information on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) waivers, and clinical resources for healthcare providers involved with opioid use disorder pharmacotherapy treatment.
Organization(s): Providers Clinical Support System

Technical Assistance and Training Directory
Website
Provides a list of SAMHSA-funded training and technical assistance centers that offer free behavioral health support.
Organization(s): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration