Welcome to the Addiction Medicine Rotation

The Addiction Medicine Rotation is a 4 month longitudinal experience to develop comfort in the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of patients who suffer from a Substance Use Disorder (SUD). In the US, opioid overdose has surpassed all other causes of death for people under 50. As family physicians, we must have the skills to diagnosis and guide our patients to treatment of SUD. To meet this goal, all interns will work for 4 months longitudinally in the UCHealth Addiction Medicine Services working directly with the physicians, counselors, and social workers in the clinic. Each resident will complete the online modules listed below and experience a fully holistic, interdisciplinary approach to care for patients suffering from SUD. 

The specialist lead for the rotation is Dr. Liz Tiffany. Dr. Tiffany is board certified in Addiction Medicine along with psychiatry. This page is loaded with information, so please be certain to review it closely. Please contact Dr. Bernheisel or Dr. Tiffany if you have any questions!

Rotation Schedule Matrix:

Each intern will spend 4 months longitudinally in Addiction medicine, working one 1/2 day per week on the outpatient blocks.  The global goals are exposure to physicians, nurse practitioners, case managers (LSW) and counseling clinicians (LCDC) in both individual and group milieus. 

By the second day, the intern should have completed the SAMHSA training course.  Although the additional learning modules are not required to be completed by the completion of the experience, there is far more value in the experience if they are completed early.

Requirements

• Completion of Asynchronous Learning Modules

  • Complete a minimum of 4 out of the 6 following asynchronous learning modules prior to the completion of your rotation. Strong recommend completing the Urine Drug Screen Interpretation and the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment early in the rotation.

    • Narcan Administration

    • Controlled Substance Agreements & Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS)

    • Crucial Conversations

    • Non-Pharmacologic Treatment: A holistic, environmental approach to addiction

    • Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment

    • Urine Drug Screen Interpretation

Goals and Objectives

The purpose of the rotation is to provide the resident exposure to Substance Use Disorder (SUD) patients, their presentations, evaluation and management.  It is expected that at the end of the experience the intern will be able to:

• Recognize the presence of expressed and incipient substance use disorders

• Make appropriate referrals to specialty programs and clinicians for evaluation and treatment

• Demonstrate familiarity with the neurobiology of SUDs and the neuropharmacology of medications used in treatment

• Discuss the nonpharmacological modalities used in treatment of SUD (cognitive behavior therapy, dialectic behavior therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, contingency management amongst others)

• Initiate a conversation with patients regarding the use of opioid medications with attention toward screening for SUD, communication of risks and benefits of the class