A handful of medications have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the generic term for these medications and their associated supportive services. Federal and state agencies are actively encouraging treatment providers and prescribers to promote these medications to patients/clients with OUD. Research suggests these medications help prevent the cravings and mental obsessions that lead individuals to return to drug use. Widespread prescribing has encountered resistance on the part of treatment and recovery support service providers, including recovery residence providers.

Many recovery housing providers are resistant to accepting residents who are taking MAT medications. Others accept residents receiving MAT but do nothing to address their unique challenges. Information provided by governmental, pharmaceutical and opioid research sources is often inaccurate and incomplete. It’s not surprising that MAT medications give rise to suspicion.

This webinar reviews the basics of MAT medications, and summarizes the controversies surrounding their use. It also addresses:

• Stigma surrounding addiction and recovery, how it affects attitudes about some medications for treating OUD, and how it compromises recovery outcomes
• Overview of some terminology, including harm reduction, recovery, and abstinence; ways that a lack of clarity about these contributes to poor decisions
• Some of the legal implications for treatment and recovery housing providers of exclusionary policies related to these medications, including the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act
• Appropriate placements and referrals to recovery housing for individuals undergoing MAT
• Medication-assisted recovery (MAR) as distinct from MAT medications
• MAT-related risks and challenges facing recovery housing providers
• The why and how of sharing information between service providers and prescribers
• Best practices for recovery housing providers to create welcoming and supportive abstinence-based recovery environments for individuals undergoing MAT

Purchase