ASAM strengthens health care workforce capacity to care for patients with alcohol use disorder through new SAMHSA award

SAMHSA awards a 3-year cooperative agreement to ASAM for building the capacity of health care providers to optimize the treatment of alcohol use disorder.

Rockville, Md. (Jan. 23, 2024) – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) a three-year cooperative agreement to implement the new “Providers Clinical Support System – Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder” (PCSS-MAUD). PCSS-MAUD is a national project that provides free training, guidance, and mentoring on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The program aims to enhance the capacity of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician associates/physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, substance use disorder counseling professionals, and other health care providers to treat individuals with AUD, including the use of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved MAUD.

Alcohol is one of the most used substances in the United States. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 137.4 million Americans ages 12 or older reported currently using alcohol. Alcohol use increases the risk for adverse health effects, as well as the risk of injuries and accidents, such as motor vehicle crashes. In 2021, 31% of all traffic crash fatalities involved drivers under the influence of alcohol, leading to one fatality from drunk driving every 39 minutes. Drunk driving can be the result of binge drinking which 61.2 million Americans ages 12 and older reported doing in the past month in 2022. Binge drinking and excessive alcohol use can cause heart and liver disease, cancer, and an increased risk for mortality. Additionally, binge drinking and heavy alcohol use can increase the risk of alcohol use disorder. In 2022, 29.5 million people ages 12 and older had AUD. Less than 5% of those with AUD received any form of treatment (i.e., behavioral and/or medication) in the last year and less than 2% took an FDA-approved medication for AUD.

“AUD has historically been under-diagnosed and under-treated, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated unhealthy alcohol use and the risk for AUD,” said Dr. Brian Hurley, ASAM’s president, adding “It’s time for that to change, and this program is a crucial first step.”

The gap between the number of Americans with AUD and those receiving medication and treatment is widened by a lack of education, training, and confidence among health care professionals. PCSS-MAUD aims to close this gap by increasing education and training on MAUD for interprofessional and multidisciplinary health care providers. By strengthening the workforce’s capacity, the program seeks to improve access for individuals with or at risk of AUD to quality treatment, including MAUD.

Over the next three years, PCSS-MAUD will offer skill-based training, online modules, webinars, mentoring, in-person training, toolkits, consultative services, and other downloadable resources for health care professionals. Educational offerings will be tailored to different specialties and practice settings. The project will focus on foundational content such as screening, diagnosing, and treating AUD using FDA-approved MAUD; integrated counseling and case management services; billing and coding for screening and treatment activities; and person-centered care principles. Special focus will be paid to strategies for engaging and retaining diverse racial and ethnic under-resourced, and underserved communities within program content.

According to Dr. Melissa Weimer, medical director and lead trainer for PCSS-MAUD, “PCSS-MAUD will build a one-stop-shop for the health care workforce to gain the skills and tools they need in their everyday practice to treat alcohol use disorder using medication. Equipping professionals with knowledge and resources is the best way to ensure patients with alcohol use disorder receive the care they need and deserve.”

More information on PCSS-MAUD can be found at https://www.pcss-maud.org/

About the American Society of Addiction Medicine   

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), founded in 1954, is a professional medical society representing over 7,500 physicians, clinicians, and associated professionals in the field of addiction medicine. ASAM is dedicated to increasing access and improving the quality of addiction treatment, educating physicians and the public, supporting research and prevention, and promoting the appropriate role of physicians in the care of patients with addiction. For more information, visit ASAM.org.