Bringing Water to the Desert: Creative Strategies to Support Adolescents’ Access to OUD Treatment Webinar

The opioid overdose epidemic continues to take an enormous toll on Americans of all ages, including adolescents, their families, and their communities. The teen years are a critical window of opportunity for the prevention of overdose and early identification and treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). This webinar will present feasible strategies to improve access to OUD treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), in adolescents. The session will begin with a review of evidence regarding the risks and benefits of MOUDs in this age group. Following this, we will outline counseling and engagement strategies to involve adolescents and their caregivers in the treatment process, focusing on the ethical and legal aspects of providing care to adolescents. Finally, we will review opportunities to leverage local resources to help support adolescents' recovery. Dr. Deepa Camenga, a board-certified pediatrician specializing in addiction medicine, will present the webinar and share her experiences developing an innovative, community-integrated tele-consult service to expand access to substance use treatment for adolescents. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Review evidence for MOUDs in adolescents 
• Enact developmentally appropriate methods to engage, counsel, and treat adolescent patients with OUD and their caregivers 
• Recognize creative opportunities to leverage local resources to build treatment plans for adolescents with OUD 

Presenter: 

• Deepa R. Camenga, MD, MHS, FAAP, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics & Public Health Associate Director for Pediatric Programs, Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale Schools of Medicine & Public Health