Physicians’ Clinical Support System for Buprenorphine
In 2010, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)’s awarded the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM) a grant to operate The Physicians’ Clinical Support System for Buprenorphine (PCSS-B). The program provides clinical training and mentoring to physicians who want to provide office-based treatment for opioid dependence.
Buprenorphine Training
A variety of training opportunities are made available to physicians through the PCSS-B and its partner organizations. AAAP and AOAAM offer training via an AAAP-developed Half and Half Course that includes 4 hours of self study, followed by 4 hours of face-to-face training. The APA continues to offer buprenorphine training courses at its Annual Meetings and also has a web-based course that leads to waiver eligibility. The online course was filmed at an Institute on Psychiatric Services and offers a new and exciting approach to online training. Physicians of any specialty can complete the course at www.apaeducation.org.
Monthly Webinars
As a PCSS-B partner organization, the APA presents monthly webinars for physicians of any specialty who have received the federal authority to treat opioid dependence in an office-based setting, as well as other interested clinicians. Sessions are presented by nationally prominent clinical experts, researchers, and government officials.
Webinar Calendar and Registration
PCSS-B Webinar Archive
Clinical Mentoring
The PCSS-B mentors are a national network of trained physicians with expertise in buprenorphine treatment and skilled in clinical education. Mentors provide support by telephone, email, or in-person if needed and logistically possible. The mentoring program is available at no cost to interested physicians and staff.
Contact APA’s Department of Quality Improvement and Psychiatric Services at pcssb@psych.org for further information.
PCSS-B Website