Managing Chronic Pain in Adults with Substance Use Disorders

Behavioral health issues such as addiction, anxiety and depression are often thought of as secondary health issues. But to positively impact health outcomes, it is important to deliver comprehensive integrated care that addresses a person’s physical and behavioral health care needs.

To help support professionals in providing integrated care services, we are delivering a series of office-based training sessions. Offerings are targeted for primary care physicians (PCPs), skilled nursing facilities/assisted living facilities and behavioral health professionals.

Participants will learn to:

• Complete a comprehensive pain assessment and develop a multi-modal approach (pharmacological and nonpharmacological) to pain management with a focus on functional improvement. This will include regularly scheduled reassessments in order to update the treatment plan.

 • Perform a comprehensive assessment of current and past substance use disorder.

• Safely prescribe and carefully monitor prescriptions in an at risk population including regular consultation with the CSPMP.

• Become familiar with the Pharmacy Restriction Program operated by the health plan.

• Direct care by involving specialty consultations/treatments.

• Become more comfortable with managing the chronic pain of individuals with co-morbid substance use disorders.