May 2025 OTP Convening on Patient-Centered Care

Moderator: Deirdre Calvert, Director, BSAS
Panelists:

• Katherine Krauskopf, Medical Director, MiraVista
• Adam Tucker, Chief Executive Officer, Addiction Treatment Center of New England (ATCNE)
• Kaitlyn Small, Patient
• Jennifer Babich, Assistant Director of Opioid Treatment Services, BSAS

This panel will explore principles of person-centered care from multiple perspectives—a medical practitioner, a patient, an administrator / clinician, and a state regulator. Discover what person-centered care means to them, how care delivery is changing, what additional steps are needed to continue improving, and the impact these changes can have upon patients.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify at least one person-centered care principle to improve patient experience and treatment outcomes in OTP settings.
• Integrate at least one key element of person-centered care into daily practices within the OTP setting to enhance service delivery.

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Facilitator: Lili Njeim, OTP Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Center, TTA Specialist and Advisory Committee Lead

Facilitators: OTP TTA Center Staff and Advisory Committee members

This will be a two part discussion session where participants from the same region of the state will have the opportunity to connect and discuss partnerships with other organizations that serve people with opioid use disorders.

Part 1, May 6: Partnership Successes and Challenges
Part 2, May 13: Partnership Opportunities and Action Steps

Learning outcomes:

• Connect with OTP staff and partner organizations from their region.
• Summarize the unique partnership strengths and challenges in their region.
• Identify opportunities and action steps for improving regional partnerships.

Speaker: Christina Norman, Community Liaison, CTC Acadia/Lowell

People in need of medication for opioid use disorder often have significant barriers to accessing treatment, including homelessness, transportation challenges, and food insecurity. This session will cover how an opioid treatment program is meeting people outside the clinic to support their needs and the impact these services have had upon patient outcomes.

Learning outcomes:

• Name at least one innovative practice for reaching patients outside the OTP setting, addressing barriers such as homelessness, transportation challenges, and food insecurity.
• Identify at least one strategy for incorporating social services within OTPs to support holistic, patient-centered care.
• Describe the impact of social services on treatment entry, adherence, relapse prevention, and overall well-being, and develop a plan for ensuring patients are connected to these services in effort to improve patient outcomes in OTP settings.

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Speakers:

• Megan Hudson, Nurse Practitioner, Boston Medical Center
• Alfredo Gonzalez, Chief of Medical Services, High Point Treatment Center

This session will explore best practices for identification, prevention, intervention, and aftercare for stimulant overamping and creating an inclusive treatment environment for people who use stimulants. Presenters will address the unique challenges faced by both OTP staff and patients and share strategies to reduce barriers to treatment, ultimately enhancing patient care and outcomes.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify at least 2 unique needs for patients in the OTP who also use stimulants.
• Identify 3 physical and 2 psychological symptoms of overamping.
• Recall the AGRO+ pneumonic and how to implement it in an OTP setting
• Recognize at least 2 strategies to improve the OTP experience for individuals with stimulant use disorder.

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Speakers:

• Jasmin Irving, Senior Program Manager of Substance Use Disorder Health Equity, Mass General Brigham
• Decima Prescott, Substance Use Disorder Nurse Practitioner, Mass General Hospital Community Care Van

The session will explore the impact of implicit bias, discrimination, and historical mistrust on treatment experiences for BIPOC communities, and provide strategies to mitigate these factors in clinical practice. Participants will learn effective approaches for recruiting, retaining, and training a diverse OTP workforce, and evaluate structural, cultural, and systemic barriers BIPOC individuals face in accessing and engaging in treatment.

Learning outcomes:

• Analyze the impact of implicit bias, discrimination, and historical mistrust on treatment experiences and outcomes for BIPOC communities, and apply 3 strategies to mitigate these factors in clinical practice.
• Name at least 2 strategies for recruiting, retaining, and training a diverse OTP workforce that reflects the communities served, and implement these strategies to improve workforce diversity and service delivery.
• Evaluate structural, cultural, and systemic barriers that BIPOC individuals face in accessing and remaining engaged in OTP services, and apply this understanding to implement at least one policy or programmatic change to improve access and engagement in treatment for BIPOC individuals.

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Speakers:

• Samantha Dunga, Chief Executive Officer, Summit Healing Arts & Sunflower Yoga and Wellness
• Dina Gonsalves Perez, Member Relations Specialist, Phoenix Gym

The session will focus on integrating wellness offerings, such as yoga and exercise, into treatment options at OTPs. Participants will learn about potential wellness organizations for partnership and explore ways to implement new collaborations that expand patient options for group activities, ultimately improving overall treatment outcomes and engagement in their OTP.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify at least 2 wellness offerings, such as yoga and exercise, that can be integrated into treatment options at their OTP.
• Identify at least one wellness organization with which OTP can partner to expand patient options for group activities.
• Implement at least one new partnership to improve patient care and treatment engagement in their OTP.

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Facilitator: Lili Njeim, OTP Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Center, TTA Specialist and Advisory Committee Lead

Facilitators: OTP TTA Center Staff and Advisory Committee members

This will be a two part discussion session where participants from the same region of the state will have the opportunity to connect and discuss partnerships with other organizations that serve people with opioid use disorders.

Part 1, May 6: Partnership Successes and Challenges
Part 2, May 13: Partnership Opportunities and Action Steps

Learning outcomes:

• Connect with OTP staff and partner organizations from their region.
• Summarize the unique partnership strengths and challenges in their region.
• Identify opportunities and action steps for improving regional partnerships.

Speakers:

• Kyle Harrington, Harm Reduction Training and Drug Checking Manager, Tapestry
• Pedro Alvarez, Director of Harm Reduction Operations, Tapestry

This session will explore the connection between harm reduction and person-centered care, highlighting approaches that can be implemented in OTPs to improve patient outcomes. Participants will also learn about organizations with a harm reduction mission and discuss potential partnerships to enhance treatment options and support for patients.

Learning outcomes:

• Explain how harm reduction is related to person-centered care.
• Name at least one example of a harm reduction approach that can be employed in OTPs.
• Name at least one organization with a harm reduction mission that can partner with OTPs.

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Speakers:

• Heidi Ginter, Medical Director, Signature Healthcare
• Amy Thomas, Nurse Practitioner, ATCNE

Last year SAMHSA introduced significant positive changes to 42 CFR Part 8, the regulations that guide OTPs. These were the first changes to these regulations in 20 years, and they effectively brought methadone treatment into the modern era. BSAS quickly adopted all of SAMHSA’s guidance which places a strong emphasis on a person-centered approach involving shared decision-making between the provider and the person served. Some OTP providers have embraced these changes, while others have struggled. This session will address some of the common barriers and provide practical strategies for increasing provider confidence in higher starting methadone doses, rapid dose titrations, more liberal split dosing, and early provision of take homes.

Learning outcomes:

• List the number of unsupervised take-home methadone doses a person-served can receive at a Massachusetts OTP based on the following time in treatment: 0-14 days, 15-30 days, and 31 or more days in treatment.
• Describe 3 strategies for safely achieving a total daily methadone dose of 100mg within the first week of treatment.
• Explain ways that the perception of risk in methadone treatment can differ between persons-served and providers.

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Panelists:

• Lisa Blanchard, Chief Clinical Officer, Spectrum Health Systems, Inc.
• Jonathan Miller, Chief Information Officer, Spectrum Health Systems, Inc.
• Shannon Konke, Clinical Program Director, Spectrum Health Systems, Inc.

This session will cover best practices for successful telehealth implementation, including strategies to ensure equitable access for underserved and marginalized communities. Participants will also explore techniques clinicians can use to enhance patient engagement, ultimately improving the effectiveness and reach of telehealth services.

Learning outcomes:

• Name at least two best practices for successful telehealth implementation.
• Identify at least one strategy for ensuring equitable access to telehealth services for underserved and marginalized communities.
• Identify at least one strategy for clinicians to use to enhance patient engagement.

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