Round Table 301C

        
Stacy Melton, LCSW, Sarah Bockhold, LCSW, Deandra Rangel, LCSW, Michael Connolly, MD, FASAM 

   
Opioid addiction is a disease that has been increasing. Opioids are drugs that slow down the actions of the body such as breathing. They are prescribed for pain sometimes and a person can become dependent on the drugs if they are not taken correctly as prescribed. Heroin is an illegal opioid that is smoked, snorted or injected to get a good feeling often called a "high." Taking any kind of opioid can result in becoming dependent and withdrawal can occur. Sometimes dependence leads to addiction and people get cravings and have loss of control. Opioid addiction is a chronic disease that can be managed. SIU Medicine has started a MAT clinic that integrates behavioral health faculty with MD faculty to help address this growing problem. A process was put into place where the patient see's the Behavioral Health Faculty as part of the intake process. The Behaviorist are embedded in the MAT clinics with the Doctor and follow up with patients in each clinic. Along with seeing the patients in the clinic, two MAT groups a week were started by the Behaviorist that are for the MAT patients in Quincy. These groups are specifically for the MAT patients in that are in the MAT program at SIU. Patients also have access to see a behaviorist for an individual outpatient appointment. Each patient has a Nursing care coordinator who assists them with community resources or getting them into inpatient treatment if that need is identified.         

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