Name
K01 - Help the Field Help the Patient: A Journey in Developing a Substance Use Resource for Integrated Primary Care Team Members
Date & Time
Friday, October 17, 2025, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location Name
Ballroom C
Description

Substance use concerns are prevalent in primary care but often under-detected, under-discussed, and under-treated; in addition, opportunities to prevent mild or moderate concerns from worsening are frequently missed. While integrated behavioral healthcare professionals (BHPs) are ideally situated to collaborate with both primary care teams and patients to address and manage substance use concerns in this setting, barriers such as stigma, lack of comfort, and perceived or actual inadequate training may interfere. To better support integrated BHPs, the VA Center for Integrated Healthcare developed a comprehensive SharePoint resource geared towards building core knowledge and skills to address substance use concerns in the Integrated Primary Care (IPC) context. This presentation will discuss the journey of developing the resource, highlight key site pages, and share utilization data and trends since site launch in May 2023.

Speakers
Luke Mitzel PhD, Education & Implementation Specialist, Center for Integrated Healthcare (VISN 2), Syracuse, NY
Michele Crisafulli PhD, Education & Implementation Specialist, Center for Integrated Healthcare, Department of Veterans Affairs, New Market, MD
Co-Authors
Jessica N. Martin, Psy.D.; Janette M. Mance-Khourey, Ph.D.; Sarah J. Ingle, Ph.D .
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Collaborative Care Model of Integrated Care, Innovations, Substance abuse management
Session Type
Concurrent
Slideshow link
View Slideshow
Objective 1
Describe at least one barrier to addressing substance use concerns in integrated primary care.
Objective 2
Discuss at least one topic that is featured on the substance use SharePoint resource for integrated behavioral healthcare professionals.
Objective 3
Identify at least one conclusion that may be drawn from data on site utilization trends in response to specific dissemination efforts and over time.
Content Reference 1

Crowley, R., Hilden, D., & Beachy, M. (2024). Excessive alcohol use and alcohol use disorders: A policy brief of the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 177, 656-657. https://doi.org/10.7326/M23-3434

Content Reference 2

Farhoudian, A., Razaghi, E., Hooshyari, Z., Noroozi, A., Pilevari, A., Mokri, A., Mohammadi, M. R., & Malekinejad, M. (2022). Barriers and facilitators to substance use disorder treatment: An overview of systematic reviews. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 16, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/11782218221118462

Content Reference 3

Mangan, E., Weyrich, M., Miller, M., Melnikow, J., Moulin, A., Servis, M., Chadha, P., Spivak, S., & Henry, S. G. (2024). Stigma against patients with substance use disorders among health care professionals and trainees and stigma-reducing interventions: A systematic review. Academic Medicine, 99(2), 221-231. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000005467

Content Reference 4

Nakaishi, L., Sugden, S. G., & Merlo, G. (2023). Primary care at the intersection of lifestyle interventions and unhealthy substance use. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 17(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276221111047

Content Reference 5

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs & U.S. Department of Defense. (2021). Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Substance Use Disorders. https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/sud/