BCH OCPRP’s Week of Presenting, Learning and Connecting
The week of Oct. 20 was full for the BCH Opioid & Chronic Pain Response
Program (OCPRP) staff. On the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 22, the staff had
its first opportunity to present a poster of data collected at the annual
meeting of the
Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention. The data the OCPRP presented showed a snapshot of the program’s
patient demographics and the overall issue of opioid use (please see image below).
The following day, the OCPRP staff attended festivities—opened by
Dr. Robert Valuck—which focused on ways Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is being
brought to rural communities. Many of the presentations focused on getting
buy-in from key stakeholders, such as law enforcement and community members
in rural communities. One key takeaway from the day was the passion and
drive that those working in rural communities maintain to make small,
incremental changes to provide care for those that lack the options more
populated parts of the state enjoy.
The OCPRP staff rounded out the week by attending the
National Conference on Addiction Disorders (NCAD) West to expand its depth and breadth of treatment. During this conference,
Dr. Valuck spoke to a broader focus and provided the latest
State of the Union: Traditional and Medication Assisted Treatments. Many of the discussions centered around the holistic treatment of addiction
and recovery, which included:
- Mindfulness
- Bodywork intervention such as yoga and acupuncture
- Understanding a family history of mental health struggles, particularly
personality disorders
- Opioid addiction and its relationship to chronic pain
- Challenges that accompany caring for pregnant and nursing women on MAT
Overall, the OCPRP staff believes that the field of addiction treatment
is heading in the direction of holistic care with an emphasis on ancient
Eastern practices such as
acupuncture,
reiki,
massage and yoga.
Both conferences provided the OCPRP staff the opportunity to connect with
both local and nationwide providers. However, what was striking, was the
reminder that stigma is still one of the biggest barriers faced by those
in recovery, those seeking care and those who work in this field. Common
misconceptions about addiction disorders continue to pervade our culture
that addiction is a character flaw or a moral failing. The truth is that
substance abuse can
change the way our brains work and, most often, the resulting addiction is a symptom of underlying trauma,
pain and/or mental health struggles.
The OCPRP is taking Dr. Valuck’s call to action to fight, study,
learn and follow the evidence so that the program can be a vital part
of the solution in not only the opioid crisis but supporting those with
substance addiction disorders across the spectrum.
Please consider joining the OCPRP at its monthly educational lecture series
or visit the
OCPRP webpage to learn more.
Next Educational Lecture:
What: Narcan & PrEP – What These Medications Are and How to Access Them
When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 from 6–7 p.m.
Where: Della Cava Family Medical Pavilion – 4801 Riverbend Rd., Boulder, CO 80301
*Watch out for the official announcement, including how to register, in
your email or on the
OCPRP webpage*