AMERSA Talks
Two new Series Coming Soon in 2026!
Frontiers in Substance Use Care: Emerging Topics and Evidence
Eight episode podcast series sponsored by Provider’s Clinical Support System – Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (PCSS-MOUD), exploring the evolving landscape of substance use and addiction care.
Substance Use Across the Lifespan: Supporting Every Stage
Five episodes, each paired with a downloadable toolkit and live companion workshop, sponsored by the Opioid Response Network (ORN). This series explores how substance use care changes across the lifespan—from childhood through older adulthood.
Previous Series
Stigma and Substance Use: Rewriting the Narrative.
Eight episodes sponsored by Provider’s Clinical Support System – Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (PCSS-MOUD), exploring the pervasive impact of stigma on individuals and communities affected by substance use disorders (SUD).
Innovation in Action: Building Stronger Communities
Seven episodes sponsored by the Opioid Response Network (ORN), highlighting cutting-edge programs and collaborative efforts supporting individuals and communities affected by substance use disorders.
Episodes
18 episodes
Meeting People Where They’re At: Pharmacist-Led Innovations in Substance Use Care
After you listen please complete SAMHSA’s required Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) GPRA Post-Event Form. This form will gather satisfaction with the event to help improve future episodes.
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Substance Use Coercion ECHO Toolkit: Building Capacity at the Intersections of Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders and Intimate Partner Violence
Learn more about this topic. Download the companion toolkit and register for the follow-up live workshop at https://amersa.org/project/episode-2-substance-use-coercion/<...
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Delivering Age-Friendly Care for Older Adults in Opioid Treatment Programs
Learn more about this topic. Download the companion toolkit and register for the follow-up live workshop at https://amers...
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Kimber King, Tj Thompson and Dr. Ruchi Shah, SafeSpot Hotline: Virtual Spotting and Real-Time Overdose Prevention
SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Hotline provides free, 24/7 virtual spotting services to people who use drugs alone. Born out of the grassroots Never Use Alone Massachusetts line, SafeSpot has evolved into a nationally recognized program housed at...
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Dr. Emily Skogrand, Dr. Mike Winer and Dr. Honora Englander, Methadone Outside of an OTP: Meeting People Where They Are
Medications methadone and buprenorphine – are the most effective treatments for opioid use disorder. Decades of evidence show that they treat acute withdrawal and cravings, improve quality of life, reduce risk for HIV and hepatitis C, reduce ov...
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Johanna Sluser, Kelly Brandon, and Kristin Wason, ACT Now: Advancing Hospital Addiction Care Through a Nurse Liaison Program
This episode explores the Addiction Care Team Nurse Liaison Program (ACTNLP), a program that equips hospital nurses with substance use disorder (SUD) training to reduce stigma and improve outcomes for patients with SUD. Developed within an urba...
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Dr. Holly Drone & Dr. Timothy Kummer, Beyond Overdose: Integrating Buprenorphine into EMS for Lasting Impact
In this episode, host Dr. Tim Kummer is joined by Holly Drone, EMS Pharmacist, and Jackson Thiets, paramedic and buprenorphine advocate with the Hennepin EMS Bridge Program. Together, they share the journey of implementing a paramedic-driven bu...
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Phil McNamara, Bella Wilklow, and Elizabeth Abbs, Enhancing Treatment Access: How collaboration with multidisciplinary providers and community members increases connection to long term care.
This episode will focus on the outreach and support service efforts within MATTERS that address barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder. While MATTERS is widely recognized for its harm reduction efforts, this episode will dig deeper into ...
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Dr. Triveni DeFries, Dairo Romero and Dr. Marlene Martin, Promoting health: Community health workers address unhealthy substance use
The Program for Education in Drugs and Alcohol for Latine (PEDAL) is an example of a partnership between community-based organizations and addiction medicine clinicians. In this episode the guest discuss their collaboration to co-develop a trai...
Dr. Carrie Wilkens, Dr. Brandee Madden, & Dr. Jeff Foote. Stigmatized by Association- Impact of SUD and Stigma on Families
This episode explores the "contagious" nature of stigma in substance use disorders (SUDs), revealing how shame and discrimination spread beyond the 45-50 million Americans with SUDs to affect an estimated 45-300 million family members. While st...
Dr. Lauren Broyles, Jackie Slaugenhaupt, and Holly Hagle, Untapping Social Potential: Teetotal Initiative’s Model for Empowering Recovery and Challenging Stigma
In this episode, Teetotal Initiative will provide insight into an innovative and underexplored but critical component of recovery: the impact of social interaction on recovery capital ecosystems and prevention of return to use. Despite its impo...
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Michelle Kavouras, Dr. Nichole Nidey, and Dr. Sunny Kung, Why Language Matters in Documentation
In this episode, we dive into why language in client and patient records matters—and how it can shape care experiences. We explore practical ways to use non-stigmatizing language in health records and discuss the role of electronic health recor...
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Meghann Perry, Dr. Dani Snyder-Young, and Dr. Felipe Vasudevan, Dignity Starts With Us: Rewriting the dominant narratives of substance use
Redemption stories in recovery are often more harmful than helpful. We’ve all absorbed the War on Drugs narrative—but even well-intended stories about substance use often reinforce stigma. In this episode, Meghann Perry and Dr. Dani...
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Michelle Durham, Cindi Salinas, and Dr. Deepika Slawek, On the Texas Frontlines: How Substance Use Disorder Stigma Affects HIV Prevalence in the South
In San Antonio, HIV is treated with love, not judgment—and it’s working. We will discuss how stigma: 1) contributes to HIV acquisition, 2) prevents people living with HIV from seeking and remaining in care, and 3) effective, e...
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Jessica Heil, Dr. Rachel Haroz, & Dr. Jeffery Bratberg, Building Meaning: How Emergency Department Bridge Programs Improve Physicians’ Lives Through Purpose
Addiction care in the ER isn’t just about patients—it’s about fixing medicine itself.Emergency Department Bridge Programs allow ED physicians to connect patients in the ED with comprehensive addiction care. While the benefits of bridge p...
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Siobhan Morse & Nicole O'Donnell, Using Peers to Combat Stigma
Turns out, the most powerful tool against addiction stigma might just be someone society once gave up on. Despite significant advancements in addiction treatment, stigma remains one of the greatest barriers to care for individuals strug...
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Dr. Devin Oller, Kayla Strother, and Kate Roberts, Overcoming Substance Use Disorder Stigma in Appalachia
We’ve been blaming Appalachia for a healthcare crisis it didn’t create. Addiction in Appalachia isn’t what you think. This episode unpacks the nuanced reality of substance use disorder in a region that’s been stereotyped, ignored, ...
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Dr. Joe Wright & Allyson Pinkhover, Learning from Hamsterdams: How Zoning, Real Estate, and Public Policy Create Drug Containment Zones
We don’t have a drug crisis—we have a policy crisis. In episode one, Allyson Pinkhover, MPH, CPhT, CHO and Dr. Joe Wright explore some of the ways that urban planning, zoning, policing, and the location of addiction services combine...
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