Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder

Course overview

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a clinically validated approach to treating opioid use and other substance use disorders (SUDs). This 90-minute training provides participants with an evidence-based understanding of the purpose and effectiveness of MAT, why opioid therapies are used to treat opioid addiction, and how advances in neurophysiology inform treatment planning. The session differentiates addiction from physical dependence, examines concepts of medical futility and risk-benefit analysis, and explains how methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone function within the brain to reduce withdrawal, craving, and overdose risk. The role of sober support systems in sustaining long-term recovery is emphasized to reinforce MAT as part of a comprehensive treatment model grounded in best medical evidence.