Behavioral Health and Addiction Medicine education at UPMC St. Margaret is integrated into all three years of our residency curriculum. We provide diverse, comprehensive behavioral health and addiction medicine learning experiences to advance medical knowledge, inform patient care, develop interpersonal communication skills and encourage collaborative care. Our residents and fellows are immersed in inter-professional team models of care, working alongside a staff of 9 clinical social workers, in addition to psychiatrists and pharmacists. Our graduates possess the skills needed to implement and work effectively in team-based programs in future clinical settings.
Major components of our behavioral health/addiction medicine experience include
- Psych E-consult affords residents with on-demand psychiatric education and clinic support via the EHR
- Inter-professional team meetings (MDT – Multi-Disciplinary Team) at the family health centers to discuss complex and high-risk patients
- Dual precepting with family medicine and behavioral science faculty in the out-patient family health centers
- Integrated behavioral health/addiction medicine case conference - monthly
- Comprehensive core behavioral health and addiction medicine lectures
- Individualized interview skills training using direct observations, videotape review, patient simulations, and one-on-one precepting experiences
- Electives in Behavioral Health and Addiction Medicine tailored to the resident’s specific interests
- Reflective sessions (Balint group, Reflective writing seminar) led by medical and behavioral science faculty
- Resident support groups
Our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program started in 2016 to treat patients suffering from opioid use and alcohol use disorders. Our MAT program has been successful in working with many patients utilizing buprenorphine-naloxone as well as intramuscular naltrexone XR. Our team of social workers, psychiatrists, pharmacists, and residents work collaboratively to help patients and their families in a sustainable, supportive environment. More details about our MAT program are provided under the subheading “Medication-Assisted Treatment Training.”
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Information about our behavioral science education PDF
We are grateful for the St. Margaret Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, Fine Foundation, RK Mellon Foundation, and Pittsburgh Foundation for their generous support in establishing our Integrated Behavioral Health Program.