E2. Medication Assisted Treatment: Diagnosis, Medication and Therapy

This session will tackle the complicated relationship between addictions, violence, and
criminal recidivism. Individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) are often involved
with the justice system and SUD are associated with an increased risk of violence
and criminal behaviors. The complex relationship between SUD, violence and justice
involvement – an unfortunate trifecta – leads to a set of social circumstances that further
cement this association. For example, homelessness, financial limitation and association
with individuals with a criminal record often seen with SUD incites criminal behavior.
Such behavior may introduce the person to the justice system and lead to incarceration,
probation or parole, further compromising their socioeconomic situation and subject
them to trauma and violence which they may later perpetrate. In this session, we aim to
dissect the medical basis of addictive disorders, understanding their neurobiological basis,
as well as the social, interpersonal and psychological phenomena manifested in persons
with SUD, specifically addressing Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). We will further
discuss evidence based and data driven diagnostic and treatment approaches for working
with persons with SUD including MAT medication and what those individual treatment
plans look like.