Moderator: Elizabeth Nichols, MS, Manager, Department of Specialty Courts, Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, and Member, Operation UNITE Board of Directors

CE Certified By: AMA,AAFP,ACPE,ANCC,APA,NAADAC,NASW,NBCC

In response to the drug epidemic in central and eastern Kentucky, Addiction Recovery Care has developed a continuum of addiction treatment that includes workforce development and education in order to lead to meaningful employment. By partnering with Sullivan University and developing The Peer Support Specialist Academy (PSSA), the program helps people who suffer from substance use disorders to begin moving from hopeless to purposeful and from Medicaid to private insurance. This presentation will explain the development and outcomes of the PSSA and highlight lessons learned for others who want to replicate the program. Topics will include: the need for workforce development and education in addiction treatment, return on investment in regard to public investment in addiction treatment, the importance of Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment, and barriers to successful employment.

UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
- Recognize the importance of combining workforce development and education into addiction treatment.
- Identify the major barriers to successful employment for people in addiction treatment.
- Explain the role of a peer support specialist in addiction treatment.
- Discuss return on investment (ROI) in regard to public investment in addiction treatment, including the factors that influence ROI and the ROI for the most common interventions.
- Recognize the importance of Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment (including peer support services).