CEU Unit available: 1.5hr

Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists (CMPSS) provide recovery-oriented, culturally appropriate services that promote engagement, socialization, self-sufficiency, self-advocacy, natural support, and are trauma aware. To maintain certification, renewal every two years is required. To maintain certification, a certified MPSS must complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years from the date of the initial certification and thereafter for renewal. Eligible continuing education courses promote professional development, aimed at enhancing the quality of care provided.

Course Description:

The Overdose Response & Harm Reduction Strategies training is designed for Peer Support Specialists to enhance their skills in preventing and responding to opioid overdoses. This comprehensive training covers the impact of opioids, particularly fentanyl, on the current overdose epidemic and provides detailed steps for responding to suspected opioid overdoses. Participants will learn about the mechanism of action of naloxone, a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses, and how to administer it effectively. The training also emphasizes the importance of understanding the signs of an opioid overdose and the necessary steps to take in such situations. 

In addition to overdose response, the training delves into harm reduction strategies aimed at improving patient engagement and retention. Participants will explore various harm reduction approaches and philosophies that support individuals in recovery, enhance engagement in treatment, and elevate the effectiveness of existing evidence-based practices. The training also includes practical information on safer use supplies, barriers to substance use disorder treatment, and non-punitive response strategies to support ongoing treatment goals. 

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the impact of opioids on overdose and the role Fentanyl plays in the current overdose epidemic. 

• Discuss the steps for responding to a suspected opioid overdose. 

• Understand naloxone’s mechanism of action and how it reverses opioid overdose. 

• Discuss how harm reduction approaches and philosophies support people in recovery, enhance engagement in treatment, and elevate the effectiveness of existing evidence-based practices. 

• List 3 safer use supplies and describe how they’re utilized to reduce the negative consequences of drug use. 

• Identify and describe at least three common barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and explain their impact on patient engagement and retention. 

• Develop and implement at least two non-punitive and effective response strategies to a return to use or poor treatment adherence, focusing on maintaining patient engagement and supporting their ongoing treatment goals.