Thursday, Oct. 27
10:45 – 11:45 (1 hr)
Meeting Room: Cedar (Mezzanine)
Christian G. Schütz*, MD, PhD, MPH, FRCPC
Supported by the Addiction Psychiatry Section

CanMEDS Roles:

1. Professional
2. Communicator
3. Collaborator

At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1) Acknowledge current deficits in addiction psychiatry in Canada; 2) Review ways of increasing substance use disorder care competencies in Canadian psychiatrists; and 3) Discuss potential benefits and pathways towards developing the Canadian Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Substance use disorders (SUDs), which regularly are comorbid with other psychiatric disorders, are increasingly prevalent. Still, due to such issues as lack of treatment integration and availability of interventions, people with SUDs frequently do not receive the treatment they need. Psychiatry trainees and current practitioners report a lack of knowledge and skills to treat SUDs. The addiction psychiatry section of the CPA has been active in supporting the development of the educational infrastructure and competency that is needed.

The section aims to develop the Canadian Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (CAAP). Similar to established addiction academies in other countries, the CAAP is to 1) offer year-round education and training for psychiatrists and trainees to enable them to provide high-quality, evidence-based screening, assessment, and treatment for SUDs and co-occurring psychiatric disorders; 2) provide guidance for psychiatry residency training programs to facilitate their meeting addiction-based training competencies as part of Competence by Design; 3) strengthen addiction psychiatry specialty and fellowship training; and 4) foster careers in addiction psychiatry. Steps in this direction involve working groups on training and guideline development recommendations, specifically for concurrent disorders, and networking to better connect with established societies and academies.

References:

1. Bowden-Jones O, Sinclair J, Lingford-Hughes A. Psychiatry and the global drugs debate: what every psychiatrist needs to know. Br J Psychiatry 2020;216:178–9.
2. Neilson GE, Freeland A, Schütz CG. Psychiatry and the opioid crisis in Canada. Can J Psychiatry 2020;65:196–203.