AzMAT Mentors Program

 

The current version of the AzMAT Mentors Program came to an end in September 2023. We will maintain this website for another year, until September 2024. We encourage folks to access the resources here such as our Resource Guide (available in English and Spanish) and our Quick Guides for providers. Please consider participating in the Providers Clinical Support System training and mentoring. You can find more information here: https://pcssnow.org/

The Arizona Center for Rural Health (AzCRH) partnered with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to implement the AzMAT Mentors Program. This program provides guidance to new or inexperienced providers to increase their capacity for providing medication-assistance treatment (MAT) services in Arizona. The goal is to improve access to evidence-based treatment for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) and specifically opioid use disorders (OUD).

To achieve this goal, we match experienced and new MAT providers to engage in collaborative consultations. Experienced MAT providers are practitioners who are Arizona licensed and have provided MAT services for at least one year and/or treated at least 20 patients. New MAT providers are practitioners who are Arizona licensed and self-identify an interest to collaborate with an experienced MAT provider.

Image
AzMAT Mentors Program

» See some of our recent evaluation findings

» Learn about the organizational benefits of the AzMAT Mentors Program HERE

We have built a collection of tools that serve as a quick guide to help providers. This resource will be helpful for providers as it delineates important topics:

  • Tool 1: Starting conversations about substance use  

  • Tool 2: Improving cultural humility to better serve diverse populations  

  • Tool 3: Reducing substance use disorder stigma  

  • Tool 4: Treating perinatal opioid use disorder 

  • Tool 5: Wellness and Well-being for Healthcare Providers 

  • Tool 6: Identifying and Affirming Patients Strengths and Resiliency Factors 

Medication-Assisted Treatment, or MAT, is a whole-patient practice that combines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. Addiction and non-addiction specialists may provide MAT services. Non-specialists are encouraged to treat patients with OUD and may do so by obtaining a controlled substance license.

The majority of providers are treating few or no patients with OUD. Commonly reported barriers include: lack of time, availability of behavioral health services, and concerns around diversion and patient misuse.

While barriers exist for implementing MAT, there are numerous reasons for optimism:

There are two ways to participate, as an experienced or as a new MAT provider.

Experienced MAT Providers participate in AzMAT Mentors Program training and collaborate with 1-2 new MAT providers via one-to-one consultations. Please see flyer for more information HERE 

New MAT Providers receive one-to-one support from experienced MAT providers and Arizona Center for Rural Health faculty and staff. Through collaborative consultations, participants set tailored learning goals and receive guidance and support through ongoing communications. Please see flyer for more information HERE


 

An AzMAT Mentors intern, Kennedy Orr, wrote Health Program Sustainability. You can find the report here