When we talk about addiction treatment, the conversation often centers on access: How do we get people into care? What barriers stand in the way? How can we remove them? These are important questions—but they’re only part of the story. Recovery doesn’t end when someone finishes a 28-day residential program or completes an outpatient cycle. […]
addiction treatment
Rethinking Methadone: A Tool for Care, Not a One-Size-Fits-All Solution
Methadone has long been a cornerstone of treatment for opioid use disorder, demonstrating its effectiveness as a lifesaving medication. However, it has also been treated as a one-size-fits-all level of care—a role it was never meant to fulfill. When methadone maintenance treatment was first tested in 1964 by Drs. Vincent Dole and Marie Nyswander in […]
Book Recommendations for Behavioral Health Clinicians
At IRETA, we are committed to supporting clinicians with tools and resources that enhance their ability to provide compassionate, evidence-based care. Books can be powerful tools in this journey, offering insights, strategies, and moments of reflection. This curated list highlights impactful books that span trauma, addiction, therapy techniques, and clinician self-care, with a special focus […]
Driving Change with Data: An Inside Look at IRETA’s Research and Evaluation Efforts
Piper Lincoln is the Senior Research Associate at IRETA. Piper plays a crucial role, handling all aspects of research and evaluation. This includes designing data collection methods and analyzing and interpreting results. Her work involves the technical side of data and ensuring that our research and evaluation projects align with best practices. Whether it’s selecting […]
Xylazine: What Does the Emergence of this New Contaminant Mean for People Who Use Drugs and Health Care Providers?
Throughout the past year, a substance called xylazine has been saturating the drug supply in many parts of the United States. Xylazine is a powerful sedative used in veterinary medicine, typically for larger animals like horses and cattle. It is not considered to be safe for humans. However, the drug has been found to be […]
Join Us In Pittsburgh for the 2023 Scaife Medical Student Fellowship in Substance Use Disorders!
We are excited to announce that for the first time since prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, we will be hosting a portion of the fellowship in Pittsburgh for experiential, in-person learning.
Pennsylvania has Legalized Fentanyl Test Strips, But Legality Does Not Equal Accessibility
In early November, Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation that legalized the use of fentanyl test strips in Pennsylvania. Before reaching Governor Wolf’s desk, the legislation passed the PA House and Senate unanimously. This change comes as fentanyl continues to escalate overdose rates in Pennsylvania and across the United States. Fentanyl, which is undetectable by sight, […]
Overdose Awareness Day: Honoring Those We Have Lost By Preventing Future Overdose Deaths
August 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day. This is a day to remember those we have lost in the past year to overdose of opioids and other substances. As of November 2021, more than 100,000 people have lost their lives annually to substance overdose. In order to properly commemorate those lives we have lost, we […]
IRETA Continues to Provide Intensive Learning Experience on Substance Use Disorders for Medical and Pharmacy Students
For 23 years, IRETA has hosted medical students for the Scaife Medical Student Fellowship in Substance Use Disorders. The program has been held virtually since 2020, due to COVID-19. This year’s program continued online. For three weeks in both June and July, small cohorts of medical and pharmacy students logged in from across the country […]
How Can We Better Serve Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Individuals in Addiction Treatment Settings?
Despite that fact that transgender and gender non-conforming people disproportionately experience substance use and mental health disorders, there is a lack of trans-inclusive care and knowledge about gender identity within the addiction treatment field.
