Executive Summary

Substance use disorders drive adult addiction and prevent teens from reaching their full potential. More than 90 percent of adults with addiction used drugs before age 18, though healthcare providers overlook warning signs and almost never intervene. Few physicians have expertise in Pediatric Addiction Medicine, resulting in a leadership void and a missed public health opportunity.

The Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program (ASAP) will launch substance use treatment programs focused on pediatric and adolescent populations in multiple locations across the country, and use the programs as the settings for training programs that concentrate on pediatric addiction medicine to build out the workforce in this field.

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Accomplishments

Over the last year, the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program has consulted with a number of institutions that would like to build their own treatment programs, including groups in Eastern Tennessee, California, and Illinois. As part of our work through the Opioid Response Network, we have continued to provide expertise to new programs across the country. We also have broadened our fellowship program to allow adult addiction medicine trainees to participate in virtual training in pediatric addiction medicine to complement their fellowship training. More than 15 fellows are scheduled to rotate through our program this year.