When Substance Use Disorders Come to Pediatrics

Pediatricians have less experience than adult providers in addressing the assessment, evaluation and treatment of substance abuse. A new collaboration between primary care pediatrics and psychiatry experts shows promise as a model for screening adolescents for substance use disorders and referring them for treatment.

Listen to pediatric experts discuss substance use disorder in adolescents

In this episode, Debbie Singer, MD, and Paula Riggs, MD, discuss their successful collaboration screening adolescents for substance use disorders and referring them for treatment.

Dr. Singer is a primary care pediatrician at Every Child Pediatrics in Denver and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).

Dr. Riggs is Director of the Division of Addiction Science, Prevention and Treatment, Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs for the Department of Psychiatry and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In this episode, our experts discuss:

• Tools for screening pediatric patients about substance use
• How to discuss concerning substance use with pediatric patients
• How patients are referred for treatment and next steps by psychiatric partners
• Involvement of parents in the treatment process
• Outcomes of patients treated for substance use in the Encompass clinic
• How screening for evaluation (SBIRE) is more effective than traditional referral for treatment (SBIRT)
• How pediatric practices can partner with the Encompass clinic