The utah collaborate project (collectively arranging and bringing optimized recovery and addiction training and education to the university of utah) - the utah collaborate (collectively arranging…

The utah collaborate project (collectively arranging and bringing optimized recovery and addiction training and education to the university of utah) - the utah collaborate (collectively arranging and bringing optimized recovery and addiction training and education to the university of utah) project aims to bolster interdisciplinary education on substance use disorders (SUD) for healthcare professional students at the university of utah, including medical students (MD), physician assistant/associate (PA) students, nurse practitioner (NP) students, and others. This initiative enjoys the support of the academic leadership across these three healthcare professional programs. In the collaborate project, dedicated staff and planning groups will craft and integrate a comprehensive SUD curriculum into the academic programs of MD, NP, and PA students at the university of utah. A core curriculum will be complemented by immersive clinical experiences within multidisciplinary teams, focusing on both specialty SUD care and primary care settings. These experiences will span various communities, including urban, rural, tribal, and underserved areas, encompassing health professional shortage area (HPSA) designated sites and federally-qualified health centers (fqhc's). Additionally, students will have access to elective SUD-related activities as part of this enriched curriculum. The collaborate initiative prioritizes early exposure to SUD training and clinical encounters for university of utah's MD, NP, and PA students. This approach ensures that students gain fundamental skills in identifying, assessing, intervening, and treating addiction, while also learning how to support recovery and combat stigma. Although current curricula for university of utah's MD, NP, and PA students include some SUD education, the collaborate project will significantly expand and enrich their SUD training. Faculty, education leadership, and staff at the university of utah will collaborate closely with students and certified peer support specialists (CPSS) to design and deliver practical, clinically relevant curricular components, training sessions, and experiences. These initiatives will promote a recovery management approach, grounded in trauma-informed care and stigma reduction, recognizing suds as long-term illnesses. CPSS will play integral roles within the curriculum development group, aiding in both curriculum design and delivery, serving on the project advisory board, providing support in clinical settings, and guiding students to community resources. Collaborate aims to increase the number of utah healthcare professional students and future prescribers equipped to address the needs of individuals at risk for or living with SUD. Over a span of three years, an estimated 285 individuals annually, or a total of 855 individuals, will benefit from this enhanced SUD education. The majority (82%) of these individuals will comprise university of utah's MD, NP, or PA students, many of whom will transition into clinical practice following their training. While primarily targeted at these students, some collaborate training sessions will be open to other healthcare professionals, students, and participants of the university of utah project echo. All newly developed curricular materials will be made available online at no cost, extending the reach of collaborate far beyond the confines of the university of utah's MD, PA, and NP programs. This dissemination of resources will enhance SUD education for a broader audience of healthcare professionals, students, and community members, ultimately improving access to SUD screening, assessments, and services nationwide.