Innovating Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Overcoming Challenges and Solutions for Clinical Practice

February 27, 2026

This presentation will be an ONLINE VIRTUAL LIVE on February 27, 2026, from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET. While this activity is LIVE and can only be viewed during the time specified, the evaluation will be available online until March 27, 2026. Go to the Register tab above to learn how to participate for continuing education credit, watch the broadcast and download the slides.

Substance Use Disorder treatment is often hampered by systemic challenges, including rigid or outdated treatment models, limited integration of new evidence-based practices, and difficulty retaining patients in care. The core clinical problem is a significant gap between existing clinical evidence and application in real-world settings, frequently resulting in high relapse rates and inadequate patient outcomes. This lecture will directly address these obstacles by presenting innovative, practical solutions, such as effective engagement strategies, technology-assisted interventions, and streamlined care coordination models. By focusing on concrete, actionable tools, this presentation will empower clinicians to change their behavior by immediately integrating at new, accessible, evidence-based practices into their workflow, ultimately leading to improved patient engagement and better long-term recovery outcomes.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other mental health professionals. 

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees will be able to:

  • Identify current challenges, evidence-based best practices, and significant modern research breakthroughs within the field of substance use treatment
  • Discuss strategies social workers can develop based on relevant concepts, theories, and principles to manage change, creativity, and innovation within the field of substance use disorder treatment
  • Define how social workers implement effective strategies for treating substance use disorders, considering the complexities of rapidly changing and diverse treatment environments
  • Differentiate and apply at least two novel, technology-assisted interventions that can effectively improve patient engagement and retention in SUD treatment
  • Evaluate and develop strategies to address systemic barriers (e.g., stigma, access, and workforce shortages) that impede the successful implementation of innovative and integrated SUD care models in clinical settings

________________________________________________________________________________________

Price: Free. All courses offered through Sheppard Pratt are free of charge. There is no need to cancel if you cannot attend or complete a course, as no refund is necessary. Not completing an activity acts as a cancellation. 

For more information on how to participate in this course, please read to the bottom of the page to review all of the directions. 
For directions on how to participate in the program, refer to the FAQ page.

To participate in the interactive synchronous distance learning format course, you will download the handout, watch a webcast of the live broadcast hosted through Notified, and complete the required posttest, evaluation, and attestation for credit. A 75% is required for the posttest. You may retake it as many times as necessary to achieve that score. Once you have completed all the components of the Course Progress bar, the certificate will be available for immediate download. The certificate will also be saved in your account transcript.

Attendees claiming APA and ACE credits must attend the entire course. No partial credit will be awarded. If you are late to the event or need to leave early, you should not claim APA or ACE credits. 

Outline of Activity:

1:00- 1:05 pm: Introduction

1:06- 1:50 pm: Presentation

1:51- 2:00 pm: Q&A

2:00 pm: End of event

Registration closes on February 27, 2026, at 12:59 pm ET. The course expires and cannot be completed after March 27, 2026.

Please contact [email protected] if you have questions, concerns, grievances, or for ADA accommodations.

________________________________________________________________________________________

TO EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE

1. Before the Event

  • Log in to Your Ethos Account:
    Access your Sheppard Pratt Ethos account and locate the activity by series, title, or speaker name.
  • Register for the Course:
    Go to the Register tab, click the green Take Course button, and follow the prompts.
  • Access the Broadcast Link:
    The live broadcast link is located on the Overview tab of the course page. You do not need the codeword to watch the broadcast.

2. Register to Watch the Live Broadcast (Separate from Course Registration)

Important: This registration is different from registering for the course in Ethos. You must complete both registrations to watch the broadcast and earn credit.

How to Register:

How to Join:

  • At the scheduled time use the same link.
  • If you have already registered, scroll down and click Already Registered, then enter your registered email address and click Submit.
  • The broadcast link will be active at 12:30 PM.

3. Download the Handout

  • The handout will be available for download on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET.
    Download Handout:

4. During the Event

  • Attendance Verification:
    A codeword will be announced during the live broadcast. This codeword confirms your attendance and unlocks the remaining required components for credit.
  • How to Submit the Codeword:
    • Via Website: Go to https://cme.sheppardpratt.org/code and enter the codeword.
    • Via SMS: Text the codeword to 410-291-8061.
      Tip: Save this number in your contacts for convenience.
    • Via Course Progress Bar: You can type in the codeword in the box where it asks for it after you complete the Pretest.

Important:
The codeword submission window remains open for nearly four weeks. High traffic may cause delays immediately after the event. If the system is slow, wait and try again later.

5. After the Lecture

  • Go to My Account > Pending Courses and select the course by clicking the course title.
  • Click Take Course and use the navigation buttons in the lower right corner for best results.
  • Complete all components in the Course Progress Bar:
    • Posttest
    • Evaluation
    • Credit designation
  • Once completed, the certificate will be available for immediate download. Your transcript will reflect the earned credits.

Questions?

Visit our FAQ page or email [email protected].

This event can be taken as an interactive synchronous distance learning course.  You will download the handout, watch the live broadcast, and complete the required posttest, evaluation, and attestation for credit. A 75% is required for the posttest. You may retake it as many times as necessary to achieve that score. Once you have completed all the components of the Course Progress bar, the certificate will be available for immediate download. The certificate will also be saved in your account transcript.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ACEP NBCC clock hours
  • 1.00 ACE Social Work Board
    Sheppard Pratt, 2104, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: April 22, 2025 to April 21, 2026. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 continuing education credits.
  • 1.00 American Psychological Association
    Sheppard Pratt is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Sheppard Pratt maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • 1.00 Category I credits for Social Workers
  • 1.00 Psychologists
  • 1.00 Participation
Course opens: 
12/05/2025
Course expires: 
03/27/2026
Event starts: 
02/27/2026 - 1:00pm EST
Event ends: 
02/27/2026 - 2:00pm EST
Add to calendar: 
Rating: 
0

There is no commercial support for this activity.

About the speaker

Dr. Jennifer Blewett is a clinical social worker and psychotherapist with over two decades of experience in mental health and addiction treatment. She currently serves as a Clinician and Social Work Supervisor at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Blewett specializes in addictive behaviors and co-occurring disorders, utilizing a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach. A graduate of the University of Southern California (D.S.W.) and Boston College (M.S.W.), she also advocates for the mental health of athletes and serves on boards, including the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Primary Care Access, Delivery, and Payment Task Force.

Disclosure Statements

Sheppard Pratt holds the standard that its continuing medical education programs should be free of commercial bias and conflict of interest. In accord with Sheppard Pratt's Disclosure Policy, as well as standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the American Medical Association (AMA), all planners, reviewers, speakers and persons in control of content have been asked to disclose any relationship he /she has with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months. All planners, reviewers and speakers have also been asked to disclose any payments accepted for this lecture from any entity besides Sheppard Pratt, and if there will be discussion of any products, services or off-label uses of product(s) during this presentation.

Jennifer Blewett, DSW, LICSW, DCSW, CGP, reports that she has no relationships with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months. She will not discuss any products, services, or off-label uses in this presentation. All relationships have been mitigated through review.

Event Planners/Reviewers Disclosures: The following event planners and/or reviewers are reported as having no financial interest, arrangement or affiliation with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months: Todd Peters, MD, Michael C. Hann, MD, MBA, Ronald Means, MD, Rajeev Krishna, MD, PhD, MBA, Louis Marino, MD, Devi Bhuyan, PsyD, Manan Shah, MD, Vittoria DeLucia, MD, Chad J. Lennon, MD, Faith Dickerson, PhD, MPH, Carrie Etheridge, LCSW-C, April Sobiech, LCSW-C, Latia Suite, LCSW-C, Tom Flis, MS, BCBA, LBA, LCPC, Lisa Illum, MLIS, MEd, and Jennifer Tornabene.

Psychologist Statements: Sheppard Pratt is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Sheppard Pratt maintains the responsibility for this program and its contents. Sheppard Pratt designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hours for Psychologists.

Sheppard Pratt is authorized by the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as a sponsor of continuing education. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CE activity.  Sheppard Pratt designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hours for Psychologists.

Social Worker Statements: Sheppard Pratt, 2104, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 4/22/2025- 4/22/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 Clinical continuing education credits.

Sheppard Pratt is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners of Maryland to offer continuing education for Social Workers.  Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CE activity. This activity is approved for 1.0 contact hours in Category I credits for Social Workers.

Counselor Statement:  Sheppard Pratt has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5098.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Sheppard Pratt is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.  This activity is available for 1.0 NBCC clock hours.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ACEP NBCC clock hours
  • 1.00 ACE Social Work Board
    Sheppard Pratt, 2104, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: April 22, 2025 to April 21, 2026. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 continuing education credits.
  • 1.00 American Psychological Association
    Sheppard Pratt is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Sheppard Pratt maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • 1.00 Category I credits for Social Workers
  • 1.00 Psychologists
  • 1.00 Participation
Please login or register to take this course.

Directions to attend and complete the activity for credit are located on the Overview tab. 

Click the Take Course button to proceed into the course to complete the requirements for credit. 

Required Hardware/software

Optimal System Configuration

Flash Player: Adobe Flash Player 10.1+
Browser: Firefox 3+, Internet Explorer 8.0+, Safari 4.0+, or Google Chrome 7.0+
Operating System: Windows XP+ or Mac OS X 10.4+
Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements

Windows PC: 500-MHz Pentium II; Windows XP or higher; 128 MB RAM; Video Card at least 64MB of video memory; Sound Card at least 16-bit; Macromedia Flash Player 10 or higher, audio playback with speakers for programs with video content; Firefox 1.1+, Internet Explorer 7.0+, Safari 1.0+, Google Chrome, or Opera
Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.3 or higher with latest updates installed; 1.83MHz Intel Core Duo or faster; RAM: 128MB or more; Video Card: at least 64MB of video memory; Sound Card: at least 16-bit

Hardware/Software Specifications

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using Internet Explorer 8+, Mozilla Firefox 3+, Safari 4+. This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.