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

This presentation was last reviewed on February 26, 2026, and live streamed online on February 27, 2026, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET.

Substance Use Disorder treatment is often hampered by systemic challenges, including rigid or outdated treatment models, limited integration of new evidence-based practices, and difficulty retaining patients in care.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 clinicians 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 clinicians 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

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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.

This is a recorded asynchronous distance learning format course where you will download the handout, watch a video recording, 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 immediately downloadable. The certificate will also be saved in your account transcript.

Outline of Activity:

Introduction- 5 minutes

Presentation- 45 minutes 

Q&A- 10 minutes 

There is no registration required for this course. The course expires and cannot be completed after April 24, 2028.

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

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Last reviewed on February 26, 2026.
Originally broadcast live February 27, 2026, from 1:00 PM- 2:00 PM ET.
Enduring Activity Credit Expiration Date: April 24, 2028.

Activity Time: One hour recorded webinar lecture with a 15-minute evaluation process. Total Time: 1:15.

TO EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE
On the OVERVIEW or REGISTER/TAKE COURSE tab, select the GREEN RECTANGLE, TAKE COURSE to begin.
Select NEXT in the bottom right corner of the screen. Use the NEXT button for best results.
The PowerPoint handout will be available for download.
After downloading the handout, select NEXT to begin and watch the video. 
You may need to select play for the video to begin.
After the video follow the prompts to complete the posttest, evaluation, and attestation of credit. 
Once you have completed all the components of the Course Progress bar, the certificate will be immediately downloadable.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
There is no commercial support for this activity.

Questions? Look at our FAQ’s at https://cme.sheppardpratt.org/content/faq or Email [email protected]

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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 II credits for Social Workers
  • 1.00 Psychologists
  • 1.00 Participation
Course opens: 
04/27/2026
Course expires: 
04/24/2028
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 II 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 II credits for Social Workers
  • 1.00 Psychologists
  • 1.00 Participation
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Hardware/Software Specifications

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