In September 2021, AMERSA launched a 10-episode podcast series, AMERSA People & Passion, that explores the world of substance use education, research, care and policy. The podcast is sponsored by the ATTC Network and hosted by AMERSA then-Executive Director Doreen Baeder (who retired in December 2021). Seven of the episodes feature subject matter experts across a variety of topics. The remaining three episodes are focused around “legacy interviews” with Richard Saitz, MD, MPH; Marianne Marcus, EdD, RN; and Sidney H. Schnoll, MD, PhD — who all shared their experiences as AMERSA members and discussed the history of the organization.
The ATTC Network Office spoke with Rebecca Northup, AMERSA Executive Director, about the vision behind the People & Passion Podcast.
How did the idea for the AMERSA People & Passion Podcast series come to fruition?
The idea started out as a sort of "lessons learned" during the COVID pandemic through the perspective of the different disciplines represented in the AMERSA membership. By the time we began the planning process in earnest, it was early spring of 2021 and so much was happening politically and socially in the US that we decided to broaden the scope and to invite proposals for podcast topics from our membership.
What was the overall goal of the podcast series?
There were multiple goals of this series: to preserve the knowledge of the history of AMERSA; to showcase the work of our multidisciplinary membership; and to provide listeners with the latest evidence on topics of interest in the world of substance use education, research, care, and policy.
Why is this project so important?
This series is important because it touches on a variety of critical issues and important topics in the field of addictions from an interdisciplinary perspective.
What did it mean to have the “legacy interviews”?
The "legacy interviews'' were very important for us. They were an opportunity to record the history of the organization through the eyes of some of our founding members. In these interviews, we hear how the organization had its origins in the Career Teacher Program in the 1970s and how it evolved to include nurses and other disciplines — while also hearing anecdotes highlighting how substance use treatment, research and policy have evolved over the past four decades. What shines through in these interviews is the role of mentorship in AMERSA — today's leaders stand on the shoulders of those before them and we see this generation paying it forward. The legacy podcasts are a way of preserving this foundation and ensuring the organization stays true to its roots as it grows and evolves.
Below is a compilation of all the podcast episodes, including their respective speakers and episode blogs.
Episode 1
Screening and Brief Intervention, AMERSA, and What You Should Do
Speakers:
● Richard Saitz, MD, MPH
● Nicolas Bertholet, MD, MSc
Episode 1 blog: https://attcniatx.blogspot.com/2021/09/amersa-people-passion-attc-network-sbirt.html
Listen to episode 1: https://attcnetwork.podbean.com/e/screening-and-brief-intervention-amersa-and-what-you-should-do/
Episode 2
Stigma – The Not So Silent Killer
Speakers:
● Cheyenne Johnson, MPH, RN, CCRP
● Deborah S. Finnel, DNS, CARN-AP, FAAN
● Richard Bottner, DHA, PA-C
Episode 2 blog: https://attcniatx.blogspot.com/2021/09/amersa-people-passion-attc-network-stigma-podcast.html
Listen to episode 2: https://attcnetwork.podbean.com/e/stigma-%e2%80%93-the-not-so-silent-killer/
Episode 3
Barriers to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Why Aren't Pharmacists Stocking Buprenorphine?
Speakers:
● Jeffrey P. Bratberg, PharmD
● Lucas G. Hill, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
● Lindsey J. Loera, PharmD
View episode 3 blog: https://attcniatx.blogspot.com/2021/09/amersa-people-passion-attc-network-podcast-barriers-treatment-opioid-use-disorder-buprenorphine.html
Listen to episode 3:
Episode 4
A Path for Substance Use Disorder Content in the Education Setting
Speaker:
● Marianne Marcus, EdD, RN
Episode 4 blog:
Listen to episode 4:
Episode 5
Are Peer Counselors the Missing Link in Addiction Care?
Speakers:
● Paul Bowman
● Colleen LaBelle, MSN, RN-BC, CARN
● Nicole O’Donnell
Episode 5 blog: https://attcniatx.blogspot.com/2021/09/amersa-people-passion-attc-network-podcast-peer-counselors-addiction-care.html
Listen to episode 5:
https://attcnetwork.podbean.com/e/are-peer-counselors-the-missing-link-in-addiction-care/
Episode 6
Leveraging Media and Medicine to Reduce Stigma and Improve Access to Addiction Treatment
Speakers:
● Stefan G. Kertesz, MD, MSc
● Lipi Roy, MD, MPH
Listen to episode 6:
Episode 7
Palliative Care: Bridging the Gap for Addiction Treatment in People with Serious Illness
Speakers:
● Julie W. Childers, MD
● Katie Fitzgerald Jones, BSN, MSN, APN
● Janet Ho, MD, MPH
Episode 7 blog: https://attcniatx.blogspot.com/2021/09/amersa-people-passion-attc-network-podcast-palliative-care-addiction-treatment-serious-illness.html
Listen to episode 7:
https://attcnetwork.podbean.com/e/leveraging-media-and-medicine-to-reduce-stigma-and-improve-access-to-addiction-treatment/
Episode 8
Key Conversations: Dismantling Racism Against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Across the Substance Use Continuum
Speakers:
● Holly Hagle, Ph.D.
● Marlene Martin, MD
● Miriam Komaromy, MD, DFASAM, FACP
Episode 8 blog:
https://attcniatx.blogspot.com/2021/09/amersa-people-passion-attc-network-podcast-dismantling-racism-black-indigenous-bipoc-substance-use.html
Listen to episode 8:
https://attcnetwork.podbean.com/e/key-conversations-dismantling-racism-against-black-indigenous-and-people-of-color-across-the-substance-use-continuum/
Episode 9
History of AMERSA with Sid Schnoll
Speakers:
● Sidney H. Schnoll, MD, PhD
● Paula J. Lum, MD, MPH
Episode 9 blog: https://attcniatx.blogspot.com/2021/09/amersa-people-passion-attc-network-podcast-history-sid-schnoll.html
Listen to episode 9:
https://attcnetwork.podbean.com/e/history-of-amersa-with-sid-schnoll/
Episode 10
Initiating Medications for Opioid Use Disorder—There’s an App for That?!?
Speakers:
● Elizabeth M. Oliva, PhD
● Andrea Caputo, DNP, FNP-BC, CARN-AP
● Annie Potter, MSN, MPH, NP, CARN-AP
Episode 10 blog: https://attcniatx.blogspot.com/2021/09/amersa-people-passion-attc-network-podcast-initiating-medication-opioid-use-disorder-mobile-app.html
Listen to episode 10:
https://attcnetwork.podbean.com/e/initiating-medications-for-opioid-use-disorder%e2%80%94there-s-an-app-for-that/