In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Drs. Stephen Taylor and Brian Hurley explore contingency management as an evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders. They address common concerns and share practical strategies for implementing contingency management in real-world clinical settings, offering listeners actionable insights and best practices for integrating contingency management into comprehensive care.

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Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM

Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states.

Brian Hurley, MD, MBA, DFASAM  

Dr. Brian Hurley is an addiction physician and the Medical Director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. He currently serves as Immediate Past President of the ASAM Board of Directors. He has served on a variety of committees and councils at ASAM, including originating ASAM's Motivational Interviewing course and co-authoring the ASAM and AAAP National Practice Guideline on the Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder. Dr. Hurley has led and facilitated projects funded through competitive grants from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the California Department of Health Care Services’ Opioid Response Programming in partnership with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. These projects support harm reduction services and increase the availability of addiction medications in public sector programs across Los Angeles County.

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In the Season 2 premiere of ASAM Practice Pearls, Drs. Stephen Taylor and Jeanmarie Perrone follow up on Season 1’s episode, Emerging Illicit Substances: What Clinicians Need to Know. Together, they discuss how medetomidine has continued to spread to different regions and what has changed over the past year. They explore strategies for managing medetomidine withdrawal, keeping patients safe, and preparing for this growing public health threat. 

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Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM

Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states.

Jeanmarie Perrone, MD, FASAM, FACMT  

Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the founding Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Perrone leads programs for the treatment of Opioid and Alcohol Use Disorders from the emergency department and via a virtual telehealth bridge clinic (CareConnect). Her work has been funded by city health departments and by NIDA, PCORI, CDC, and SAMHSA. She has advocated at the state and national level and contributed to working groups to enhance low-barrier treatment access for substance use disorders and improving toxicosurveillance. She has been recognized with awards for leadership, education, and mentorship. 

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In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Season 1 finale of ASAM Practice Pearls explores recent trends in overdoses. Drs. Stephen Taylor and Alexander Walley discuss the increase of fentanyl and other contaminants in the drug supply, the impact of racial and geographic disparities, and the importance of community-specific responses. They highlight the value of compassionate overdose care, data-driven interventions, and strategies to help individuals post-overdose. Together, they discuss the need to lower barriers to treatment and foster future leaders in addiction medicine.

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Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM

Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. 

Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc, DFASAM 

Dr. Alexander Y. Walley is Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, primary care physician and addiction specialist at Boston Medical Center focused on the medical complications of substance use, specifically HIV and overdose. He leads research studies on overdose prevention and the integration of addiction specialty care and general medical care. He is a founder of Boston Medical Center’s inpatient addiction consult service and walk-in substance use care bridge clinic. Dr. Walley was a founding director of the Grayken Addiction Medicine Fellowship and is the president of the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine. He serves as the medical director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, the Overdose Prevention Program, and the SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Hotline. 

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In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Dr. Stephen Taylor and Dr. Cara Poland explore the unique challenges of perinatal substance use care. They discuss the impact of stigma, the importance of compassionate care, and the use of medications for addiction treatment in pregnancy. Additionally, they address polysubstance use, physiological changes during pregnancy, and the critical postpartum period, sharing insights from their clinical experience and emphasizing a patient-centered, non-judgmental approach to improve treatment outcomes for mothers.

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Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM

Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. 

Cara Poland, MD, MEd, FACP, DFASAM 

Dr. Cara Poland is ASAM’s Vice President, is board-certified in Addiction Medicine, and is a faculty member at Michigan State University. In 2018, Dr. Poland identified the need to strengthen our country’s Addiction Medicine workforce. Dr. Poland leads MI CARES, which trains physician-level addiction specialists in Michigan and across the country. The program also teaches physicians-in-training, resident physicians, social work students, social work practitioners, APRNs, and PAs. Her didactic program involves purposeful education to train healthcare providers to treat persons with SUDs in a kind, compassionate, destigmatized way. Dr. Poland has a special interest in treating pregnant people and their families living with a substance use disorder. 

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In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Dr. Peter Selby and Dr. Hendree Jones discuss the importance of implementing gender-responsive and trauma-informed care in addiction treatment. They offer insights on recognizing trauma in patients, creating safer treatment environments, addressing gender-specific treatment gaps, and emphasizing the importance of language and empathy in clinical practice. Together, they highlight the positive impact that a compassionate and inclusive approach can have on patient care and treatment outcomes.

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Peter Selby, MBBS, CCFP(AM), FCFP, FASAM 

Dr. Peter Selby is a Senior Scientist and Senior Medical Consultant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Vice-Chair, Research, and Giblon Professor in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on innovative methods to understand and treat addictive behaviors and their comorbidities. He utilizes technology to scale and test health interventions, with his cohort of over 400,000 treated smokers in Ontario serving as an example. Dr. Selby has received over $100 million in grant funding from CIHR, NIH, and the Ministry of Health and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles. His most recent research program utilizes a Learning Health Systems approach to investigate how technology-equitable, collaborative care can enhance the delivery of evidence-based interventions to the patient while providing a more satisfying care experience for patients and providers across systems.

Hendree Jones, PhD

Dr. Hendree Jones is a licensed psychologist and an internationally recognized expert in the development and examination of both behavioral and pharmacologic treatments for pregnant women and their children in risky life situations. She was the Division Director of UNC Horizons for a decade and, in May of 2023, stepped into a Senior Advisor role for Horizons to take on several national policy and international policy projects. Expertscape ranks Dr. Jones as a top world expert in neonatal abstinence syndrome and opioid-related disorders. She has received continuous National Institutes of Health funding since 1994 and has written more than 350 publications. Dr. Jones has also authored two books, one on treating patients for substance use disorders and the other on comprehensive care for women who are pregnant and have substance use disorders. She has also written multiple textbook chapters on the topic of pregnancy and addiction, as well as 17 courses for adult learners on topics of substance use disorder treatment (WISE, CHILD, PEERS, ALLIES, etc.). Dr. Jones has co-authored multiple national and international guidelines on the topic of caring for pregnant and post-pregnant patients with substance use disorders and their children, including those published by the WHO, SAMHSA, and ASAM. She also co-authored both the women’s and children’s section of the UN International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders and the UN guidelines on prevention and treatment for girls and women. In 2020, Dr. Jones won the ASAM R. Brinkley Smithers and Distinguished Scientist Award. In 2024, she won the MED Brady-Schuster Division 28 American Psychological Association award for lifetime achievement for contribution to addiction science. She consults for the UN and the WHO and is a member of the NIH’s HEAL multidisciplinary working group and the Advisory Committee on Research on Women's Health. Dr. Jones has been involved in over 43 projects around the world focused on improving the lives of children, women, and families.

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In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Dr. Peter Selby and Dr. John Corrigan explore the intersection of brain injury and addiction treatment. They introduce the concept of neurologic-informed care and discuss how cognitive impairments from brain injuries impact addiction recovery. The episode explores practical strategies for screening, treatment, and creating supportive environments to enhance outcomes for individuals with co-occurring brain injury and substance use disorder.

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Peter Selby, MBBS, CCFP(AM), FCFP, FASAM 

Dr. Peter Selby is a Senior Scientist and Senior Medical Consultant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Vice-Chair, Research, and Giblon Professor in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on innovative methods to understand and treat addictive behaviors and their comorbidities. He utilizes technology to scale and test health interventions, with his cohort of over 400,000 treated smokers in Ontario serving as an example. Dr. Selby has received over $100 million in grant funding from CIHR, NIH, and the Ministry of Health and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles. His most recent research program utilizes a Learning Health Systems approach to investigate how technology-equitable, collaborative care can enhance the delivery of evidence-based interventions to the patient while providing a more satisfying care experience for patients and providers across systems.

John Corrigan, PhD, ABPP

Dr. John Corrigan is a professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Ohio State University and Director of the Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. His research interests include a focus on education and treatment for individuals with co-occurring brain injury and substance use, a critical area in both clinical practice and public health. Dr. Corrigan is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. He has been the PI and co-PI of the Ohio Regional Traumatic Brain Injury Model System since 1997 and chaired the Executive Committee of the TBI Model Systems Project Directors from 2007-2017. Dr. Corrigan is the National Research Director for the Brain Injury Association of America. Since 2013 he has served as the Director of the Ohio Brain Injury Program, which is the designated lead agency in the state of Ohio for policy and planning related to living with brain injury. He has more than 200 peer reviewed publications and has received many awards for his service and research in brain injury rehabilitation, including the Brain Injury Association of America’s William Fields Caveness Award, the 2007 Robert L. Moody Prize, the Gold Key Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Brain Injury Association.

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In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Dr. Peter Selby and Dr. Emily Brunner explore behavioral addictions—including gaming, gambling, sex, and social media. They discuss how these behaviors impact the brain, how they present clinically, and how to recognize and treat them using evidence-based approaches. The episode emphasizes the importance of validating these conditions and offering appropriate care. 

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Peter Selby, MBBS, CCFP(AM), FCFP, FASAM 

Dr. Peter Selby is a Senior Scientist and Senior Medical Consultant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Vice-Chair, Research, and Giblon Professor in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on innovative methods to understand and treat addictive behaviors and their comorbidities. He utilizes technology to scale and test health interventions, with his cohort of over 400,000 treated smokers in Ontario serving as an example. Dr. Selby has received over $100 million in grant funding from CIHR, NIH, and the Ministry of Health and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles. His most recent research program utilizes a Learning Health Systems approach to investigate how technology-equitable, collaborative care can enhance the delivery of evidence-based interventions to the patient while providing a more satisfying care experience for patients and providers across systems.

Emily Brunner, MD, DFASAM 

Dr. Emily Brunner is board-certified in family medicine and a distinguished fellow in addiction medicine. She has experience treating addiction in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She specializes in trauma-informed clinical treatment of substance use disorders with a comprehensive and compassionate approach. Dr. Brunner has been involved in leadership of the Minnesota Society of Addiction Medicine and is now on the national board of the American Society of Addiction. She is a passionate advocate for improving the care of patients with substance use disorder across the healthcare system, specifically in advocating for increased utilization of medications for opioid use disorder across all levels of care. Minnesota Magazine recognized her as a Top Doctor for Addiction Medicine in 2020 and 2021. She is the medical director of Gateway Recovery and Recovering Hope and does training on behalf of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. 

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In recognition of Sickle Cell Awareness Day (June 19), this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls features host Dr. Peter Selby and expert Dr. Andrew Smith as they explore the complex intersection of sickle cell disease (SCD), pain, and addiction. They discuss the challenges individuals with SCD face in accessing effective pain management, often compounded by stigma and opioid-related concerns. The episode provides insights into evidence-based treatments, the balance between pain relief and opioid dependence risks, and strategies for compassionate, patient-centered care.

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Peter Selby, MBBS, CCFP(AM), FCFP, FASAM 

Dr. Peter Selby is a Senior Scientist and Senior Medical Consultant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Vice-Chair, Research, and Giblon Professor in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on innovative methods to understand and treat addictive behaviors and their comorbidities. He utilizes technology to scale and test health interventions, with his cohort of over 400,000 treated smokers in Ontario serving as an example. Dr. Selby has received over $100 million in grant funding from CIHR, NIH, and the Ministry of Health and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles. His most recent research program utilizes a Learning Health Systems approach to investigate how technology-equitable, collaborative care can enhance the delivery of evidence-based interventions to the patient while providing a more satisfying care experience for patients and providers across systems.

Andrew J. Smith, MDCM 

Dr. Andrew J. Smith is a Staff Physician, Pain and Addiction Medicine and Medical Lead of the Interprofessional Pain and Addiction Recovery Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. He comes from McGill Medicine, University of Washington Neurology, and UCLA Medical Genetics, initially focusing on neurodevelopmental medicine. Frustrated by how many of his young patients with learning disabilities would fall into substance use problems despite early successes, he retooled in the field of addiction medicine. He became the first in Canada to do a combined clinical fellowship in pain and addictions at CAMH and Mount Sinai Hospital. He now leads an Interprofessional team dedicated to helping people with substance use disorders, severe mental health conditions, and chronic pain improve their pain, function, and quality of life. Dr. Smith is passionate about improving access to better care for patients with chronic pain and addiction, educating patients, families, and clinicians about pain and addiction, and reducing stigma. He is an executive and hub member of ECHO Ontario Chronic Pain — a telementoring resource for primary care clinicians to enhance their skills and confidence in managing more of their own patients who have complex pain and opioid issues.

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In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Dr. Stephen Taylor welcomes Dr. Marc Fishman for an insightful conversation on improving engagement and retention of youth in medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). They examine the unique challenges young people face and present developmentally informed strategies—including prevention, family involvement, and assertive outreach. The discussion highlights the importance of a medication-first approach and building partnerships with schools and communities to foster long-term recovery.

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Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM

Dr. Stephen M. Taylor is ASAM's President and is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. With over 30 years of practice experience, Dr. Taylor is dedicated to helping adolescents and adults overcome addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has served as the Medical Director of the NBA and NBPA Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for 16 years and is the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare, which operates multiple outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices across six states. 

Marc Fishman, MD

Dr. Marc Fishman is a specialist in addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine. He is a member of the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He leads Maryland Treatment Centers, which offers programs for residential and outpatient treatment of SUD and co-occurring disorders in adolescents, young adults, and adults. He has been a principal investigator on numerous research studies in addiction and has published extensively in the field. His academic focus has been on medication treatment for OUD and other SUDs, treatment of opioid use disorder in youth, models of care, and treatment engagement strategies. Dr. Fishman served as a co-editor for past editions of ASAM’s Patient Placement Criteria, leading the adolescent section, and served as the chief editor for the ASAM PPC Supplement on Pharmacotherapies for Alcohol Use Disorders. He was a member of the Guideline Committee that developed the ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of OUD in 2015 and its update in 2020. He is the chair of the Adolescent SIG for ASAM. He is a Past President of the Maryland Society of Addiction Medicine and a current member of its Board.

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This episode is part of a special four-part series spotlighting key sessions from ASAM’s 56th Annual Conference.

In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, In this episode of ASAM Practice Pearls, Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar is joined by Drs. Sarah Wakeman and Joshua Lee to review the most influential addiction medicine publications of 2024–2025. They discuss the criteria used to identify high-impact papers, highlight key findings, and explore how these insights can inform clinical practice and future research.

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Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, MD, MPH, FAAFP, FACPM, DFASAM

Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar is a family medicine, preventive medicine/public health, and addiction medicine physician. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin. She is a core faculty member for the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, and her clinical roles include addiction medicine consult service and serving as medical director of a low-barrier walk-in clinic serving people who use substances. She is also the Program Director of the Preventive Medicine Residency at UW-Madison and Medical Director of Harm Reduction Services at the Wisconsin Division of Public Health. Dr. Salisbury-Afshar's work focuses on expanding access to evidence-based addiction treatment and harm reduction services. She has over 14 years of experience practicing in medically underserved settings. Dr. Salisbury-Afshar lectures nationally on addiction medicine topics, including the treatment of opioid use disorder, harm reduction, the intersection of addiction and the criminal legal system, and public health approaches to reduce overdose mortality. Dr. Salisbury-Afshar is actively involved in ASAM, where she currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Medical Education Council, Course Director of the ASAM-All Rise treatment courts courses, a member of the ASAM Conference Planning Committee, and the Chair of Harm Reduction Special Interest Group.

Sarah E. Wakeman, MD, FASAM

Dr. Sarah Wakeman is the Medical Director for the Mass General Hospital Program for Substance Use & Addiction Services, Program Director of the Mass General Addiction Medicine fellowship, Senior Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She received her AB from Brown University and her MD from Brown Medical School. She completed residency training in internal medicine and served as Chief Medical Resident at Mass General Hospital. She is a diplomate and fellow of the American Board of Addiction Medicine and board-certified in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. She served on Massachusetts' Governor Baker’s Opioid Addiction Working Group. Nationally, she serves on the American Society of Addiction Medicine Ethics Committee. Clinically, she provides specialty addiction and general medical care in the inpatient and outpatient setting at Mass General Hospital and the Mass General Charlestown Health Center. Her research interests include evaluating models for integrated substance use disorder treatment in general medical settings, low threshold treatment models, recovery coaching, physician attitudes and practice related to substance use disorder, and screening for substance use in primary care.

Joshua D. Lee, MD, MSc

Dr. Joshua Lee is a Professor in the Department of Population Health and Medicine/General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He is Co-Director of the Section on Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Use and Program Director of the NYU Fellowship in Addiction Medicine. He is a clinician-researcher focused on addiction pharmacotherapies in primary care and criminal justice populations. 

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