Training

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Location

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
780 Albany Street
Boston, MA

Description

This training is for the staff of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Please do not register if you are not affiliated with the organization. 

The training will provide basic education regarding polysubstance use for staff (mainly RNs, NP, PA) in the Respite Program at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. The training will review illicit substance use including route, symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, and basic harm reduction strategies. It will review medications used for the treatment of withdrawal or post-acute intoxication management and clinical presentation if used other than as prescribed.

Intended audience

Staff in the Respite Program at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.

Speakers

Justin Alves, RN, MSN, ACRN, CARN, CNE

Justin is a Clinical Nurse Educator for Boston Medical Center's OBAT TTA team, with specific expertise in infectious disease and their co-occurrence with substance use disorders, community outreach, and harm reduction. He serves as an expert on OBAT TTA's SUD Care Continuum ECHO team and sits on the item writing committee for the Addictions Nursing Certification Board. Justin has dedicated his career to caring for patients living with HIV/AIDS and suffering from substance use disorders across the continuum of care. He is an AIDS Certified Registered Nurse, a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse, and a member of the Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. Justin received his BSN from Northeastern University in 2013 and received his MSN, with a focus in nursing education, from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in 2020.

Vanessa Loukas, MSN, FNP-C, CARN-AP

Vanessa is a Clinical Nurse Educator for Boston Medical Center's OBAT Technical Assistance Team with clinical interest and expertise in management of substance use disorders in primary care, chronic mental illness, and infectious diseases. She is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner receiving her Masters of Science in Nursing at Simmons College, and board certified in Advance Practice Addictions nursing through the Addictions Nursing Certification Board (CARN-AP). Prior to joining the OBAT TTA team, she was the Administrative Director of the Addiction Services Department at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, formerly the South End Community Health Center, developing their multidisciplinary nursing led addiction program and where she practiced as a nurse practitioner managing a high risk patient panel. Vanessa also worked as a registered nurse in acute treatment services and medical stabilization programs.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Understand polysubstance use as a common practice in individuals with substance use disorder.
• Identify risks associated with polysubstance use of illicit substances, non-prescribed medications or prescribed medications used other than as directed.
• Review illicit substance use including route, symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, and basic harm reduction strategies.
• Review medications used for the treatment of withdrawal or post-acute intoxication management and clinical presentation if used other than as prescribed.
• Understand vision for future development and changes within the Respite Program at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless as articulated by leadership team members present during the information session.

Sponsored by

Boston Medical Center Grayken Center for Addiction, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (DPH/BSAS).

Accreditation information

Boston Medical Center grants 1.00 hours to all RNs who attend and complete the evaluation. Boston Medical Center is approved as a provider of continuing professional development by the American Nurses Association, Massachusetts, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

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