NIDA Cosponsors Mentoring Service for Clinicians Advising Substance-Abusing Patients

With a free phone call or email, primary care clinicians can tap a mentor for help with a sensitive subject: how to address alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse among patients. The mentor—an expert in primary care and addiction medicine—advises on screening, brief interventions, and treatment in primary care settings. This service, Physician Clinical Support System for Primary Care (PCSS-P), also offers resources to registered participants for incorporating screening and followup into regular patient care. PCSS-P is a project of NIDA and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

The free "warm line" service provides a response within 24 hours rather than the immediate response that is characteristic of hotlines. The service extends the Institute's NIDAMED initiative, which stresses the importance of the patient-doctor relationship in identifying unhealthy behaviors before they evolve into life-threatening conditions. To take advantage of the service, physicians can call PCSS-P at 877-630-8812 or register online at www.PCSSmentor.org. NIDAMED resources include a screening tool, quick reference guide, and comprehensive resource guide for clinicians. NIDAMED resources can be found on our NIDAMED pages.