Peer Recovery Specialists: Introductory Curriculum on Alcohol Use Disorder

Dr. Salsitz is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and is board-certified in addiction medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. He received his MD from the SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine in 1972, and trained in internal medicine and did a fellowship in pulmonary disease at Beth Israel Medical Center.

He has been practicing addiction medicine for the past 35 years, and was the PI on an office-based methadone maintenance treatment research protocol, which was a unique paradigm for delivering opioid agonist therapy. He is an active member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), and has chaired and been a faculty member on numerous ongoing courses sponsored by ASAM. Dr. Salsitz has taught the buprenorphine waiver training course since 2003, and is a lead mentor in the Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS).

Dr. Salsitz specializes in all aspects of addiction medicine. Of late there has been an emphasis on opioid use disorder, as the opioid epidemic continues to worsen. He is particularly interested in the impact of fentanyl on the entire substance use disorder field. His clinical focus is on the evaluation and treatment of substance use disorders. He has an active teaching portfolio which includes the third year medical students, the PGY-2 psychiatric residents at MSH and MSBI, the PhD students in neuroscience, the master degree in science students, and trainings for ED residents and attendings. He teaches the buprenorphine courses and the REMS course for proper opioid prescribing under the auspices of ASAM. He also teaches third year medical students about addiction during their psychiatry clerkship.

• Founder of Austin Area Opioid Workgroup
• Subject matter expert for the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence
• Recovery Support Peer Specialist and Supervisor at Communities for Recovery playing a pivotal role in developing and implementing programs to support individuals on their recovery journey.
• Peer Recovery Support Specialist trainer since 2018, playing a crucial role as writer for the Texas Recovery Support Peer Specialist 2024 curriculum
• Areas of expertise include strategies to reduce the risk of harm, peer supervision, and workforce development.

Patsy Dolan Bouressa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor with over 20 years of experience as a counselor, including over 9 years’s experience working specifically with individuals in the music industry and their partners and other gig workers. Throughout her career, she’s worked extensively with clients facing the unique challenges of career transitions, depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and trauma.

Itai Danovitch, MD, MBA is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Danovitch’s clinical practice and research focuses on substance use disorders, as well as the integration of medical and mental health services. His studies are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Danovitch is the author of over 90 articles and book chapters and co-editor of two books on substance use disorders. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, past president of the California Society of Addiction Medicine, and a recipient of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Robin Landwehr holds a doctoral degree in Behavioral Health from Arizona State University, a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in North Dakota and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. She is also a National Certified Counselor through the National Board for Certified Counselors.

Marlene Martin, MD, is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at UCSF, Founding Director of the nationally recognized Addiction Care Team (ACT) at San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG), Physician Chief of Care Experience at ZSFG, and Director of Addiction Initiatives for the UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence. She is committed to transforming systems of care to improve health outcomes for marginalized communities and ensuring that care is compassionate, accessible, and equitable.

Dr. Fuehrlein graduated from the M.D. Ph.D. program at the University of Florida in 2008, adult psychiatry residency program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2012 and addiction psychiatry fellowship at Yale University in 2013. He is currently an Associate Professor and the director of the psychiatric emergency room at the VA Connecticut. Dr. Fuehrlein has a strong interest in medical student and resident education, particularly surrounding addiction psychiatry and serves on multiple local and national committees in this role. In 2017 he was awarded the Irma Bland award for excellency in psychiatry resident education through the APA. In 2018 he was awarded the Clerkship Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Medical Student Educator and Role Model. He is also passionate about emergency psychiatry and substance use disorders and has presented and published his work surrounding opioid use disorder in the emergency room setting. In 2019 he was inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists, an organization that recognizes excellence in clinical practice, research, academic leadership, or teaching.