Treatment of Opioid Dependence
Welcome To MATOD
Dear Opioid Treatment Provider and Friends of Treatment,
On behalf of the MATOD’s Board of Directors, welcome to the MATOD website. We are the Maryland chapter of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD). We hope that you will bookmark this site and visit us regularly for updates on OTP related issues, membership information, trainings and educational opportunities and during session, legislative information and updates.
Our mission is the promotion of high-quality, effective medication assisted treatment for opioid addiction, so individuals, families, and communities can lead healthy lives in recovery and without stigma.
Our membership includes thousands of highly trained and dedicated staff, and includes, physicians, social workers, addiction counselors, nurses, psychologists, peer recovery specialists and administrative staff committed to providing evidence-based treatment to those with opioid use disorder in compassionate and welcoming environments. We strive to increase access to treatment, improve the quality of care, and coordination with other health care providers to treat the whole person. In addition, we advocate for decreasing the stigma associated with those who choose medications to treat their opioid use disorder.
MATOD is currently composed of approximately:
I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of the things MATOD has done this past year. Your membership is important in that it allows us to have a larger voice in our legislative advocacy, with local, state, and federal leaders. And, it contributes to our AATOD supplemental dues and allow us to have representation at the AATOD national meetings. Our membership growth over the past 8 years has given us increased visibility and increased our opportunities to participate in state-wide committees and workgroups that inform SUD policy in our state.
These are some of the things we have worked on this last year:
- Continued with the updated website, keeping it current with membership programs, locations and a searchable by zip code directory so consumers and referral sources can find treatment;
- Advocated for and worked closely with AATOD and our federal legislators to have Medicare pay for OTP services;
- Worked at the local and state level to help defeat “not in my backyard” zoning restrictions for OTP’s;
- Advocated with state legislators for commercial carriers to contract with OTP’s;
- Worked with BHA to develop OTP Best Practices Report: Best Practices & Recommendations for the Medical Management of Patients Served in Maryland’s OTPs;
- Written letters and emails to organizations actively engaged in stigmatizing those using medications to treat OUD advising against this discriminatory practice;
MATOD, and its members have been appointed to and serve on:
- MDH’s Behavioral Health Advisory Commission (BHAC)
- BHA’s Behavioral Health Integration Advisory Group
- BHA’s OTP Quality of Care workgroups
- MDH’s HGO-BHA OTP Workgroup
- MD Medicaid Advisory Council (MMAC)
- MDH’s System of Care (PBHS) workgroups
- MDH “Prenatal and Infant Care Coordination Task Force”
- Legal Action Center’s “Parity @ 10 Campaign”
- Lt. Governor’s Mental & Behavioral Health Commission
- Governor’s Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC).
- Optum/MD Medicaid Operations Improvement workgroup
We are holding live meetings when we can and virtual meetings during the COVID pandemic every other month on the second Wednesday of the month, meetings are open to members only. If you are not a member, I encourage you to join us. If you are a Type 32 provider, you are eligible to join. If you are not a Type 32 provider, you can also join as an associate member or “friend of MATOD.”
Thank you!
Teron, MATOD President
