Glossary of Terms
A
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive (or difficult to control) drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences, as well as long-lasting changes in the brain. Current appropriate terms are people who use drugs and drug users.
Addiction Treatment Resource Center (ATRC) is a website for providers in Delaware who provide treatment or support for those with substance use disorders, with a specific focus on opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder.
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is an illness characterized by preoccupation with alcohol and loss of control over its consumption, such as to lead to intoxication if drinking is begun, by chronicity, by progression, and by a tendency towards relapse.
Any Mental Illness (AMI) is a categorization for adults 18 and older who currently have, or at any time in the past year had, a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder, regardless of the level of impairment in carrying out major life activities. This category includes people whose mental illness causes serious, moderate or mild functional impairment.
B
Behavioral Health (BH) is support whole-person wellness via the promotion and delivery of evidence-based mental health and substance use disorder services and treatments.
Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist medication prescribed for the treatment of opioid addiction that relieves drug cravings without producing the high or dangerous side effects of other opioids.
C
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are entities specifically designed to provide a range of substance use and mental health services, especially for individuals who have the most complex needs.
Clinicians are professionals who are authorized to provide health care services (licensed or otherwise) in a variety of settings.
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42, Part 2 (42 CFR Part 2) – a complicated set of regulations that strengthen the privacy protections afforded to persons receiving alcohol and substance use treatment (in addition to the more general privacy protections afforded in HIPAA). The regulations restrict the disclosure and use of alcohol and drug patient records which are maintained in connection with any individual or entity that is federally assisted and holds itself out as providing, and provides, alcohol or drug abuse diagnosis, treatment or referral for treatment (42 CFR § 2.11).
Contingency Management (CM) is a treatment approach based on providing incentives to support positive behavior change.
Comorbidity is defined broadly as the co-occurrence of mental and physical disorders in the same person, regardless of the chronological order in which they occurred or the causal pathway linking them.
Crisis Intervention Services (CIS) is the prevention of unnecessary or inappropriate hospitalizations of a person experiencing severe symptoms of a mental illness or substance-related problem.
Co-occurring Disorders or Dual Diagnosis is when a person has been diagnosed with having both a substance use disorder as well as a mental health disorder.
D
DE Treatment and Referral Network (DTRN) is a statewide, comprehensive referral network for behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment.
[Delaware] Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) is located in the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). DSAMH serves the adult (age 18 and older) population in need of publicly funded behavioral health services. DSAMH is organized into three operating units. These are the Delaware Psychiatric Center (DPC) and a variety of community-based Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Programs.
Delaware Psychiatric Center (DPC) acts as a member of the Delaware community of caregivers providing integrated services to adults suffering from severe and persistent mental illness.
Dopamine is a brain chemical, classified as a neurotransmitter, found in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation and reinforcement of rewarding behavior. Dopamine release in reward areas of the brain is caused by all drugs to which people can become addicted.
E
Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are digital versions of the paper charts in clinician offices, clinics and hospitals.
Ethnicity is a term used to categorize a group of people with whom you share learned characteristics and identify according to common racial, national tribal, religious, linguistic or cultural origin or background (e.g., Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Black, Non-Hispanic White).
F
Family Education Rights Protection Act (FERPA) – protects the privacy of student education records in public or private elementary, secondary, or post-secondary schools and any state or local education agency that receives funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education.
G
Gender Identity and/or Expression is the internal perception of one’s gender; how one identifies or expresses oneself.
- Cisgender – a term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with those typically associated with the sex assigned to them at birth
- Transgender – refers to an individual whose current gender identity and/or expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth (may have transitioned or be transitioning in how they are living)
- Gender Expansive – refers to an individual who expresses identity along the gender spectrum (e.g., genderqueer, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, agender, two-spirit)
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) is a public law that was passed by Congress in 1993 to improve stewardship in the Federal government and to link resources and management decisions with program performance.
H
Harm Reduction refers to policies, programs and practices that aim primarily to reduce the adverse health, social and economic consequences of the use of legal and illegal psychoactive drugs without necessarily reducing drug consumption. Harm reduction incorporates a spectrum of practical strategies and ideas from safer use, to managed use, to abstinence, all to meet individuals who use drugs where they are, addressing conditions of use as well as the use itself.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information (PHI) from being disclosed without the patient’s consent and includes a Privacy Rule addressing the disclosure of and access to PHI; the Security Rule protects disclosure of and access to electronic PHI (e-PHI) a subset of information covered by the Privacy Rule.
I
Injection or Intravenous Drug Use (IDU) is a form of drug use in which the substance is injected directly into a vein with a hypodermic needle and syringe to speed up and maximize the effect. This typically involves self-administration of a psychoactive drug, often an opioid and especially heroin. Blood-borne viruses, like HIV and hepatitis, can be transmitted via shared needles or other drug-injection equipment.
J
K
L
M
Major Depressive Episode (MDE) is a period of at least two weeks when a child or adult has experienced a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities and had a majority of specified depression symptoms.
Medication-Assisted Treatment or Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Medications used in MAT are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and MAT programs are clinically driven and tailored to meet each patient’s needs.
Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) is an approach to opioid use treatment that combines the use of FDA-approved drugs with counseling and behavioral therapies for people diagnosed with opioid use disorder.
Methadone is a long-acting opioid agonist medication used for the treatment of opioid addiction and pain. Methadone used for opioid addiction can only be dispensed by opioid treatment programs certified by SAMHSA and approved by the designated state authority.
N
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist medication approved by the FDA to reverse an opioid overdose. It displaces opioid drugs (such as morphine or heroin) from their receptor and prevents further opioid receptor activation.
Naltrexone is a long-acting opioid antagonist medication that prevents receptors from being activated by other opioids. Naltrexone is used to treat alcohol and opioid use disorders.
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a condition of withdrawal that occurs when certain drugs pass from the mother through the placenta into the fetus’ bloodstream during pregnancy, causing the baby to become drug dependent and experience withdrawal after birth. The type and severity of a baby’s withdrawal symptoms depend on the drug(s) used, how long and how often the mother used, how her body broke down the drug, and if the baby was born full-term or prematurely.
O
Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) Fellowship is a specialized training for clinical providers and practice managers who serve Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder.
Opioid Response Providers Network (ORPN) is a system of providers that responds to local needs by providing free educational resources and training to states, communities and individuals in the prevention, treatment and recovery of opioid use disorders and stimulant use.
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is defined in the DSM-5 as the chronic use of opioids that causes clinically significant distress or impairment. Opioid use disorder consists of an overpowering desire to use opioids, increased opioid tolerance, and withdrawal syndrome when discontinued.
Overdose is when a person uses enough of a drug to produce a life-threatening reaction or death.
P
Post-Overdose Response Teams (PORT) is an overdose follow-up program that allows agencies to visit a person who has recently overdosed (e.g., within 24-72 hours).
Q
R
Race is usually associated with inherited physical, social and biological characteristics. In this context, that means race is associated with biology. Institutionalized in a way that has profound consequences (White, African American or Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native (AIAN), Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander)
Recovery is a term used to describe the voluntary process of improving health and quality of life by pursuing treatment for substance use disorder and/or controlling problematic substance use. Individuals may have differing definitions for what recovery from substance use disorder means for them.
Relapse is the return to drug use after an attempt to stop. Relapse is a common occurrence in many chronic health disorders, including addiction, that requires frequent behavioral and/or pharmacologic adjustments to be treated effectively.
S
Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) is a categorization for children 17 and under that describes a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in functional impairment that substantially limits functioning in family, school or community activities.
Serious Mental Illness (SMI) is a categorization for adults 18 and older who have a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in functional impairment that interferes with or limits major life activities.
Sexual Orientation (SO) is a person’s identity in relation to the gender or genders to which they are sexually attracted (straight, gay, lesbian, asexual, bisexual, pansexual)
Sexual Minority refers to a group whose sexual identity orientation or practices differ from the majority and are marginalized by the surrounding society.
Stigma is a set of negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate people to fear and discriminate against other people. Many people do not understand that addiction is a disorder, just like other chronic disorders. For these reasons, they frequently attach more stigma to it. Stigma, whether perceived or real, often fuels myths and misconceptions and can influence choices. It can impact attitudes about seeking treatment, reactions from family and friends, behavioral health education and awareness, and the likelihood that someone will not seek or remain in treatment.
State Opioid Response (SOR) program aims to address the opioid crisis by increasing access to medication-assisted treatment using the three FDA-approved medications to treat opioid use disorder. It also seeks to reduce unmet treatment needs for opioid overdose-related deaths through prevention and support individuals in recovery from opiate use disorder.
Substance Abuse (SA) refers to overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance, especially alcohol or drugs, in a way that is detrimental to self, society, or both. This definition includes both physical dependence and psychological dependence. As a medical term, substance abuse describes a pattern of using a substance that causes significant problems or distress.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the nation’s behavioral health. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is the use of illicit drugs or meeting criteria for alcohol dependence or abuse, defined based on a person reporting a pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to a person’s inability to control their use of substances such as legal or illegal drugs, alcohol or medications. SUDs are characterized by clinically significant impairments in health, social function and impaired control over substance use and are diagnosed through assessing cognitive, behavioral and psychological symptoms. A SUD can range from mild to severe.
Stimulant Use Disorder (STUD) is a form of substance use disorder involving any of the class of drugs that include cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription stimulants.
T
Tier Award Payment (TAP) program ensures that providers within the ORPN are consistently providing foundational services, which include screening, identification, referral, linkage and sustained engagement of individuals with OUD/STUD.
Treatment Access Center (TASC) is a liaison with the criminal justice and treatment agency systems providing drug/alcohol treatment services to offenders coming through Delaware’s Superior Court Drug Court.
U
V
W
Withdrawal includes symptoms that can occur after long-term use of a drug is reduced or stopped; these symptoms occur if tolerance to a substance has occurred and vary according to substance. Withdrawal symptoms can include negative emotions such as stress, anxiety or depression, as well as physical effects such as nausea, vomiting, muscle aches and cramping, among others. Withdrawal symptoms often lead a person to use the substance again.