Addiction assessments & requirements

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Your assessments and requirements to complete the Certificate of Advanced Training in Addiction Psychiatry are:

eight Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), two per 6 month rotation
one Observed Clinical Activity per 6 month rotation
mid-rotation and end-of rotation In-Training Assessments (ITAs)
a written a case history of 3000-5000 words
60 written case summaries of 50-100 words each
a final qualitative report
study requirements based on your formal or self-directed learning.

You will complete learning and development plans each year. At the end of your Certificate, you will complete a checklist and sign off.

Learning and development plan

At the beginning of each year of certificate training, you must submit a written proposal outlining your plans for learning and development.

Learning and development plan [MS Word form; 74 KB]

Entrustable Professional Activities

You must attain 8 Stage 3 addiction psychiatry EPAs, 2 per 6-month FTE rotation.

To achieve a particular EPA, you have to complete at least three workplace-based assessments.

Six mandatory EPAs

ST3-ADD-FELL-EPA1 - Acute assessment and diagnosis of substance use.
ST3-ADD-FELL-EPA2 - Long-term management of severe alcohol use disorders.
ST3-ADD-FELL-EPA3 - Advanced management of substance intoxication & substance withdrawal.
ST3-ADD-FELL-EPA4 - Management of comorbid substance use, including tobacco dependence, and other mental health problems.
ST3-ADD-AOP-EPA5 - Treatment of substance use disorder with psychological methods.
ST3-ADD-AOP-EPA6 - Provide training for other clinicians in delivery of brief interventions for substance use disorder.

Two elective EPAs chosen from this list

ST3-ADD-AOP-EPA7- Alcohol and other drug (AOD) consultation–liaison.
ST3-ADD-AOP-EPA8 - Management of chronic pain with comorbid substance misuse.
ST3-ADD-AOP-EPA9 - Assess and manage a patient with opioid drug use problems.
ST3-ADD-AOP-EPA10 - Treatment of people with gambling disorder and other behavioural addictions.
ST3-ADD-AOP-EPA11 - Assess and manage complex comorbid substance use and physical health problems, including tobacco use.
ST3-ADD-AOP-EPA12 - Impairment assessment and report for patients with substance use disorders

Observed Clinical Activity

You must undertake one Observed Clinical Activity (OCA) of a patient experiencing addiction in each 6-month rotation.

In-training Assessments

You must complete mid-rotation and end-of-rotation in-training assessments.

End-of-rotation ITAs are due within 60 days of the completion of a rotation.

Stage 3 trainee mid-rotation ITA form [PDF; 456 KB]
Stage 3 trainee end-of-rotation ITA form [PDF; 515 KB]

Fellow-in-training mid-rotation ITA form [PDF, 274 KB]
Fellow-in-training end-of-rotation ITA form [PDF; 453 KB]

Written case history

You must complete a written a case history of 3000-5000 words based off one case presentation in addiction psychiatry.

The case history should include a full psychiatric history, mental state and physical exam, formulation, treatment plan, discussion of issues raised, and a brief review of the literature relevant to key aspects of the case.

Process for submission and assessment of case history [PDF; 29 KB]

Written case history submission form [PDF; 57 KB]

Written case history mark sheet [PDF; 168 KB]

Case summaries

You must complete 60 written case summaries of 50-100 words each.

There should be six case summaries for each of these 10 topics:

benzodiazepines/sedatives/hypnotics
psychostimulants
tobacco
cannabis
other substances
substance-induced psychiatric disorders
substance use in pregnancy
pain disorders
gambling disorders or other behavioural addictions
special patient populations, e.g., culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, Māori, child or adolescent, forensic.

Case summary form [PDF; 131 KB]