In this episode, Dr. David L. Pennington, Ph.D. and Dr. David R. Gastfriend, M.D., DFASAM dive into the U.S. substance use crisis, focusing on assessments, data standards, and key performance indicators. Learn how the ASAM Criteria and ASAM CONTINUUM are transforming addiction treatment through multidimensional assessments and technology integration. Discover the evolving trends in substance use, barriers to treatment, and the role of digital health tools in bridging care gaps. Hear success stories and challenges in implementing these systems and explore future opportunities for digital solutions in mental health care. Join us to uncover meaningful measures that enhance treatment outcomes and patient well-being.

What You'll Learn

The significance of the ASAM Criteria for addiction treatment.
How substance use trends have evolved and current statistics.
Barriers to SUD treatment and how technology aims to overcome them.
Strategies for implementing and promoting ASAM CONTINUUM.
Success stories and challenges in integrating these systems.
Future opportunities for digital health solutions in addiction treatment.

MODERATOR: Dr. David L. Pennington, Ph.D.

CEO & Clinical Psychologist, Melantha Health Psychology Consulting, PC.

Bio: Dr. David L. Pennington, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, practicing clinician, and CEO of Melantha Health Psychology Consulting, a firm dedicated to advancing mental health innovation. With extensive experience in both clinical practice and research, he specializes in developing digital health interventions for opioid use disorder and other substance use challenges. His work integrates cognitive neuroscience, evidence-based psychotherapy, and digital technology to create practical solutions that enhance treatment outcomes and patient well-being. As a trusted science advisor and educator, Dr. Pennington is committed to bridging the gap between academic research and real-world application, and he brings his hands-on clinical experience to the Chime opioid network podcast to illuminate emerging trends in addiction treatment and mental health care.

GUEST: David R. Gastfriend, M.D., DFASAM

Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, DynamiCare Health

Bio: Dr. Gastfriend is an addiction psychiatrist. At Harvard Medical School, he directed addiction research at Massachusetts General Hospital and was an investigator in the NIDA Cocaine Collaborative Study, NIAAA’s COMBINE Study and NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network. As Vice President at Alkermes, Inc., he directed scientific publications on Vivitrol in clinical, criminal justice and health economics research. His research led most states to endorse the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria. His 150 scientific publications include the books The ASAM Criteria and Addiction Treatment Matching. His ASAM CONTINUUM – The ASAM Criteria Decision Engine® and ASAM’s CO-Triage® tools are being adopted nationwide. In 2016, he co-founded DynamiCare Health, a nationally-scalable technology for Contingency Management and predictive analytics, winning awards from Harvard Business School, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Governor of Ohio, and the New York Times. He has consulted to governments in Belgium, China, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Russia and the U.S.

Meaningful Measures for the U.S. Substance Use Crisis: Assessments, Data Standards, and KPIs