Education
I am happy to present information about acudetox and do so in a variety of settings. These include schools, City/County Organizations, hospitals or mental health/ substance abuse treatment programs, local conferences, state conferences, national and international conferences. In the past year I have given presentations on NADA acudetox at the:
Problem Solving Court for Pueblo, Colorado – April 1, 2016
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico – May 5-7, 2016
Balance for Women Physicians Conference in Breckenridge, Colorado – August 13, 2016
National Conference on Addictive Disorders in Denver, Colorado – August 20, 2016
National Council for Behavioral Health Webinar on using NADA for Smoking Cessation – August 24, 2016
City of Pueblo, Lunch and Learn Series – Pueblo, Colorado – January 30, 2017
Psychotherapy Associates Winter Symposium - Colorado Springs, Colorado – February 1, 2017
Links to informative PowerPoint slide shows:
- Winter Symposium Colorado Springs, 2017
- National Council for Behavioral Health Webinar, Aug. 2016
- National Conference on Addiction Disorders, 2016
Training
With co-trainers, I participate in 5-7 trainings per year. I also train people who have been approved by NADA to become Registered Trainers. In the past year I have done trainings in:
Denver, Colorado with MK Christian LAc, RT, Shaweta Babbar MD, RT trainee and Irena Danczik MD, RT trainee – February 26-28, 2016 where we trained 20 people.
Albuquerque, New Mexico where I participated in the pre-conference training offered yearly by NADA at the annual conference – May 1-7, 2016
Denver, Colorado with MK Christian LAc, RT , Shaweta Babbar MD, RT trainee and Irena Danczik MD, RT trainee – May 20-22, 2016 where we trained 14 people.
Nassau County, Long Island, New York with Renee Barsa LAc – June 17-18, 2016 where we trained 5 acupuncturists in the MRC in an abbreviated Disaster NADA training
Pueblo, Colorado with MK Christian LAc, RT and Rolli Odom MD, RT trainee – July 22-24, 2016 where we trained 23 people.
Grand Junction, Colorado with MK Christian LAc, RT and Rolli Odom MD, RT trainee – August 26-28, 2016 where we trained 11 people.
Pueblo, Colorado with MK Christian LAc, RT, Rolli Odom MD, RT trainee and Rod Pyland LCSW, RT trainee – December 2-4, 2016 where we trained 18 people.
Pueblo, Colorado with MK Christian LAc, RT, Rolli Odom MD, July 21-23, 2017 with 16 trainees.
NADA trainings are held on a regular basis throughout the U.S. and Canada. Check the current listing here.
Advocacy
In the U.S.A. and Canada, many localities encourage the implementation of a NADA program through regulations that allow non-acupuncturist health providers to be trained in the NADA protocol, often under the supervision of a licensed acupuncturist or medical doctor.
It is very important to note that each state has its own set of rules and regulations. If you are NADA-trained and you move to a new state, it is your responsibility to check the new state’s laws, as they are going to be different than what you have been accustomed to. For a list of states and provinces,
click here.
Some other jurisdictions continue to restrict any application of acupuncture needles to licensed acupuncturists or the equivalent. The general trend in regulation is to move into the NADA-favorable category.
My state needs an ear acupuncture law…
We have been able to submit ear acupuncture laws in several states, allowing for professionals such as these to legally apply this 5-point protocol. In order to find out the current situation in your state/province, check it here.
A good model for supportive state legislation can be found in Colorado where several years of proposals and revisions resulted in this law.
Why do we need non-Acupuncture “Acudetox Specialists” or ADSs?
The primary purpose of non-acupuncturist ADSs is to expand the access of this simple but effective treatment to all who are suffering from addictions, stress or trauma and allow programs to incorporate acupuncture in the form of the NADA protocol at minimal cost, when and where it is needed. There are many behavioral health and addiction treatment programs that are publically funded and most cannot afford to hire an acupuncturist to treat their patients. States that have changed laws to expand the scope of practice for this standardized 5-point ear acupuncture protocol have seen treatment providers who are already hired by the program, be able to add this treatment tool to their tool box and significantly increase the access to this treatment without increasing the costs. This protocol is not a “stand-alone” procedure and acupuncturists are not generally trained as addictions or mental health counselors. In light of our current opiate epidemic and the increase in drug overdoses and suicides, the providers who are the most logical to use this protocol in the most beneficial manner are those trained addiction, mental health and behavioral health specialists who can easily learn to do this very simple procedure and perform it consistently in a safe manner. Acupuncture is an adjunctive process to addictions and behavioral health counseling and many private programs can afford to hire full body acupuncturists and this can be of great benefit to the patient. However, many programs are in rural areas with no access to acupuncturists or don’t have the funds to hire them. In Colorado our law allows the training of licensed individuals in the behavioral health care field, including LCSWs, LACs, LPCs, CACIIIs, licensed psychologists, nurses, physicians, acupuncturists and registered psychotherapist to utilize the NADA protocol in their respective practices without supervision, after completing the NADA training. This is a safe procedure with minimal side effects. The training is very thorough and providers have demonstrated knowledge and competence to continue to use this procedure safely and effectively without ongoing supervision. The passage of the Colorado law in 2013 has significantly expanded the availability of this treatment statewide. Exposure to the NADA protocol has also increased the interest in acupuncture in general, with more people interested in pursuing full body acupuncture with a licensed acupuncturist. This creates a win for all parties involved, patients and providers.
Libby Stuyt, MD
NADA board president
February 15, 2017