UAMS Health - Center for Addiction Services and Treatment (CAST)

The Center for Addiction Services and Treatment (CAST) at the Psychiatric Research Institute provides medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to treat opioid use disorders.

Medication-assisted treatment combines the use of medications and individual and group therapy to treat opioid detoxification, withdrawal, and cravings. Our Center provides several types of medication-assisted treatment programs that are used to treat addiction to opioid drugs, such as heroin and narcotic painkillers.

For Clinicians: MATRIARC and Project Echo

MATRIARC (Medication Assisted Treatment Recovery Initiative for Arkansas Rural Communities) is a partnership with the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Arkansas Department of Human Services designed to expand evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorders.

An addiction psychiatrist is available free of charge via telephone to offer consultations to primary care physicians, general psychiatrists, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants and mental health professionals providing medication-assisted treatment to patients dealing with opioid use disorder.

Project ECHO

Project ECHO is part of MATRIARC, weekly video conferences available to community health centers needing assistance in opioid addiction treatment. Video conferences are held each Friday from noon to 1 p.m., with experts in addiction, therapy and case management discussing a variety of subjects related to opioid abuse.

Learn more about MATRIARC and Project ECHO.