RECADEMY Webinar Explores Treating Opioid Use Disorder As A Chronic Brain Disease

[Gettysburg, PA] — April 13, 2026 – RECADEMY, an OPEN MINDS online learning collaborative, has announced a new webinar in its 2026 education series focused on advancing evidence-based opioid use disorder treatment across health systems, behavioral health organizations, and payer environments.

The webinar, “Recognizing & Treating Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) As A Chronic Brain Disease: The Latest Research, Treatment Frameworks & Care Pathways,” will be held on April 21, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET. The session will feature Louai Bilal, Associate Chair of Behavioral Health, Hospital Operations at Kaiser Permanente Fremont Medical Center and Medical Director of the Kaiser Fremont Medical Psychiatric Unit.

Decades of neuroscience research have fundamentally reshaped how experts understand opioid use disorder (OUD). Repeated opioid exposure produces lasting changes in brain circuits responsible for reward, stress response, impulse control, and decision-making—changes that persist long after detoxification. Yet many treatment systems continue to approach OUD as a short-term behavioral health crisis rather than a chronic medical condition, shaping how relapse is interpreted, how long treatment is sustained, and how care pathways are designed.

During the webinar, Dr. Bilal will discuss how a chronic disease framework is changing clinical practice, treatment duration, and system design, with a focus on building care models that support sustained recovery across inpatient and outpatient settings.

“The evidence is clear that repeated opioid exposure produces lasting changes in the brain circuits responsible for reward, stress response, and self-control,” said Dr. Bilal. “These changes do not resolve simply because detoxification has occurred. They continue to shape vulnerability to relapse and require sustained, evidence-based treatment strategies.”

The session will also examine how health systems and provider organizations can redesign care pathways to reflect the neurobiological realities of opioid addiction, including approaches to inpatient stabilization, discharge planning, and transitions to community-based treatment.

“Relapse should be expected as part of the disease process,” Dr. Bilal added. “When clinicians and health systems recognize that reality, the focus shifts from blame and short-term stabilization toward sustained treatment, patient engagement, and relapse prevention.”

Key Learning Objectives Include: 

• Understanding how neuroscience explains the chronic nature of opioid use disorder

• Reframing relapse as a clinical signal rather than treatment failure

• Examining how the brain disease model changes expectations for treatment duration

• Designing inpatient stabilization, discharge planning, and continuity of care for long-term recovery

• Integrating medical, psychiatric, and substance use treatment for individuals with co-occurring conditions

• Reducing stigma and strengthening patient engagement through science-informed care models

This webinar is the fourth in RECADEMY’s 12-part educational series for 2026, focused on system design, clinical models, workforce strategies, payer alignment, and policy considerations in substance use disorder treatment.

Registration is now open and free for RECADEMY members.

About RECADEMY 

RECADEMY is a research-based, online learning collaborative focused on improving substance use disorder treatment across clinical settings and payer environments. Through webinars, on-demand education, and curated resources, RECADEMY supports healthcare leaders in implementing evidence-based models of care and strengthening systems that improve treatment access, continuity, and outcomes. 

About OPEN MINDS 

OPEN MINDS is a national market intelligence, management consulting, and marketing services firm specializing exclusively in the high-needs consumer market – mental health, addiction treatment, cognitive disabilities, chronic health conditions, elder services, health-related social needs, and adjacent markets within the health and human service field. The OPEN MINDS mission is to provide payers, service provider organizations, pharmaceutical, technology, and scientific firms that serve these consumers with the market and management knowledge needed to improve their organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Learn more at openminds.com.