Joseph G. Liberto, MD

A.        Personal Statement

I am currently the Associate Chief of Staff for Education and Academic Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) and was formerly the Director, Mental Health Clinical Center at the VAMHCS. I am also a Past President of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and am a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.   

In addition, I am an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine where I am currently the Vice Chairman of the school’s Clinical Years Committee. I have also held past roles as the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program Director and the Associate Director of Graduate and Post-Graduate Education for the school’s Department of Psychiatry.  

During my career, I have been an active participant in NIDA/VA cooperative studies examining pharmacologic interventions for the treatment of opioid and cocaine addiction and have worked as a PI and co-investigator to better understand the barriers and facilitators of sublingual buprenorphine treatment in the VA. I have authored or co-authored several journal articles and chapters and have made presentations at national meetings related to Addiction Psychiatry.  In addition, from 2000-2002 I was the Clinical Core Director of the VA Capitol Network Mental Illness Research Education Clinical Center (MIRECC).

B.        Positions and Honors

Academic Positions

1990-1991       Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, School of Medicine

1991-1993       Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, School of Medicine

1993-2000        Medical School Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, School Medicine

2000-present   Medical School Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, School of Medicine

Administrative Positions

1990-1999       Medical Director, Dual Diagnosis and Geriatric Substance Abuse Treatment Program, Baltimore, VAMC

1991-1996       Chief, Substance Abuse Treatment Program, Baltimore, VAMC

1995-1998       Associate Fellowship Training Director, Addiction Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Department of Psychiatry

1995-1998       Assistant Chief of Psychiatry Primarily Responsible for Addiction Services Baltimore VAMC

1996-2002       Clinical Manager, Substance Abuse Treatment Program, VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS)

1998-2000       Associate Director of Graduate Education, University of Maryland, Department of Psychiatry

1998-2004       Associate Director of Post-Graduate Education, University of Maryland, Department of Psychiatry

1998-2008       Residency Training Director, Addiction Psychiatry Residency, University of  Maryland        

2000- 2002      Clinical Core Director, VISN 5 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC)

2002-2008       Clinical Manager: Special Programs: Trauma and Addiction Treatment Programs, VAMHCS

2004-2007       Acting Psychiatrist Executive, VA Maryland Health Care System, Mental Health Clinical Center

2007-2008       Acting Director, Mental Health Clinical Center, VA Maryland Health Care System

2008-2011       Director, Mental Health Clinical Center, VA Maryland Health Care System

2011-2012       Interim Associate Chief of Staff for Education and Academic Affairs, VA Maryland Health Care System

2012-present    Associate Chief of Staff, Education and Academic Affairs, VA Maryland Health Care System

Honors and Awards

1981    Membership in Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit Honor Society)

1982    Carrel Biology Medal, Loyola College

1982    Magna Cum Laude, Loyola College

1989    Inpatient Chief Resident, University of Maryland Department of Psychiatry

1992    Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office Service Director's Award for Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences

1996    H. Mckee Jarboe Award for Mental Health Research

2007    Listed as one of the “TOP Doctors” by Baltimore Magazine

2011    Distinguished Fellow, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

2016    Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association

2016    Elected Membership to Alpha Omega Alpha

C.        Contribution to Science

My contributions to science have mainly been in the areas of 1) Pharmacologic Treatment of Substance Use Disorders and 2) Dissemination of Best Practices in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders. 

Pharmacologic Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

When I entered the field of addiction psychiatry, with the exception of methadone for opioid use disorders and disulfiram for alcohol use disorders, few evidenced-based pharmacologic treatments for substance use disorders were widely used by clinicians. I participated as a co-investigator and site Principal Investigator on NIDA and NIDA/VA Cooperative Studies testing the safety and efficacy of agents such as buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, and baclofen and selegiline for the treatment of cocaine use disorder.  In addition, I was co-investigator on a study assessing the tolerability of naltrexone, a relatively new treatment at the time, for alcohol use disorders in the older population.  Relevant publications:

 Oslin D, Liberto, J.G., O’Brien, J., Kroiss, S.: The Tolerability of Naltrexone in Treating Older Patients with Alcohol Dependence, American Journal of the Addictions, 6:266-270, 1997

 Oslin, D., Liberto, J.G., O’Brien, J., Kroiss, S.: Naltrexone as an Adjunctive Treatment for Older Patients with Alcohol Dependence, American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 5:324-332, 1997

Rothman RB, Gorelick PR, Eichmiller PR, Hill BH, Norbeck J and Liberto JG: An Open-Label Study of  a Functional Opioid Kappa Antagonist in the Treatment of Opioid Dependence. Journal of   Substance Abuse Treatment, 18(3):277-281, 2000

Kahn R, Biswas K, Childress AR, Shoptaw S, Fudala PJ, Gorgon L, Montoya I, Collins J, McSherry F, Li SH, Chiang N, Alathari H, Watson D, Liberto J, Beresford T, Stock C, Wallace C, Gruber V, Elkashef A. Multi-center trial of baclofen for abstinence initiation in severe cocaine-dependent individuals. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009 Jul 1;103(1-2):59-64. Epub 2009 May 2.PMID: 19414226

 Dissemination of Best Practices in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

 Translating evidence-based research findings into clinical practice is a challenge for the field of addiction psychiatry.  Many evidence-based approaches are not utilized widely by the field. Most of my career has been spent as an educator at the local and national level. Some of my early work focused on comprehensive review articles and chapters for the treatment of alcohol use disorder in the older population.  I was also involved as Co-PI on an HSR&D grant aimed at identifying the facilitators and barriers to implementing buprenorphine therapy for treatment of opioid use disorders within the Veterans health Administration. In addition, I co-chaired the work group that published the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Substance Use Disorders. In addition as a former President of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), an organization in part dedicated to the translation and dissemination of evidence-based research into clinical practice, I oversaw the organization’s educational efforts to the field. As part of my involvement with AAAP, I was the PI on a NIDA Educational grant (2R13DA015108-06) that supported AAAP’s annual educational conference. In addition, I have participated in several VA and SAMHSA projects aimed at disseminating evidence-based care for substance use disorders to treatment providers.

Liberto JG, Oslin DW, Ruskin PE: “Alcoholism in Older Persons: A Review of the Literature”, Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 43: 975-984, 1992 

Strain (Editor), Barthwell A., Brown, R, Darton,  L., Fiellin, D., Kosten, T., Liberto, J.,  Manlandro, J., Ritvo, J., Vilensky, DO, RPh and Wesson, D., “Use of Buprenorphine in the Pharmacolgoic Management of Opioid Dependence A Curriculum for Physicians”, Development of the  Curriculum supported by the: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services, January 2001 

VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Substance Use Disorders. Prepared by the Management of Substance Use Disorders Working Group. Kivlahan D., Liberto J. and Hanning W. (Co-Chairs). August 2009 

Gordon AJ. , Kavanagh G.,  Krumm M.,  Ramgopal R. , Paidisetty S. , Aghevli M. , Goodman F. , Trafton,  J. Liberto J. Facilitators and barriers in implementing buprenorphine in the Veterans Health Administration.  Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 25(2):215-24, 2011 Jun. 

Other Publications 

Chapters, abstracts, non-refereed publications

Bartels S and Liberto J, “Dual Diagnosis in the Elderly”, Double Jeopardy: Chronic Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders, Harwood Academic Publishers, Lehman A and Dixon L Editors, 1995

Liberto J., Kroiss B, Keenan R, Rolf, D: “Cotinine in the Treatment of Cigarette Smoking” Journal of Addictive Diseases 14(3): 147, 1995 [Abstract] 

Liberto J, Oslin D and Ruskin P, “ Alcoholism in the Older Population”, The Practical Handbook of Clinical Gerontology, Sage Publications, Carstensen L, Edelstein B, Dornbrand L, Editors, 1996 

Liberto J, Oslin D, “Early Versus Late Onset of Alcoholism in the Elderly” Older Adults’ Misuse of Alcohol, Medicines, and Other Drugs, Springer Publications,Gurnack A, Editor, 1996 

Liberto J, Oslin D, "Commentary on the AMA Guidelines on Alcoholism in the Elderly: Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention", Abstracts of Clinical Care Guidelines, JCAHO, 8(2): 9, 1996 

Rothman RB, Gorelick PR, Eichmiller PR, Hill BH, Norbeck J and Liberto JG: An Open-Label Study of a Functional Opioid Kappa Antagonist in the Treatment of Opioid Dependence. Problems of Drug Dependence 1997. Proceedings of the 59th Annual Scientific Meeting, The College on Problems in Drug Dependence Meeting, Inc., NIDA Res. Monogr.   No: 178: 309, 1998 

Liberto, JG, Herschler, JA, Jaffe JH, Norbeck JH and Carpenter RL, “Effects of ADL 8-2698, a peripherally restricted mu opioid antagonist, on gut motility in methadone and LAAM dependent patients with opioid-induced constipation:  A dose ranging study.” 2001 AnnualCPDD Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ. 

Peer-Reviewed Publications 

Knowles FE, Liberto JG, Baker FM, Raskin, A          Ruskin, PE: “Competency Evaluations in a VA Hospital: A 10-Year Perspective”, General Hospital Psychiatry,16(2): 119-124, 1994 

Liberto J.G., Oslin, D.: “Early Versus Late Onset of Alcoholism in the Elderly”, International Journal of the Addictions, 30(13&14),1799-1818, 1995 

Welsh, CJ and Liberto J: The Use of Medication for Relapse Prevention in Substance Dependence Disorders, Journal of Psychiatric Practice,  7(1):15-31, 2001 

Welsh, C, Gandhi, D, Liberto, J and Weintraub, E:  The role of diagnostic systems in the continued stigmatization of patients with opioid  dependence, Psychiatric Services. 2004 Jan;55(1):86-7. 

Gordon AJ, Trafton J, Saxon AJ, Calabrese VS, Gifford AL, Goodman F, McNicholas L, Liberto J. Implementation of Buprenorphine in the Department of Veteran Affairs: Results of the first three years. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2007 Oct 8;90(2-3):292-6. 

Gordon AJ, Liberto J, Granda S, Salmon-Cox S, Andree T, McNicholas L. Outcomes of DATA 2000 certification trainings for the provision of buprenorphine treatment in the Veterans Health Administration. Am J Addict. 2008 Nov-Dec;17(6):459-62.PMID: 19034736 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 

Gordon AJ, Liberto J, Granda S, Salmon-Cox S, Andrée T, McNicholas L. Physician Training is Never a Failure. The American Journal on Addictions. 2009;18(4):337-338.

D.   Additional Information: Research Support and/or Scholastic Performance 

Research Support

Dupont Pharma          Oslin, D (PI)        1994

“Naltrexone in the Adjunctive Treatment of Older Age Alcoholics: A Double Blind Controlled Trial”

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of oral naltrexone used for the treatment of alcoholism in a group of older veteran subjects. 

Lec-Tec Ph     Liberto (PI)            1994

“Cotinine in the Treatment of Nicotine Dependence: A Double Blind Controlled Trial”

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of oral cotinine fumarate in increasing short-term smoking cessation rates and attenuating the severity of withdrawal in nicotine dependent subjects.

VA/NIDA CSP# 1008A           Bridge, P. & Fudala, P. (PI)              1996

“A Multicenter Safety Trial of Buprenorphine/Naloxone for the Treatment of Opiate Dependence”

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of a sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone tablet formulation for the treatment of opioid dependence.

NIDA   Bellack, A. (PI)                  3/1/98 – 2/28/03

“The Process of Change in Drug Abuse By  Schizophrenics”

The purpose of this project was to examine attitudes about substance use, motivation to reduce use, and the process of change among schizophrenia patients with DSM-IV Substance Abuse/Dependence.

Adolor Corporation      Liberto (PI)               1999 - 2000

“A Phase II Study Assessing Use of a Peripherally Selective mu Opioid Antagonist to Speed   

Gastrointestinal Transit in Methadone Dependent  Patients with Opioid-Induced Constipation

The purpose of this phase II study was to assess the sensitivity of the gut to a peripheral mu antagonist in patients treated chronically with opioids.

VA/NIDA CSP# 1017 Elkashef, A. & Fudala, P. (PI)                1999

“Outpatient Selegiline Treatment for Cocaine Dependence (OUTSET)”

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of oral selegiline in reducing cocaine use in subjects with cocaine dependence.

VA/NIDA CSP #1019 Elkashef, A. & Fudala, P. (PI)                2000

“Double Blind, Placebo Controlled trial of Selegiline Transdermal System for the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence”

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of transdermal selegiline in reducing cocaine use in subjects with cocaine dependence.

VA PERC        Tiet, Q (PI)                                             2003

“Components of Effective Treatment for Dually  Diagnosed Patients”

VA/NIDA

CSP #1021     Elkashef, A. & Fudala, P.  (PI)               2004

“Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Multi-Center Trial of Baclofen for the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence”

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of oral baclofen in reducing cocaine use in subhects with cocaine dependence.

RRP 06-155

VA HSR&D      Liberto & Gordon (Co - PIs)         June 2006 – December 2006

“Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Buprenorphine Therapy for Treatment of Opioid Dependence”

The purpose of this study was to identify both barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of sublingual buprenorphine therapy for the treatment of opioid dependence within the VA. Factors affecting the implementation of sublingual buprenorphine treatment were examined at the provider-, facility-, and system-levels, both at sites that have had success implementing and sites that have had difficulty implementing sublingual buprenorphine therapy.

2R13DA015108-06

NIDA              Liberto (PI)                                   July 2007-  June 2012

 “American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry 18th-22nd Annual Meeting and Symposium”.

Addiction Medication Trials Addiction in the Elderly Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Service Care Delivery

Gordon AJ, Liberto J, Granda S, Salmon-Cox S, Andree T, McNicholas L. Outcomes of DATA 2000 certification trainings for the provision of buprenorphine treatment in the Veterans Health Administration. Am J Addict. 2008 Nov-Dec;17(6):459-62.PMID: 19034736 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Liberto JG, Oslin DW, Ruskin PE: “Alcoholism in Older Persons: A Review of the Literature”, Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 43: 975-984, 1992 

Liberto J.G., Oslin, D.: “Early Versus Late Onset of Alcoholism in the Elderly”, International Journal of the Addictions, 30(13&14),1799-1818, 1995 

Oslin D, Liberto, J.G., O’Brien, J., Kroiss, S.: The Tolerability of Naltrexone in Treating Older Patients with Alcohol Dependence, American Journal of the Addictions, 6:266-270, 1997 

Oslin, D., Liberto, J.G., O’Brien, J., Kroiss, S.: Naltrexone as an Adjunctive Treatment for Older Patients with Alcohol Dependence, American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 5:324-332, 1997  

 Gordon AJ, Trafton J, Saxon AJ, Calabrese VS, Gifford AL, Goodman F, McNicholas L, Liberto J. Implementation of Buprenorphine in the Department of Veteran Affairs: Results of the first three years. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2007 Oct 8;90(2-3):292-6.

Gordon AJ. , Kavanagh G.,  Krumm M.,  Ramgopal R. , Paidisetty S. , Aghevli M. , Goodman F. , Trafton,  J. Liberto J. Facilitators and barriers in implementing buprenorphine in the Veterans Health Administration.  Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 25(2):215-24, 2011 Jun.