MERF is the Medical Education and Research Foundation for the Treatment of Addiction. We work to increase and improve the education of physicians and other members of the inter-disciplinary team about all aspects of addiction, including harmful drinking or drug use, medical sequelae, family impact, recovery and how to support it.

MERF was established in 1981 as a sister organization to the California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM).

Our primary activities are mentored learning experiences at annual, three-day conferences on addiction medicine offered by CSAM. Since 1995, we have sponsored residents at these conferences, emphasizing learning and mentorship, offering scholarships to attend. After a few years, we began to invite the faculty of the residency training programs to build teams to bring new knowledge and skills in addiction medicine to their residencies.

MERF is a non-profit organization with a leadership team of professionals with a special commitment to addiction education. We depend on the support of individuals, as well as organizations which share our mission and vision to provide MERF Scholar support and recognition for the Scholars’ participation in the yearlong MERF Scholars’ mentored learning experiences, program projects and journal club discussions.