Even if you don’t specialize in it, you’re working with clients who struggle with alcohol, marijuana, opioids, and other drugs. 

The client with trauma who drinks to numb out... The client with anxiety who uses marijuana to create a sense of calm... The client with depression who self-medicates to get away from despair... 

Co-occurring substance use disorders and mental health issues are the rule, not the exception. 
 
Yet despite how common they are, assessment and treatment of substance use disorders isn’t typically a robust training area for clinicians – if it’s covered at all. 

You’ve been left on your own to figure out how to help clients with substance use disorders... or to refer your clients to another provider for co-treatment that may become fragmented. 

Now, with this FREE intensive training, you can get step-by-step guidance from Paul Brasler, LCSW, CAIP, esteemed expert and author of The Clinician’s Guide to Substance Use Disorders. You'll learn: 

• Top indicators that clients’ substance use has become a problem 

• Best practices to foster client engagement in recovery 

• The latest interventions from MI, CBT, and more 

• Effective strategies for when legal and ethical issues arise 

Best of all, you’ll be eligible to become a Certified Addictions-Informed Mental Health Professional (CAIMHP) through Evergreen Certifications *. 

Objectives

1. Appraise the causes of substance use disorders & factors that reinforce drug use as related to case conceptualization. 
2. Analyze the basic neurobiology of addictive chemicals and its treatment implications. 
3. Categorize commonly misused drugs, including current “street names” of these substances, as related to assessment and treatment planning. 
4. Assess the signs and symptoms of substance intoxication and distinguish withdrawal syndromes for each drug class as related to case conceptualization. 
5. Perform a clinical assessment to distinguish substance use disorders from other mental health disorders and inform the clinician’s choice of treatment interventions. 
6. Analyze the various levels of substance use treatment, including medication-assisted therapies, to inform clinical treatment interventions. 
7. Evaluate the process of withdrawal management and its treatment implications. 
8. Utilize clinical strategies, such as motivational interviewing, to improve client engagement and foster behavioral change. 
9. Modify clinical interventions for use with clients in special populations, such as adolescents or pregnant clients. 
10. Utilize clinical strategies to engage the client’s family in treatment to improve treatment outcomes. 
11. Demonstrate strategies used to improve the efficacy of group therapy, such as strategies for addressing disruptive members and building group cohesion. 
12. Evaluate ethical and legal issues related to substance use and substance use treatment, including circumstances when you should disclose client records. 

Outline

The Science Behind Substance Use Disorders 

• Biopsychosocial aspects of substance abuse 

• Attachment & trauma 

• The brain’s reward system 

• How metabolism impacts substance abuse 

Signs of Intoxication & Withdrawal Symptoms 

• Alcohol & other depressants 

• Stimulants 

• Opioids 

• Cannabinoids 

• Psychoactive plants & chemicals 

• Inhalants 

Assessment of Substance Use Disorders 

• Screening tools 

• Substance use disorder assessment 

• Identify substance use symptoms that mimic mental health symptoms 

• Recognize co-occurring disorders & trauma 

• Non-invasive drug screenings 

Treatment Planning: Determine Level of Care 

• How to approach level of care decisions 

• Why detox alone is NOT treatment 

• Withdrawal management protocols 

• Types of inpatient & outpatient treatment 

• Which treatment level is right for your client? 

Recognize & Treat Behavioral/Process Addictions 

• Compulsive gambling 

• Compulsive sexual behaviors 

• Electronic addictions 

Treatment of Substance Use Disorders 

Strategies to Improve Client Engagement & Treatment Compliance 

• Motivational interviewing 

• Reward gains & treatment compliance 

• Case management: Link the client to resources 

• Harm reduction 

• Medication-assisted treatment 

Psychodynamic Approaches 

• The role of the ego in addiction & recovery 

• Identify & confront defense mechanisms 

• Internal Family Systems 

Cognitive Behavioral Interventions 

• Apply the A-B-C model to substance use 

• Recognize triggers to use 

• Foster coping skills 

• Deconstruct negative schemas 

Substance Use Disorders & The Family 

• The family’s role in recovery 

• Family member roles: Enablers & heroes 

• Overcome family rules that block progress 

• When the client is shielded from consequences 

• How & when to engage the entire family 

Treatment Strategies for Special Populations 

• Children & adolescents 

• Active military & veterans 

• LGBTQ clients 

• Pregnant clients 

• Older adults 

Group Therapy Strategies 

• Handling intoxicated members 

• How group support works differently 

• Barriers to treatment 

• Getting people to talk 

• Understanding 12-step groups & alternatives 

Legal & Ethical Issues in Treating Substance Use Disorders 

• Privacy laws & when you should disclose 

• Impaired practitioners 

• Working with incarcerated clients 

• Drug treatment courts 

• Bias in treating recovering clients 

• Recognize & address vicarious trauma 

• Limitations of the research & potential risks