Addiction and Co-Existing Conditions: Intensive

Description: What is the most common coexisting condition among those with psychoactive substance use disorders?  How does one distinguish between blackouts and dissociation?  When is it confabulation or memory failure due to intoxication? What are the specifics in evaluating and treating depression or anxiety with substance-involved patients?  Using current literature this program overviews incidence and prevalence information, and contraindications for treatment where psychoactive substance use disorders are co-present with mental and nervous disorders.  Specifically, the study will include the DSM5 criteria for determining diagnosis, various statistics on addictions clients that may present with coexisting disorders, and information concerning the concomitance, co-occurrence, and comorbidity of these disorders in the addictions population.  Later sections discuss mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders and other problems that present among those with addictions and other populations.

Objectives:

1. Learners will be able to discuss the incidence and prevalence various coexisting conditions as they may present with substance abuse problems.
2. Learners will be able to describe a methodology for assessment of coexisting conditions.
3. Learners will be able to utilize guiding principles for systems and providers in providing care for people with co-occurring conditions.
4. Learners will be able to discuss the treatment similarities and differences across three service systems.
5. Learners will be able to observe for DSM criteria for each of six disorder groups.
6. Learners will be able to utilize epidemiological trends to improve differential diagnosis.
7. Learners will be able to discuss acute, subacute and long-term treatment phases for persons with co-existing illnesses.
8. Learners will be able to explain the utility of motivational interviewing, and stages of change in working with co-occurring mental illnesses.

Learning Assessment   Learners will be able to:

CE Credits: 9 (NBCC Hours - 9)

CE Broker#:  20-11232

Methods: Pre-test, study guide, posttest and evaluation, internet sources via URLs, Q&A by email.

Content Areas: Clinical evaluation and assessment, Understanding addiction, Social and clinical foundations, Co-occurring disorders, Addictions, Dual disorder, Special populations, Behavior disorder

Purpose:    Practitioners completing this course will be better equipped to observe for diagnostic criteria indicating coexisting illness, and better able to work with multi-disciplinary treatment efforts and further, to equip the practitioner to intervene and improve outcomes and client retention.

Target Audience:  Social workers, marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, mental health counselors, nurses, employee assistance professionals, addiction professionals, behavioral health technicians, and other allied professionals who may work with these populations.