Treatment Considerations for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Emotional Disturbances and Serious Mental Illnesses and Co-o

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published by SAMHSA and is available as an open-access article. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and specifically, its National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory (Policy Laboratory), is pleased to fulfill the charge of the 21st Century Cures Act to disseminate information on evidence-based practices and service delivery models to prevent substance misuse and help individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), serious mental illnesses (SMI), and serious emotional disturbances (SED) get the treatment and support they need. Treatment and recovery for SUD, SMI, and SED can vary based on geographic, socio-economic, cultural, gender, race, ethnicity, and age-related factors. This can complicate evaluating the effectiveness of services, treatments, and supports. Despite these variations, however, there is substantial evidence to inform the types of resources that can help reduce substance use, lessen symptoms of mental illness, and improve quality of life. The Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series is a comprehensive set of modules with resources to improve health outcomes for people at risk for, experiencing, or recovering from mental and or substance use disorders. It is designed for clinicians, administrators, community leaders, and others considering an intervention for their organization, community, client, or loved one. A priority topic for SAMHSA is encouraging treatment practices that improve outcomes for youth and young adults with SED/SMI who also have or are at risk for co-occurring substance misuse or SUD. This guide reviews the literature and science, examines evidence-based practices, determines key components of those treatment practices, identifies challenges and strategies for implementation, and discusses the evaluation of implemented evidence-based practices. This course on treatment options for mental illnesses and substance use disorders is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced-level practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge of treatment options for mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The course material includes a literature review of interventions. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: SAMHSA Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding treatment options for mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Specifically, a professional will: Identify risk factors and protective factors of substance use disorders and severe mental illnesses. Describe the impact of substance use disorders and severe mental illnesses on an individual and global level. Recognize the characteristics of different treatment practices designed to address substance use disorders and severe mental illnesses. Identify resources for evaluation and quality improvement. Citation: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Treatment Considerations for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Emotional Disturbances and Serious Mental Illnesses and Co-occurring Substance Use. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep20-06-02-001.pdf