Addressing Substance Use and Social Needs of People of Color with Substance Use Disorders

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health is available as an open-access article. In this brief, we highlight the experiences and practices of substance use treatment providers and their human services partners when serving people of color. We selected providers who focused on serving people of color, and this study was not intended to assess the outcomes or effectiveness of any of the practices highlighted. Treatment providers highlighted several practices that promoted active and positive participation in their programs by people of color. Providers described several constraints when serving communities of color. Providers emphasized that success required working with the strengths of the communities they serve and that every community has protective factors. More research is needed to understand how federal, state, and local policies and programs can maximize the strengths of communities of varied backgrounds while also implementing evidence-based practices. This course on the treatment of substance use disorder in people of color is designed for clinical social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. It is appropriate for intermediate and advanced-level practitioners who wish to develop their expertise in this area. 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 peer-reviewed research-based articles for continuing education is that they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding substance use disorder treatment in people of color. Specifically, a professional will: Identify practices that promote active and positive participation by people of color in programs. Describe constraints encountered when serving communities of color. Recognize demographic patterns of substance use and substance use disorders. Citation: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (November 2022). Addressing Substance Use and Social Needs of People of Color with Substance Use Disorders. US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/0a15be5c88dacf7c8dccc046a3f4025e/Addressing-Substance-Use-and-Social-Needs-of-People-of-Color.pdf