ALCOHOL AND THE FAMILY

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based upon course material developed and deployed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The course material was specifically developed for the training of clinicians who work with clients who may use or abuse alcohol. The course material can be found on the NIAAAs website at the following link: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module10JFamilies/Module10J.html One of the most powerful and influential social contexts across a person's lifespan is the family system-including the family of origin and the various family systems and subsystems that operate at any point in time. Not only does the family influence the developmental course of alcohol use disorders, but the alcohol use disorders of individual family members influence the entire familys functioning and developmental outcomes of the system and its members. Family biology and family dynamics both contribute to an individual's risk and vulnerability for alcohol use disorders, as well as providing protections and resiliencies. Furthermore, family systems and family members may have a role to play in an individuals recovery from alcohol problems, or may interfere with the process. On the other hand, the alcohol problems of one family member may lead to or co-occur with a distortion of family process, thereby increasing the risk of family breakdown, dysfunction, violence, or other problems leading to social work intervention. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of research concerning the family context of alcohol use disorders. This course on alcohol and the family is practical for social workers, addiction professionals, professional counselors, psychologists, and chemical dependency counselors who practice and need continuing education. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their understanding of how the family is impacted by alcohol use. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical course credits and are interested in learning more about a specific population and alcohol use disorders. Authors: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding alcohol and the family. Specifically, a professional will: Recognize a family systems perspective of alcohol use disorders; Identify family factors that increase or reduce risk of developing an alcohol use disorder; Recognize key research findings concerning the relationship between family factors and recovery Citation: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Module 10J Alcohol and the Family. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module10JFamilies/Module10J.html on 2/2/13.