DIAGNOSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS

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/Module5Diagnosis&Assessment/Module5.html This course presents a detailed description of the process of diagnosis. It is designed to facilitate decision-making about the most appropriate interventions for alcohol use. Multidimensional assessment includes the added dimensions of the clients biopsychosocial context and factors that might facilitate or impede resolution of the problems. In too many cases, clinicians are seeing clients who have alcohol-related problems without recognizing these issues. Hence, it is important for clinical professionals to become familiar with the empirically based diagnostic and assessment practices related to alcohol use disorders. This course on the diagnosis and assessment of alcohol problems is useful for clinical social workers, 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 alcohol abuse and dependence prevention and screening. Authors: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the best practices in the diagnosis and assessment of alcohol use disorders. Specifically, a professional will: Identify key issues in the diagnosis and assessment of individuals with alcohol use disorders. Recognize the continuum of activities from screening, to diagnosis and assessment, to intervention. Apply the classification of disorder system. Citation: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Module 5 Diagnosis and Assessment of Alcohol Use Disorders. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module5Diagnosis&Assessment/Module5.html on 1/7/13.