DISABILITIES AND 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/Module10IDisabilities/Module10I.html The Americans with Disabilities Act has increased the responsibility of alcoholism treatment programs to accommodate individuals with disabilities, but many individuals with a disability do not get needed alcoholism treatment. Social workers and others in the helping professions generally receive little education about disabilities, and even less about individuals with co-occurring disabilities and alcohol problems. Health care professionals also have their own experiences, beliefs and attitudes about alcohol problems that may inhibit recognition and referral to treatment. When an individual with a disability does not do well in alcoholism treatment, insufficient accommodation may be the root cause. Examples are a good way to increase the understanding of alcohol use disorders and co-occurring disabilities. Thus, this course discusses alcohol problems in conjunction with intellectual or cognitive disabilities (mental retardation and traumatic brain injury) and physical disabilities (spinal cord injury, deafness/other hearing difficulties, and blindness/ other visual impairment). These disability areas have received the most attention in the alcoholism literature. This course on alcohol use in persons with disabilities 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 the special needs of this population and substance abuse. 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 the alcohol use in persons with disabilities. Specifically, a professional will: Identify the relationship between alcohol use disorders and co-occurring disabilities. Identify the special needs of disabled persons with alcohol use disorders. Recognize ways to improve treatment of alcohol use disorders for individuals with co-occurring disabilities. Citation: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Module 10I Disabilities and Alcohol Use Disorder. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module10IDisabilities/Module10I.html on 2/11/13.