Addiction and Co-Occurring Disorders: Assessment, Engagement, and Effective Treatment

Course overview

Individuals with an addiction to substances and a co-occurring mental health disorder (COD) present unique challenges for clinicians. This course is designed to provide specific information as to what practitioners must do in order to deliver integrated and effective treatment. This course will highlight the DSM-5 changes for Substance Use Disorders (SUD), present a model for conceptualizing COD cases in a straightforward manner, and demonstrate how to avoid frustration when working with these difficult cases through specific engagement counseling strategies, such as motivational interviewing. The major drugs of abuse will be examined, along with specific recommendations for prevention and treatment, including the use medication-assisted treatment (MAT).