Treating Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

Course overview

This course is based upon material published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and is available as an open-access article. Public awareness of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has shifted dramatically since it was dubbed a silent epidemic in 1980. However, appreciation of its effects has not garnered the attention of professionals outside of medical rehabilitation. Particularly among behavioral health specialists, a gap remains in knowledge about TBI, understanding its implications for behavioral health conditions (i.e., mental illness and substance use disorders), and active consideration of treatment implications.3 This Advisory briefly summarizes key elements of TBI and describes its relevance to behavioral health, including recommendations for how behavioral health professionals can better meet the needs of patients who have a history of TBI. This course on traumatic brain injury is designed for social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for beginning and intermediate level practitioners who wish to develop their abilty to assess and treat clients with TBI. The course material includes a literature review of interventions and research. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. Authors: SAMHSA Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding traumatic brain injury (TBI). Specifically, a professional will: Recognize the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries. Identify the characteristics of TBI Identify treatment methods for TBIs Citation: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Treating Clients with Traumatic Brain Injury (Updated). Advisory. Publication No. PEP21-05-03-001 Published August 2021