SUD Treatment and Integrated Family Counseling

Course overview

This course is based upon material published as an update to a previously published Treatment Improvement Protocol by SAMHSA and is available as an open-access article. This course discusses common issues you may face as a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment provider using an integrated family counseling approach. It also presents family-centered counseling strategies you can use to overcome these challenges. This part of the SAMHSA TIP will help you determine when to use family-based interventions across the continuum of care, whom to involve in those interventions, and what to consider when providing screening and assessment in a family context. It also summarizes the goals of family involvement in a clients SUD treatment and identifies your role in providing integrated family counseling and the stages of family counseling. Family involvement can positively affect SUD treatment engagement and retention. Whether you provide individual or group treatment, family member psychoeducation, or counseling for couples or families as part of your organizations treatment program, it is important to keep a family-centered focus. Because most SUD treatment services and reimbursement are geared toward individuals who initially present for treatment, the first step in providing integrated family counseling for SUD treatment is to ask the individual client whom he or she considers to be family. Who are the significant people in the clients life who can support the clients recovery and also benefit from family-based interventions? This Substance Use Disorder and Family Therapy course is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge of research-based family therapy interventions for SUD. 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 integrated family counseling and the treatment of SUD. Specifically, a professional will: 1. Identify when integrated family treatment should be used across the continuum of care. 2. Describe what should be considered when providing screening and assessment in a family context. 3. Summarize the goals of family involvement in SUD treatment. Citation: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Family Therapy. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 39. SAMHSA Publication No. PEP20-02-02-012. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2020. Chapter 4.