Course Agenda

    1. Instructions

    1. Pretest Instructions

    2. Pretest

    1. Course Overview

    1. Introduction

    2. Print Posttest Study Guide

    3. Addiction as a Major Public Health Concern

    4. The Opioid Epidemic in the United States

    5. Opioid Subcategories

    6. Optional Video: Opioid Crisis Worsens During COVID-19 Pandemic

    1. Alcoholism as a Disease

    2. Self-Medication Hypothesis of Addiction

    3. Addiction Syndrome Theory

    4. Optional Resource: Drugs, Brains, and Behavior—The Science of Addiction

    1. Alcohol

    2. Required Video: How Americans' Drinking Habits Have Changed During the Pandemic (7:00 minutes)

    3. Tobacco

    4. Required Video: Vaping vs. Smoking: A Closer Look (5:29 minutes)

    5. Marijuana

    6. Required Video: Marijuana and the Developing Brain—Current State of Evidence (3:04 minutes)

    7. Synthetic Cannabinoids

    8. Required Video: Synthetic Cannabinoids (1:56 minutes)

    9. Optional Resource: NIDA Commonly Abused Drugs Chart

About this course

  • $36.00
  • 56 lessons

Course Details

Course Description

Substance-related disorders are complex, often misunderstood, and highly stigmatized. This course is designed to provide a brief clinical introduction to substance-related disorders as detailed in the DSM-5. The overall goal is to improve practitioners’ competency and skill in providing services to individuals, families, and communities struggling with substance-related disorders. The topics are specific to the United States and include a historical perspective on addiction, the most commonly used nonprescription substances, some of the current substance-related policies and practices, changes to substance-related disorders in the DSM-5, the importance of comprehensive screening and assessment tools, key strategies in effective treatment, and the continuum of integrated treatment. The stigma and discrimination experienced by those who have an addiction are also briefly discussed. To complete the course, participants read online content, view several short web-based video clips, access web-based documents, and must pass the online posttest with a score of 80% or better to print a certificate of completion.

Target Audience

California Pre-license Requirement: This and several other related modules can be used to meet the 15-hour pre-license requirement for coursework in alcohol and substance abuse for California licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), and licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) licenses.

Continuing Education: This module can be taken alone or in combination with any other substance-related modules as continuing education (CE) for licensed therapists and social workers nationwide.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, readers will be able to do the following:

  • Identify the concept of addiction in US historical, social, and cultural contexts.
  • Identify commonly held beliefs about substance-related disorders that can lead to stigma and discrimination and can impact policies and treatment approaches.
  • Identify the most commonly used nonprescription substances in the US.
  • Identify several controversial substance-related policies and practices in the US.
  • Identify the DSM-5’s changes to substance-related disorders and criteria.
  • Identify considerations and strategies related to screening and assessment of substance abuse, along with several assessment tools.
  • Identify key strategies in effective treatment of substance abuse, along with the components of integrated care.
  • Identify special considerations in working with specific high-risk populations, such as homeless adults and teens, and individuals with co-occurring disorders.

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