Certified Addictions-Informed Mental Health Professional (CAIMHP): Two-Day Intensive Competency Training – Paul Brasler

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America is facing an epidemic of substance misuse, but there’s a major obstacle to getting people the help they need: There’s simultaneously a nationwide lack of training in addiction treatment for professionals as well as a massive need for people with this training. These problems are severe; many future mental health providers are graduating without ever completing a single course in substance abuse treatment.

But substance abuse is very much part of the real world of mental health treatment – even if that’s not why your clients came into your office. Be prepared to recognize substance use and get your clients the help they need.

Watch me, Paul Brasler, LCSW, for this intensive two-day seminar and I’ll walk you through numerous proven strategies and interventions that you need to effectively recognize and treat substance use disorders.

Watch this program, and through a combination of the latest addiction research and clear examples of treatment, you’ll learn:

• How to differentiate between casual misuse and addiction
• Who you should treat and when you should refer out
• Techniques to improve client engagement and treatment compliance
• How to modify your interventions for use with special clinical populations, including veterans

Best of all, upon completion of this live training, you’ll be eligible to become a Certified Addictions-Informed Professional (CAIMHP) through Evergreen Certifications. Certification lets colleagues, employers, and clients know that you’ve invested the extra time and effort necessary to understand the complexities of treating addictions in clients. Professional standards apply. Visit?www.evergreencertifications.com/caimhp for details. 

*We partner with Evergreen Certifications to include certification with some of our products. When you purchase such a product we may disclose your information to Evergreen Certifications for purposes of providing services directly to you or to contact you regarding relevant offers.

1. Appraise the causes of substance use disorders & factors that reinforce drug use as related to case conceptualization.
2. Analyze the basic neurobiology of addictive chemicals and its treatment implications.
3. Categorize commonly misused drugs, including current “street names” of these substances, as related to assessment and treatment planning.
4. Assess the signs and symptoms of substance intoxication and distinguish withdrawal syndromes for each drug class as related to case conceptualization.
5. Perform a clinical assessment to distinguish substance use disorders from other mental health disorders and inform the clinician’s choice of treatment interventions.
6. Analyze the various levels of substance use treatment, including medication-assisted therapies, to inform clinical treatment interventions.
7. Evaluate the process of detoxification and its treatment implications.
8. Utilize clinical strategies, such as motivational interviewing, to improve client engagement and foster behavioral change.
9. Modify clinical interventions for use with clients in special populations, such as adolescents or pregnant women.
10. Utilize clinical strategies to engage the client’s family in treatment to improve treatment outcomes.
11. Demonstrate strategies used to improve the efficacy of group therapy, such as strategies for addressing disruptive members and building group cohesion.
12. Evaluate ethical and legal issues related to substance use and substance use treatment, including circumstances when you should disclose client records.

The Science Behind Substance Use Disorders

• Biopsychosocial aspects of substance abuse
• Attachment & trauma
• The brain’s reward system
• How metabolism impacts substance abuse

Signs of Intoxication & Withdrawal Symptoms

• Alcohol & other depressants
• Stimulants
• Opioids
• Cannabinoids
• Psychoactive plants & chemicals
• Inhalants

Assessment of Substance Use Disorders

• How to ask sensitive intake questions
• Take-home screening tools
• Identify substances that mimic other disorders
• Spot co-occurring disorders & trauma
• How to navigate a high risk of misdiagnosis
• Non-invasive drug screenings

Treatment Planning: Determine Level of Care

• How to approach level of care decisions
• Why detox alone is NOT treatment
• Detox protocols
• Types of inpatient & outpatient treatment
• When is partial hospitalization necessary
• Which treatment level is right for your client?

Recognize & Treat Behavioral/Process Addictions

• Compulsive gambling
• Compulsive sexual behaviors
• Electronic addictions

Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Strategies to Improve Client Engagement & Treatment Compliance

• Motivational interviewing
• Reward gains & treatment compliance
• Case management: Link the client to resources
• Medication-assisted treatment

Psychodynamic Approaches

• The role of the ego in addiction & recovery
• Identify & confront defense mechanisms
• Recognize & heal past trauma

Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions

• Apply the A-B-C model to substance abuse
• Recognize triggers to use
• Foster coping skills
• Deconstruct negative schemas

Substance Use Disorders & The Family

• The family’s role in recovery
• Family member roles: Enablers & heroes
• Overcome family rules that block progress
• When the client is shielded form consequences
• How & when to engage the entire family

Treatment Strategies for Special Populations

• Children & adolescents
• Active military & veterans
• LGBTQ clients
• Pregnant women
• Older adults

Group Therapy Strategies

• Handling intoxicated members
• How group support works differently
• Barriers to treatment
• Getting people to talk
• Spotting dealers within the group
• Referring to 12-step groups & alternatives

Legal & Ethical Issues in Treating Substance Use Disorders

• Privacy laws & when you should disclose
• Impaired practitioners
• Working with incarcerated clients
• Drug treatment courts
• Bias in treating recovering clients
• Recognize & address vicarious trauma
• Limitations of the research & potential risks