In addition to an emphasis on alcohol use disorder — especially the underlying neurobiology and medication intervention — this online CME course explores opioid use disorder, medication treatment options and how best to use them, and at-risk subpopulations. Assessment and Effective Treatment of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Disorders is psychiatry continuing medical education that takes an in-depth look at:

• Nonmedication treatment options, including behavioral strategies and pharmacological interventions
• The role of psychotherapy, referral to AA, and SMART Recovery
• Helping family members of patients with substance use disorders
• Techniques to deal with the unmotivated patient’s denial, ambivalence, and reluctance to change, demonstrating how to motivate, persuade and confront effectively
• Assessment and treatment of patients with co-occurring disorders such as trauma

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be better able to:

• Evaluate indications for and use of common substance use disorder medications
• Develop helpful strategies for family members of those with substance use disorders
• Determine options for abstinence vs. cutting down
• Distinguish substance-induced disorders vs. independent psychiatric illness
• Refer patients knowledgeably to mutual-help groups such as AA or SMART Recovery
• Evaluate key properties of the common drugs of abuse
• Practice techniques to deal with denial, ambivalence, and reluctance to change
• Demonstrate how to motivate, persuade and confront effectively
• Develop helpful strategies for patients who want to cut down but who you think should abstain
• Analyze models of both psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments for patients with substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric illness

Target Audience

This educational activity was designed for health professionals in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, nursing, social work, counseling, medicine, pediatrics and surgery.

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