Approaches for Working With Substance Use and Co-occurring Disorders
Overview
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that in 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older struggled with a substance use disorder, and almost 59.3 million (or almost 1 in 4) adults aged 18 or older had any mental illness. Additionally, approximately 75% of adults diagnosed with a substance use disorder have not received any form of treatment (NIH, 2015). These statistics demonstrate the need for mental health treatment providers to be equipped to not only support clients who struggle with mental illness, but also with co-occurring substance use disorder.
In this training, providers will gain an understanding of substance use and co-occurring disorders, along with considerations for treatment and resources to refer clients to the appropriate services when needed. Providers will also learn skills and practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and motivational interviewing (MI) that can be applied when working with clients who experience these disorders, along with exploring ways providers can engage in their own self-care. This training is intended for field-based mental health and outreach workers in Los Angeles County. Anytime session recorded on September 9 & 11, 2024.
Learning objectives
- Describe symptoms and diagnostic criteria of substance use disorder, as defined by DSM-5
- Identify and define 4 common co-occurring disorders found in populations of those diagnosed with substance use disorder
- Describe techniques and skills from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and motivational interviewing (MI) that can be used to support clients with symptoms of substance use disorder
- Discuss the importance of provider self-care to promote the ethical care and wellbeing of clients and providers