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Abstract & Objectives: 

This training examines co-occurring disorders and their relationship to relapse with substance use disorders (SUDS), provides insights for novice as well as seasoned counselors,  and offers evidenced-based approaches to relapse prevention, or “recurrence of acuity” in the emerging medical paradigm. According to ASAM,  “Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry.”

Not every clinician has resources or training to help clients with co-occurring disorders. A slight departure from the former “dual diagnosis” nomenclature, co-occurring disorders may mean multiple, sometime unsuccessful treatments for clients, and a bewilderment for helping professionals.   It is paramount to understand addiction, relapse and recovery before helping co-occurring clients.  Understanding diagnostic criteria, having empathy for a complicated client, and sorting through the presentation of multiple issues, the clinician needs to quickly, effectively, and accurately describe a snapshot of priorities for client needs, reflected in specific,  behavioral treatment planning, and commensurate, integrated, timely staff response. 

Participants in this workshop will better understand

1.  Prevalence and demographics of most common co-occurring disorders
2. Complications of addictive disease, client recovery and relapse dynamics
3. Screening and assessment methods for clients with co-occurring disorders
4. Integrated treatment challenges,  modalities,  and benchmarks for success with this sometimes difficult population.

Outline:

• Addiction, healthy remission, recurrence of acuity
• Differential diagnosis, and variables of successful remission: importance of integrated treatment
• Prevalence and demographics of co-occurring d/o
• Screening and assessing for co-occurring
• Extending periods of healthy remission
• Shortening periods of unhealthy behavior, cognitions and emotions
• wrap / evaluation