Chemical Dependence and Substance Use Disorders: Prevention and Treatment

Fulfills requirement: California pre-licensure for LCSWs, LPCCs, and MFTs. This course is also offered as part of a Pre-Licensing Savings Package. Note: For psychologists looking to fulfill CA pre-licensure requirements, the 15 hours of coursework in Chemical Dependency must be completed at an academic institution.

According to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use, approximately 16.8% of people ages 12 years or older have had a substance use disorder in the past year, including 27.9 million people with an alcohol use disorder and 28.2 million people with a drug use disorder. Although these statistics can be helpful in understanding the scope of the problem, they do not fully capture the impacts on individuals, families, institutions, and entire communities. Indeed, chemical dependence is a complex public health, mental health, and social issue.

Chemical dependence often is understood as a chronic, relapsing medical condition with long-term changes in brain reward pathways and stress regulation systems. Although there are various effective treatments (including psychotherapy, medications, and recovery support services), many people who need care receive it too late, receive inadequate treatment, or do not receive it at all. Many people struggle with chemical dependence for years without receiving professional help due to lack of access to services, financial barriers, stigma and fear of judgment, and lack of awareness about available treatments.

This intermediate-level course begins with the scope of the problem of chemical dependence from a public health perspective. It provides an overview of many of the more common substances that mental health professionals are likely to encounter in their work with clients across their lifespan. Content also addresses two additional layers of complexity – polysubstance use and comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders – and covers risk factors, prevention, and harm reduction. The second half of the course shifts to various topics in intervention. It identifies the mechanisms for behavior change with and without treatment and explores the relationship between stress and relapse. The course concludes with an in-depth exploration of the range of evidence-based assessments and treatments, including culturally responsive approaches.

Content consists of original written content, fourteen open-access journal articles, and two interviews with experts in the field of substance abuse treatment – Larry Fritzlan, a marriage and family therapist who works with families and Alan Marlatt, a psychologist who utilizes mindfulness skills. All content is available in audio and written formats.

Disclaimer: This course is purely educational and does not intend to serve as a license (or permission) to mental health professionals to prescribe or practice any of the approaches discussed in this course unless they fall within the scope of practice of your profession. Check with your licensing board about the scope of practice of your profession to make sure you practice within that scope. It also does not serve as permission to title yourself in any specific way.