Treating the Addictions

2024 Course Overview

Information for the 2025 course is not yet available.

Amid the post-pandemic substance use and mental health crisis, clinicians are faced with a significant prevalence of these disorders in their patients. In urban, suburban and rural settings; for both insured and uninsured, addiction plagues our society and causes widespread suffering. 

Clinicians in this environment need immediate and practical strategies to help their patients manage and recover. How can primary and specialty care providers better communicate and integrate efforts? What are examples of feasible and successful group care models? How can patients be empowered toward self-healing? What are the emerging trends focused on trauma and mindfulness techniques? And crucially, how can clinicians prioritize their own self-care as the opioid epidemic continues? 

Join both new and longtime colleagues at this course to review the latest clinical findings and treatment strategies for addictive behaviors in adolescents and adults. We welcome all health care clinicians, including substance and mental health specialists as well as anyone concerned with the care and treatment of addicted individuals.

Who Should Attend

• Specialty Physicians  
• Primary Care Physicians 
• Psychologists  
• Social Workers 
• Counselors
• Nurses 
• Nurse Practitioners 
• Physician Assistants

Learning Objectives

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

• Review the trajectory of addiction recovery theory and practice over the past few decades.
• Summarize the latest trends and treatment strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.
• Discuss the challenges and keys to success for implementing group-based addiction care models.
• Outline strategies to increase and improve communication and integration between behavioral health specialists and primary care providers.
• Describe an innovative model for treating trauma and addiction.
• Summarize the clinical effects of using mindfulness-based techniques in treating addiction, and how to use them in practice.
• Review key harm reduction strategies.
• Apply skills to better counsel teens on the risks and benefits of cannabis.
• List several ways clinicians can promote their own mental health, reduce burnout and maintain resiliency.