Co-Occurring Disorders for Addiction Professionals

Substance use disorders (SUDs) affect many aspects of a person’s life, including their mental health, physical health, social relationships, vocational endeavors and more. We also know that many clients in treatment for SUDs also have a co-occurring mental health disorder. Providers need to understand the interconnected nature of co-occurring disorders (CODs) in order to provide effective treatment and target interventions to the client’s needs. The SUD treatment professional must be familiar with basic terminology and issues of the mental health field in addition to the latest research related to substance use disorders. This course introduces the epidemiology, prevalence and science of CODs. Students learn how to conceptualize co-occurring mental health, substance use, and physical health disorders and how their interaction affects screening, assessment, and treatment. The course describes common mental health disorders that frequently co-occur with substance use, including depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity, post-traumatic stress and personality disorders. The course also describes treatment considerations, including multidimensional screening, assessment, treatment planning and an overview of evidence-based practices for CODs which include motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, medication-assisted treatments and integrated behavioral health interventions.