How to Conduct a Quality Substance Abuse Evaluation (2020 Version)

This is a recording of a 2.5-hour live broadcast webinar presented for the Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association (the Tampa Bay Area chapter of the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association), on 4/17/20.
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are common, affecting at least 1 of 3 adult Americans at some point in their lives. One of the many characteristics of SUDs that makes them unique is that the nature of the addictive process is such that denial, minimization, and lack of insight are a natural component of the development of the disorder. Accordingly, clients often deny, minimize, rationalize, and under-report, both intentionally and unintentionally, making clinical and forensic evaluations very challenging. Additionally, there are many incentives for clients to avoid full disclosure, because the stakes are often so high (e.g., child custody evaluations, employment evaluations, etc.). In spite of these challenges, there are many strategies and techniques that evaluators can use to differentiate fact from fiction, arriving at a solid and defensible conclusion that the clinician can feel confident with. This training was designed to provide clinicians with an overview of those strategies.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders, and apply the criteria in a case scenario.
2. Learn several questions that can be asked to determine if a client meets diagnostic criteria.
3. Identify tests that identify subtle attributes of SUDs and have built-in validity scales to detect defensiveness, denial, and inconsistencies.
4. Learn to use collateral sources for additional information, and identify what to look for when reviewing those sources to help determine diagnoses and treatment needs.
5. Explore the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) treatment criteria, and learn how to apply the criteria to the data obtained from the biopsychosocial assessment to determine a client's specific treatment needs.
Disclaimer: This video was posted for educational purposes only for trained and appropriately credentialed mental health professionals. CE credit for attendance is only available to those who attended the live event on 4/17/20.