Description

An unremitting epidemic of opioid use and overdose deaths highlights the need for all mental health therapists, regardless of professional discipline or specialty area, to know how to evaluate, diagnose, engage, treat, and/or refer opioid-using clients they are likely to encounter in office-based practice and other clinical settings. Although medication is often the first-line treatment for opioid dependence, the combination of targeted pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy is often more effective than either one alone. This presentation will describe the scope and consequences of opioid use; the clinical pharmacology of opioid drugs, clinical assessment and diagnosis, individualized treatment planning, medications for treating opioid use disorders (including buprenorphine and naltrexone), and a client-centered psychotherapeutic approach that integrates evidence-based behavioral and pharmacological interventions within a harm reduction framework. Lecture material will be interspersed with case vignettes to illustrate the clinical application of this approach.

Learning Objectives

As a result of attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Summarize the scope and public health consequences of opioid use in the U.S.
• Explain the unique pharmacological actions of opioids in the body and brain.
• Describe the most effective medications for treating opioid dependence and specific indications for their use.
• Summarize the components of an individualized client-centered approach that integrates pharmacological and behavioral interventions.

Instructor Bio

Dr. Washton is a psychologist, book author, and founder of The Washton Group, a private practice specializing on the treatment of substance use disorders in executives, professionals, adolescents, and young adults. He has served as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, director of several nationally recognized addiction treatment programs, principal investigator of research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and consultant to professional sports teams, government agencies, media organizations, and major corporations. He has also served as substance abuse advisor to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, special committees of The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and the American Psychological Association. Dr. Washton has authored over 100 journal articles and nine books including “Treating Alcohol and Drug Problems in Psychotherapy Practice: Doing What Works” (2^nd Edition, 2022).

For more information and registration, click here.