Trauma-Informed Treatment and Treatment of the Addictions

Catalog description

The first half of this course will provide an overview of trauma, including responses to trauma, the neuroscience of trauma, assessment, and the types of traumatic events such as natural and man-made disasters, sexual and physical abuse, and adult-onset trauma. Relevant theoretical and evidence-supported treatment models will be discussed in relation to specific types of trauma. The importance of clinician responses to direct and indirect exposure will be discussed, including secondary and shared trauma responses. Case material will be used to illustrate core components of trauma-informed care, application of specific models, and the impact of trauma on client-clinician interactions. The use and abuse of substances and addiction to alcohol and other drugs, as well as behavioral addictions such as gambling, are pervasive among social work clients. This part of the course will provide an overview of the scope of addictive problems, their impact on individuals, families and communities, the various etiological formulations, including the role of neurobiology, family and social factors, and become familiar with the latest in evidence-based interventions that can be utilized by social workers in clinical settings.