Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders: Screening, Assessment and Treatment.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students with junior status in the social work and mental health minor or by permission of the program director or course instructor. The course will provide a foundational understanding of substance use disorder and other co-occurring conditions. The impact of substance use on co-occurring mental health conditions will be explored through the lens of race, gender, sexual orientation, geography, biological and epigenetic factors. The course introduces the prevalence of co-occurring disorders. Students learn how to conceptualize co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and how their interaction affects screening, assessment and treatment. The course will briefly discuss and describe 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 and interventions, including treatment planning, assessment, and evidence-based practices utilized in treating SUD and co-occurring disorders. The course is taught through an anti-racist, trauma-focused, healing-centered lens. Readings, podcasts, assignments and lectures will be taught/delivered through this lens.