This course is based upon course material developed and deployed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The course material was specifically developed for the training of clinicians who work with clients who may use or abuse alcohol. The course material can be found on the NIAAAs website at the following link: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module7CoordinatedCareSystems/Module7.html
This course examines issues and examples for social workers engaged with individuals who experience alcohol use problems. It encourages the development of coordinated systems of care-systems that replicate a full array or continuum of options.
Individuals with alcohol use problems are identified in a broad array of settings and many are identified at increasingly earlier stages. A growing awareness that most alcohol-related problems are experienced by persons who do not fit the traditional definition of alcoholic (Institute of Medicine, 1990) has led to increased case finding of individuals with non-dependent drinking problems. As a result, persons with all levels of alcohol problems are identified in child protection programs, voluntary family support agencies, employee assistance programs, inpatient and outpatient psychiatric facilities, health care settings, public financial support programs, schools, faith-based organizations, vocational rehabilitation settings, and traditional alcohol treatment programs.
A growing body of alcohol treatment research suggests that alcohol dependent persons may require a wide variety of services to achieve sobriety and minimize continuing relapse (Institute of Medicine, 1990; Cummings, 1991). The result is a movement to develop coordinated systems of care that acknowledge:
1) individuals with alcohol use problems are encountered in other than alcohol treatment settings,
2) persons with alcohol-related problems experience a multiplicity of needs, and
3) public and private treatment innovations must be considered.
This course on coordinated care systems for alcohol problems is useful for clinical social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, and chemical dependency counselors who practice and need continuing education. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their understanding of alcohol abuse and dependence coordinated care systems.
Authors: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding coordinated care systems in the treatment of alcohol use disorders. Specifically, a professional will:
· Define and provide rationales for coordinated care systems for individuals with alcohol use problems.
· Recognize major components of a service system for individuals with alcohol use problems (i.e., child welfare, primary health/mental health, social service, and criminal justice systems).
· Identify barriers to coordinated care in the AODA service delivery system.
Citation: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Module 7