Substance Use Disorder treatment is often hampered by systemic challenges, including rigid or outdated treatment models, limited integration of new evidence-based practices, and difficulty retaining patients in care. The core clinical problem is a significant gap between existing clinical evidence and application in real-world settings, frequently resulting in high relapse rates and inadequate patient outcomes. This lecture will directly address these obstacles by presenting innovative, practical solutions, such as effective engagement strategies, technology-assisted interventions, and streamlined care coordination models. By focusing on concrete, actionable tools, this presentation will empower clinicians to change their behavior by immediately integrating at new, accessible, evidence-based practices into their workflow, ultimately leading to improved patient engagement and better long-term recovery outcomes.
Target Audience
This activity is intended for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other mental health professionals.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, attendees will be able to:
- Identify current challenges, evidence-based best practices, and significant modern research breakthroughs within the field of substance use treatment
- Understand strategies social workers can develop based on relevant concepts, theories, and principles to manage change, creativity, and innovation within the field of substance use disorder treatment
- Define how social workers implement effective strategies for treating substance use disorders, considering the complexities of rapidly changing and diverse treatment environments
- Differentiate and apply at least two novel, technology-assisted interventions that can effectively improve patient engagement and retention in SUD treatment
- Evaluate and develop strategies to address systemic barriers (e.g., stigma, access, and workforce shortages) that impede the successful implementation of innovative and integrated SUD care models in clinical settings