Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Cannabis and Opioid Use Disorders
Treatment planning for adults with complex mental health, substance use, and physical health needs involved understanding stages of change and system navigation. Collaborating with these individuals on their wellness and recovery planning requires motivational approaches and often interventions that are more effective for early stage readiness. The prevalence of cannabis and opioid use makes these cases even more demanding to navigate. Add to this, the opioid crisis in the U.S. Since 1999, sales of opioids in the U.S. have quadrupled. From 1999-2015, more than 180,000 people died from overdoses related to prescription opioids. It is now the #1 cause of accidental death for people under 50. Michigan is one of 31 states with laws allowing medicinal or recreational marijuana use. Opioids and cannabis have become our new legal drugs.
- Theories and concepts of human behavior in the social environment.
- Social work practice, knowledge and skills.
- Social work research, program evaluation, or practice evaluation.
- Social work agency management or administration.
- Pain/Pain symptom management, including but not limited to, behavior management, psychology of pain, behavior modification and stress management
- Be able to assess risk for opioid and cannabis use disorders with clients
- Be aware of the trends related to prescription and illegal opioid use and the risks of overdose death
- You will be able to explain scheduled medications and the role of cannabis and opioids as therapeutics as well as substances of abuse.
- Understand staging and stages of change, as well as how to use staging tools with clients and treatment teams to decide on appropriate interventions in dealing with cannabis and opioid use issues
Jennifer Harrison
PhD, LMSW, CAADC
Jennifer Harrison, PhD, LMSW, CAADC is a social worker, chemical addictions counselor, and an associate professor and interim director for the School of Social Work at Western Michigan University. Jennifer’s clinical work focuses on individuals with co-occurring needs. Her research interests and publication record include international social justice, co-occurring needs, and peer services in behavioral health. Her teaching focuses on field education, direct social work practice, and study abroad course development and partnerships in Guatemala, India, and Mexico. She is a lead reviewer for the Michigan Fidelity Assessment and Support Team (MiFAST), providing reviews, consultations, and trainings for organizations implementing evidence-based practices throughout the state and nation. Jennifer is a co-principal investigator in two HRSA funded projects to impact the interprofessional behavioral health workforce, I-PEER and MY-PROUD, and has developed a digital application for goal attainment scaling with interprofessional colleagues in occupational therapy called Goal Scaling Solutions, Inc.
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What People Are Saying
The course gave me a better understanding of the difficulties consumers endure concerning the stigma and prejudice of dealing with a mental illness."
