Counseling Approaches to Promote Recovery From Problematic Substance Use Part 3: Recovery Maintenance E308

Course Summary

Practice Level: Intermediate

Problematic substance use affects individuals, families, and communities across the United States and costs the government billions of dollars annually.  Despite devastating health, social, and economic hardships, millions of Americans are actively engaged in recovery efforts to combat this rapidly rising crisis.  Clinicians are therefore likely to encounter clients and their families at various stages of recovery from problematic substance use. Chapter 4 of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s  Counseling Approaches to Promote Recovery from Problematic Substance Use: Recovery Maintenance strives to provide social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists with current, evidence-based information, resources, and tools to support their recovering clients in four essential domains: health, home, purpose, and community.  

The learning material begins by describing a variety of health issues related to problematic substance use, and ways that clinicians can assist their clients in overcoming barriers to care and achieving long-term health and wellness.  Clients in recovery are also at particular risk for homelessness and face a variety of obstacles in obtaining and maintaining a stable home. Therapists can provide help with housing needs as well as life skills training to maintain adequate housing.  Furthermore, clinicians can be essential in helping clients explore meaningful and rewarding activities to pursue a purposeful life.  Finally, this learning material prepares clinicians to connect their clients to social networks and community support. Clients most frequently request these types of services and find them crucial to sustain recovery efforts and reduce overdose deaths.  By supporting their clients in these four essential areas, clinicians can provide them with strategies, opportunities, resources, and hope for change that are essential for successful long-term recovery.  

Course Format

This course contains downloadable online lessons (PDF) and a practice test. When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe various health issues related to SUD and the clinician’s role in supporting their clients’ long-term health and well-being.
2. Identify barriers that clients with SUD might face in obtaining and maintaining adequate housing, as well as strategies to help clients mitigate those obstacles and develop essential life skills.
3. Explain the idea of purpose and ways to assist clients in developing their own sense of purpose. 
4. Discuss the importance of social and community support and how to enhance those connections throughout recovery.

Course Syllabus

• Recovery Maintenance Overview
  • Recovery principles and supportive dimensions
  • The clinician’s role in supporting long-term recovery
• Health
  • Healthcare access and barriers to care
  • Nutrition, exercise, and healthy sleep habits
• Home
  • Safe and stable housing options
  • Life skills, financial literacy, and healthy relationships
• Purpose
  • Recovery identity and meaningful activities
  • Education, employment, and volunteerism
• Community
  • Mutual-help groups and recovery community organizations
  • Digital recovery supports and privacy considerations
• Supplemental Resources
  • Treatment, housing, and wellness resources
  • Recovery support and assessment tools
• References

Author

SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA leads public health efforts that advance the behavioral health of the nation. On samhsa.gov SAMHSA states that its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on communities in America.

William A. Cook, Ph.D.

is a licensed psychologist who worked for 15 years in private practice in Montana before leaving his practice to work full time as the Director of CE4Less. He earned his doctorate degree from Texas A&M University, and focused much of his psychology practice in the area of child and family counseling, as well as psychological testing.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/08/2024–08/08/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits.

Level Education Group, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0355.

Level Education Group, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0835.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.