Treatment Issues
New ResearchNew Resources
Useful Publications
Useful Websites
New Research
Half of Treatment Facilities Prepared to Address Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Disorders in Adolescents
Almost all facilities that treat significant numbers of children and adolescents for substance abuse conduct comprehensive substance abuse assessments (97 percent). However, only half of these facilities also conduct comprehensive mental health assessments according to a study sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published in the July, 2006 issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
New Co-Occurring Disorders Publications Available from SAMHSA
Co-occurring mental and substance use disorders affect approximately 4.6 million individuals in the United States. However, only a small percentage of these individuals receive treatment that addresses both disorders. SAMHSA’s Co-Occurring Center for Excellence (COCE) has just released in print the first of a series of brief publications for treatment professionals on co-occurring mental and substance use disorders.
SAMHSA Releases a Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) on Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment
SAMHSA released a new Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP 45) “Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment.” The new TIP provides clinicians with the latest information on detoxification; emphasizes that by itself, detoxification does not constitute complete substance abuse treatment; and identifies the necessity for linking patients in detoxification with substance abuse treatment services.
Useful Publications
A Quick Guide to Finding Effective Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment
CSAT/SAMHSA
www.samhsa.gov/centers/csat/content/12tips/index.html
This short guide has 12 questions to consider when selecting a treatment plan for a drug addiction problem. The guide indicates that not all treatment plans are right for everyone, and thus this guide should be used to find the right plan.
Drugs, Alcohol and HIV/AIDS: A Consumer Guide
SAMHSA’s Knowledge Application Program
This 2-page brochure is for substance abuse treatment program clients who may be involved in risky behaviors associated with HIV/AIDS. It explains the increased risk of HIV transmission among people who abuse substances and provides resource and contact information The information in the brochure is based on Treatment Improvement Protocol 37, Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons with HIV/AIDS.
Let’s Talk Facts About Substance Abuse and Addiction
American Psychiatric Association
www.psych.org/public_info/substance.cfm
This fact sheet presents information about the consequences of use and addiction to several drugs including: alcohol, marijuana, stimulants, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, sedatives, and nicotine. It also shares information about treatment for such addictions.
Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research Based Guide
National Institute on Drug Abuse
www.nida.nih.gov/PODAT/PODATindex.html
NIDA prepared this guide to share the results of the extensive body of scientific research conducted over the past three decades effective approaches to drug addiction treatment. The first section of the guide summarizes basic overarching principles that characterize effective treatment. The next section elaborates on these principles by providing answers to frequently raised questions, as supported by the available scientific literature. The last section describes the types of treatment, and is followed by examples of scientifically based and tested treatment components.
Useful Websites
Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network
www.nattc.org
The ATTC Network—funded by SAMHSA—strives to disseminate the latest science to the treatment community, and is dedicated to identifying and advancing opportunities for improving addiction treatment. Their website provide resources on addiction such as easy to read summaries of cutting-edge research from Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, news from the treatment field, and publications covering various addiction-related topics.
NAADAC the Association for
Addiction Professionals
www.naadac.org/
NAADAC is a professional membership organization that serves counselors who
specialize in addiction treatment. Their website showcases their various publications
that are aimed at increasing the knowledge base of alcohol and drug counselors,
as well as their events, membership information, links, among other resources.
The National Center on Addiction
and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) www.casacolumbia.org/absolutenm/templates/article.asp?articleid=287&zoneid=32
CASA is a national organization that brings together various professional disciplines
needed to study and combat substance abuse of all substances by providing information
about the economic and social costs of substance abuse, assessing what works
in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement and provide practitioners with
tools among other strategies. The CASA website gives information on the organizations
reports and publications.
Web of Addictions
www.well.com/user/woa/
This website provides helpful information about alcohol and other drug addictions.
The site aims to provide a resource for teachers, students and others who need
factual information about abused drugs. The site includes fact sheets about
individual drugs and other drug-related information, links to other organizations,
news on addiction, among other resources.
