High-Functioning Alcoholics and Substance Users

CPD

Handouts

Speaker

Sarah Allen Benton, MS, LMHC, LPC, AADC Related seminars and products

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Sarah Allen Benton, MS, LMHC, LPC, AADC is the author of the book Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic and has been featured frequently in the media, including the New York Times. She has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, “The Today Show”, “The CBS Early Show”, NPR, and is a blogger for www.PsychologyToday.com.

A Licensed Mental Health Counselor and co-owner of Benton Behavioral Health Consulting, LLC, Sarah is a clinical consultant for Aware Recover Care and the former director of clinical services at Aware Recovery Care, a home-based addiction treatment in North Haven, CT. She is also a clinical consultant for The Strathmore House transitional sober living for men in Boston, MA. She worked previously as an outpatient therapist specializing in addiction treatment at Insight Counseling in Ridgefield, CT, Turnbridge young adult male addiction treatment in New Haven, CT and at McLean Hospital at McLean Brook transitional living program for dual diagnosis in Belmont, MA.

Sarah approaches addiction from the position of a counselor with lived experience, having been in long term recovery from alcoholism since February 2004.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sarah Benton is the co-owner of Benton Behavioral Health Consulting, LLC and has an employment relationship with Aware Recovery Care. She is a published author and receives royalties. Sarah Benton receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sarah Benton has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Objectives

1. Explore how the DSM-IV TR® and DSM-5® diagnostic criteria relates to high-functioning users of alcohol and other substances.
2. Assess how the unique characteristics and treatment challenges of working with high-functioning alcoholics informs clinical approach with this population.
3. Formulate a treatment plan for working with high-functioning drug users based on the stages of change model of overcoming addiction.
4. Investigate how evidence-based integrated treatment approaches can be employed by clinicians working with dual diagnosis clients.
5. Assess the benefits and limitations of 12-step programs on dual diagnosis treatment and employ strategies for effective integration into client care.
6. Communicate how shame can negatively impact therapy for substance use disorders and analyze the role of compassion and forgiveness in the addiction treatment process.

Outline

• How stereotypes hide functioning alcoholics and drug users
• The profile of the high-functioning person in active addiction
• Challenges of diagnosing and working with high-functioning young adults
• Early recovery patterns – low functioning vs. high functioning

• The myth of shame as a motivator for recovery
• The latest research on shame and addiction
• Compassion-based communication techniques to:
  • Bring shame into the light
  • Break down defensiveness
• The role of self-compassion in addiction treatment
• Recovery pride

• The impact of co-occurring disorders on addiction treatment outcomes
• DSM-5® and diagnosing high-functioning alcoholism and addiction
• Initial screening approaches
• Assessment tools to identify
  • High functioning alcoholics and substance users
  • Presence of co-occurring disorders
  • Readiness for change
  • Strengths that support recovery
• Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome vs. mental health symptoms

• Shattered Vase Exercise – plant the seeds of possibility
• Creating narratives
• Letter writing
• Positive remembering and repositioning
• Reframe the meaning

• Crisis intervention – when and how
• How to establish rapport and trust
• Collaborative goal setting
• Establishing a behavioral plan
• Targeted treatment approaches for Dual Diagnosis clients
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Identify and challenge cognitive distortions about substance use
  • Create positive reframes
• Motivational Interviewing
  • Treatment strategies based on readiness for change
  • Motivational tools – keep clients in treatment
  • Harm reduction – meeting clients where they are at
• Narrative Therapy and case example
  • Personal stories of change and forming non-addiction identities
• Non-traditional addiction treatment
• Using family system leverage to motivate change
• Family agreements and contracts

• 12-Step programs – benefits and limitations with high functioning clients
• Program models and language
• Supporting dual diagnosis treatment
• Effective strategies for integrating 12-Step models into treatment

• Research and research limitations
• How private pay care keeps the high-functioning population under the radar
• When clients don’t identify as being alcoholic

Target Audience

• Social Workers 
• Counselors 
• Psychologists
• Addiction Counselors
• Case Managers
• Nurses 
• Public Health Department Staff
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Other Mental Health Professionals

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