This course is designed to help answer the question “what really works in the treatment of addictions?” It offers a review of what we know to date about best practices in the treatment of addictions from beginning (goal setting, contracting, and choosing a treatment modality) to the end (when and how to terminate treatment). A variety of interventions in the treatment of substance abuse, including both moderation and harm reduction, will be reviewed for evidence of their effectiveness. This course also addresses “what works” in the treatment of a few special populations including problem gamblers, clients with concurrent disorders, culturally diverse clients, and significant others of clients who have addictions. Finally, there is a focus on the client as the most important agent of change in the therapeutic process.
