Integrating Harm Reduction Into the Clinical Setting: Maintaining Connection When Working with Addiction

Kimberly May, LPC-S, LMFT is a therapist and the founder of Substance Use Therapy in Austin, TX. Kimberly specializes in serving individuals, couples, and families whose lives have been impacted by substance use. She works from a harm reduction model to support people wherever they are on the continuum of use. Kimberly has worked in harm reduction and community mental health programs since 2009. Her passion is empowering people to make changes on their terms and works to foster this through compassion, pragmatism, and collaboration. In addition to her clinical work, Kimberly has provided training to clinicians, physicians, paraprofessionals, and law enforcement, all with the goal of enhancing our capacity to do our most important work-helping people be well.

Integrating Harm Reduction into the Clinical Setting: Maintaining Connection When Working with Addiction
with Kim May, LPC-S, LMFT

This course begins by taking the learner through key aspects of the war on drugs and various models of addiction to demonstrate the legal, political, and scientific influences and how they have served to create such a dire need for compassion in the treatment of addiction. Module 2 begins to deepen the understanding of addiction from a biopsychosocial model and how to conceptualize addiction as an adaptation. In the third module, learners will see how harm reduction is implemented into the clinical setting which is critical to furthering radical compassion. Module 4 will provide the learner with helpful tools and modalities to integrate into their work, bolstering their capabilities to effectively work with addiction. The final module is focused on clinician needs, including common traps to avoid and how to minimize feelings of helplessness in working with addiction.

Education Goals: Learners will have gained knowledge of the roots of stigma within addiction and have knowledge and tools to conceptualize addiction in more nuanced, person-centered, and strengths-based ways. Learners will understand how to apply the harm reduction framework into their clinical work and have tools and knowledge to connect with their clients more deeply. Overall, learners will be prepared to serve clients with a wide range of concerns related to substance use from a place of compassion.

Integrating Harm Reduction into the Clinical Setting:
Maintaining Connection When Working with Addiction
with Kim May, LPC-S, LMFT Course Agenda
5.5 Hours – 5.5 CEs

 

Module 1: What is Addiction? – Pre-recorded Teaching Videos – 63 Minutes
Overview: Understanding key aspects of the war on drugs helps highlight the depth of the stigma faced in addiction. A review of the prevailing models of addiction facilitates the learner in their conceptualization of addiction, as well seeing how various models and beliefs have contributed to both internal and external stigmas surrounding addiction. Session content:
• The War on People: how the war on drugs has become in many respects a war on people (15 mins)
• Look Closer at Addiction? how to begin to look deeper & challenge misconceptions (11 mins)
• Choices & Personality: debunking bad choice theory and the myth of the addictive personality (7 mins)
• Genetics and Addiction: exploring the role of genetics in addiction (7 mins)
• The Disease Model of Addiction: what it means, modern criticisms, and the insufficiency of the disease model (9 mins)
• Helpless, Learning and Complexity: learning the role of helplessness and seeing addiction as a learning disorder (14 mins) Module 2: Deepening Our View of Addiction – Pre-recorded Teaching Videos 
Overview: Conceptualizing addiction as a human problem rather than a drug problem. Understanding the research behind drug, set, and setting and how drug use may be considered adaptive from a biopsychosocial perspective. Session content:
• Addiction is a human problem: a look a drug use in the absence of addiction (7 mins)
• Drug, Set, and Setting: Delving into Zinberg’s research and how the learner can use drug, set and setting as a framework for assessment (15 mins)
• Rituals, Sanctions and Rats: how having meaningful and practical rituals and sanctions help prevent addiction (14 mins)
• Drug Use as an Adaptation: utilizing the biopsychosocial model as assessment, understanding and connection (13 mins)
• Compassion is Part of the Cure: how to broaden our views and leverage our humanity to deepen connection and develop compassion (11 mins) Module 3: Bringing Harm Reduction into Your Office – Pre-recorded Teaching Videos
Overview: An overview of harm reduction and the foundations of applying into the clinical setting. Learning the therapeutic stance in harm reduction and non-binary approaches to change, supports the learner to implement a range of tools to serve clients wherever they are on the continuum of use. Session content:
• What is harm reduction? Key components of harm reduction, examples and the basics needed to apply in work with clients. (11 mins)
• The Therapeutic Stance in Harm Reduction: clinician neutrality and the role of ambivalence (14 mins)
• Blinded by Compliance: deeper exploration of how to work with people in active addiction when abstinence is not the goal (12 mins)
• Navigating Change: non-binary approach to change (9 mins)
• Ways to Change: Safety & Control: Exploring client change through safety and control options (9 mins)
• Ways to Change: Moderation & Abstinence: Exploring client change through moderation and abstinence (11 mins)
• Reframing Failure: Reconceptualizing failure and the role of diagnostic overshadowing (7 mins) Module 4: Deepening Harm Reduction Therapy – Pre-recorded Teaching Videos
Overview: Helpful modalities and tools to bolster the learner’s work in addiction, as well as tools to assist clients in sustaining change. Session content:
• Stages of Change, part 1: introduction to the transtheoretical model of change and how to use it with clients (14 mins)
• Stages of Change, part 2: continuation of how to use the transtheoretical model of change with clients (12 mins)
• Motivational Interviewing: key concepts from motivational interviewing (10 mins)
• CBT part 1: ABCs, 2 Systems, and helping clients identify their thoughts, feelings, and increase body awareness (12 mins)
• CBT part 2: Common cognitive distortions and Socratic Questioning (8 mins)
• Sustaining change, part 1: Time and the body (11 mins)
• Sustaining Change, part 2: The mind and connection (9 mins) Module 5: Maintaining Connection – Pre-recorded Teaching Videos
Overview: In order to meaningfully support the learner in working with addiction, this module focuses on common traps to avoid ensuring best practices. Additionally, working with dual diagnosis, how to understand the nuance in substance use and to work meaningfully to reduce stigma are covered. Additionally, key concepts like compassion fatigue, burnout and helplessness are addressed. Session content:
• It Might Get Weird: an acknowledgement of unusual circumstances that can occur in working with addiction (8 mins)
• Common Traps in Addiction Work, 1-3: avoiding common pitfalls to best serve the population & to maintain connection and compassion (14 mins)
• Common Traps in Addiction Work, 4-6: avoiding common pitfalls to best serve the population & to maintain connection and compassion (11 mins)
• Essential Therapuetic Considerations: looking at dual diagnosis and how to find the nuance in addiction (12 mins)
• Destigmatization and Common Themes in Addictions: using language and reframing to work with clients to destigmatize and an exploration of common themes in clients with addiction (14 mins)
• Client Success and Compassion Fatigue: non-traditional success stories and helping the learner navigate compassion fatigue (9 mins)
• Combating Clinician Burnout and Hopelessness: supporting the learner through ways to conceptualize and reframe their work to avoid burnout and feelings of helplessness (8 mins)

Integrating Harm Reduction into the Clinical Setting:
Maintaining Connection When Working with Addiction
with Kim May, LPC-S, LMFT

Learning Objectives

1. Identify at least two ways in which the war on drugs has most negatively impacted BIPOC populations.
2. Name five different models, or conceptualizations of addiction.
3. Describe modern-day criticisms and insufficiencies of the disease model of addiction.
4. Describe the concept of drug, set, and setting and how it applies to working with addiction.
5. Describe the four key ways rituals and sanctions serve as a barrier to addiction.
6. Describe the biopsychosocial model of addiction.
7. Name the four key components of applying harm reduction into the clinical setting.
8. Describe the continuum of use and the seven points along the continuum.
9. Identify the four ways that a client may choose to change their substance use patterns.
10. Define and recognize diagnostic overshadowing.
11. Describe the five stages of the transtheoretical model of change.
12. Name the four guiding principles of Motivational Interviewing
13. Name five common cognitive distortions within the CBT model.
14. Describe three or more specific tools clients can use to sustain change.
15. Describe five common themes that occur with clients when working with addiction.

Continuing Education Credits

To receive Distance Learning/Home Study continuing education credit, applicants must complete all course materials, purchase the CEs, submit an evaluation form, and pass a post-test with a score of 80% or greater. It is the responsibility of the attendee to determine if the CE credit offered by Academy of Therapy Wisdom meets the regulations of their state licensing/certification board.

Cost
There is a CE Processing Fee of $30 for the Distance Learning CEs, which will be available for purchase after the entire course has been completed. CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS OFFERED:

Psychology: Not offered for this training.

Counseling:

Academy of Therapy Wisdom has been approved by NBCC as an Approved
Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7370. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Academy of Therapy Wisdom is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.  This program is approved for 5.5 CE Credit hours.

Social Work: This program has been approved for 5.5 Distance Learning Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D92296.

Marriage/Family Therapy: See below for CAMFT information.

California Professionals:
Academy of Therapy Wisdom, Provider #1032323, is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs. Academy of Therapy Wisdom maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 5.5 hours of continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

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