HealthForumOnline Announces Updates to Online CE Courses on Treating Addiction and Chemical Dependency

Published May 17, 2011

Philadelphia, PA (Vocus/PRWEB) April 13, 2011

HealthForumOnline (HFO), an online provider of nationally-approved (APA, ASWB, NBCC, PSNA, CA-BBS) continuing education (CE) for psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses and other allied healthcare professionals, announces updates to 4 courses in their Chemical Dependency category. The courses recently updated include, Cigarettes and Addiction: Helping Patients Quit Smoking; and Alcoholism Treatment from an Evidence-based Perspective; Treating Methamphetamine Addiction: Knowledge Equals Power; and Motivational Interviewing in Clinical Settings.

“Health providers treating clients with addictive disorders need to stay on top of the latest findings in their field. The reality is that these same professionals are often pressed for time”, said Dr. Rodoletz, Director of the Continuing Education (CE) Program. Thus, we have updated 4 of our online CE courses pertaining to Chemical Dependency/Substance Abuse. This topic is extremely relevant as drug abuse and dependence constitutes a major public health concern.

Approximately 1 of every 5 U.S. deaths annually is smoking-related, although the CDC notes smoking is the most preventable cause of death. Almost 21% of American adults smoke, and 3,900 children and adolescents begin smoking each day, with 1,500 becoming regular daily smokers. With respect to alcohol, the CDC reports that roughly 100,000 U.S. persons die annually from alcohol-related causes, making it the third leading cause of death. It has been reported that 12.5% of U.S. adults develop alcohol dependence during their lifetime. One of the fastest growing addiction populations is methamphetamine (METH). The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime states that worldwide, METH and other synthetic stimulants are second only to cannabis, and are estimated at 40 million persons. In 2004, 12 million Americans reported having used METH at least once.

Behaviors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse or use of illicit narcotics such as METH, lead to greater disease-related morbidity, mortality, and disability; in particular cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease and stroke, and cirrhosis of the live; translating into negative consequences on health and quality of life, and enormous economic implications for an already burdened healthcare system.

Mental health providers play a key role in helping clients change these addictive behaviors to improve health and quality of life. In addition, healthcare and other social costs are significantly reduced among alcoholics and other substance abusers who have received treatment for their addictive disorder. In 2008, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration reported admissions to publically funded substance abuse treatment programs increased 255% between 1997 and 2007. While addiction treatments can vary, they are often founded on solid theory and research. Once foundation receiving positive attention in the addiction arena is Motivational Interviewing (MI), a client-centered, directive and empathetic interviewing style aimed at enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by identifying and highlighting client ambivalence.

Taken together, is likely that clinicians will encounter clients struggling with substance use, abuse and addiction in their practice directly and/or within a client’s family system. It is imperative, therefore, that all health care providers have at least a basic understanding of substance abuse and addiction disorders and how to treat them. Understanding techniques and strategies such as MI, that work well with clients battling chemical dependency and addiction, may be ever more essential as part of a well-rounded clinician’s repertoire.

The updated online CE courses now available in our Chemical Dependency category will assist healthcare providers in enabling clients to quit smoking, treating alcohol and methamphetamine use/abuse, and understanding MI’s role in treatment planning. Interested psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses and other allied health professionals can also chose from courses in this category or from HFO’s 17 other topic categories containing over 70 online continuing education courses — all convenient, cost-effective, and theory- and evidence-based. Participants access and complete courses at their own pace, on their own schedule, anywhere there is Internet access. Completed CE courses can be revisited to review course updates and certificates reprinted at any time.

About HealthForumOnline:

HealthForumOnline (HFO) is approved as a provider of CE courses by the American Psychological Association, the National Board of Certified Counselors, the Association of Social Work Boards, and several state professional organizations, including the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation, and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

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