Substance Abuse and Older Adults:
The Population and the Problem

Substance Abuse and Older Adults:
Assessment and Treatment Issues

Two, 3-hour courses designed to provide insight and information about the treatment needs of older adults. The Population and the Problem will provide both insight and an overview to the older adult population, identifying various problems and issues that drugs (licit and illicit) and alcohol cause in this group, as well as unique counseling issues and needs.  Assessment and Treatment Issues will help introduce the student to issues in identification and treatment of substance abusing older adults, along with some corresponding implications and suggested approaches for counseling and treatment program needs and applications.  Special emphasis will be given to the recovery needs of this population.   

Goals/Objectives

By participating in this Distance Learning Course the trainee will:

The Population and the Problem:

1. identify the various groups the make-up this population;
2. examine various myths and stereotypes;
3. review the history of this population and its growth;
4. explore special problems that exist for this population;
5. identify treatment strategies

Assessment and Treatment Issues:

1. examine the problems and difficulties that chemical dependency create for this population;
2. identify unique biological, psychological, and social issues caused by substance abuse among older adults;
3. explore effective treatment methods and approaches;
4. develop appropriate intervention strategies and techniques;
5. identify recovery needs that are unique to this group.

Your Course Instructor:
Gerald Shulman
 
Gerald Shulman, MA, MAC, FACATA, is a clinical psychologist, Master Addiction Counselor, Fellow of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators and board certified by the American Academy of Psychologists Treating Addiction.  He has been providing treatment or supervising and/or managing the delivery of care to alcoholics and drug addicts in single and multi-site systems full time since 1962.  

Among his accomplishments, he was an author of the NAATP, the ASAM and the ASAM PPC-2 and ASAM PPC-2R Patient Placement Criteria and is a member of the ASAM Patient Placement Criteria Steering Committee.  He was a panel member and workgroup chair for CSAT's TIP #26, Substance Abuse Among Older Adults and is co-editor of the Journal of Chemical Dependency Treatment.   

He is a trainer and consultant who has provides services in the public and private sectors, both civilian and military, to treatment providers, managed care staff, drug court staff, counselor associations, conferences on alcohol and drug issues, state and federal governments and EAPs.  He is particularly interested in treatment for dually diagnosed patients and in developing "seamless" continuums of care. His approach to clinical care is one that blends biopsychosocial, disease model, and Twelve-Step philosophy with the best of psychiatric and mental health delivery systems.

For a more detailed biography, as well as any links to materials and publications, please visit the faculty page at this link: Faculty Page