Primary Care Behavioral Health

Curriculum

Workshop 2: Evidence-based Therapies and Substance Abuse in Primary Care

Faculty: Jeffrey Baxter, MD and Alexander Blount, EdD

Substance Abuse in Primary Care (3 hours)

• Chronic illness vs. failure of will
• Role of SA in common illnesses and health behaviors
• The CAGE and other quick screens
• Physician training in identifying and treating substance abuse
• Chronic pain and the dilemmas of pain medication
• What a Behavioral Health Provider can add to the care in each case
• Evidence based approaches to substance abuse in primary care.

Goals: Can identify substance abuse problems of patients presenting medical complaints. Can work collaboratively to help patients with SA problems.

Evidence-based Therapies (3 hours)

• Role of “evidence” in making treatments credible
• Types of evidence available for approaches we use
• CBT and the therapies of patient activation
• Family and other multi-person approaches in primary care
• The role of solution focused interviewing in patient and provider change
• Role plays to practice
• Working in brief visits and brief treatments

Goals: Able to briefly assess, engage and intervene with adults with behavioral health needs in primary care, using methods supported by evidence. Able to briefly assess, engage and intervene with children with behavior problems using methods supported by evidence.