Cultural Humility and Cultural Competence in Counseling
The goal of this interactive workshop “Cultural Humility and Cultural Competency in Counseling” will discuss the concepts of cultural humility and cultural competence in the counseling profession. Workshop participants will be introduced into the differences between cultural competence and cultural humility. Participants will be able to differentiate between the two and be able to identify at least two problems association with the concept of cultural competence. Participants will learn about the origin of race as it is defined in the United States, and how our conceptions differ from other cultures. Workshop participants will be introduced to four different code of ethics, how they define our need to be culturally competent, and whether they even address cultural humility. Both large and small group exercises on cultural awareness will occur throughout this workshop.
Harm Reduction: From Principles to Practice
The goal of this interactive workshop will discuss all aspects of harm reduction. Participants will be able to identify at least 3 principles of harm reduction work. Participants will be able to define harm reduction. Participants will also be able to differentiate between a successful harm reduction approach and less successful approaches and identify at least two reasons behind unsuccessful approaches. Participants will be introduced into the diagnostic criteria of the DSM and dimensional criteria of the ASAM 3, in the lens of determining the need of admission to treatment and continued care need from a harm reduction treatment perspective. Participants will be able to identify three different medicated assisted treatments (MAT), and discussion of medicinal marijuana being added as an MAT option.
Legal Standards and Ethical Issues in Substance Use Counseling
This interactive workshop focuses on the major elements of legal and ethical issues surrounding counselors in behavioral health settings. In this workshop, participants will learn about the different areas of legal and ethical concern for today’s counselors working with substance using clients. Legal areas include scope of clinical practice, malpractice, duty to warn, direct and vicarious liability, informed consent, confidentiality, and the ADA. Ethical areas covered include workplace harassment and dual relationships. Teaching methods include lecture, interactive exercises and group participation/discussion.
The Opioid Crisis: Current Trends and Evidence Based Treatment Options
The goal of this interactive workshop will discuss the latest developments and trends regarding natural opiates, semi-synthetic opioids, and synthetic opioids. Participants will be able to identify national and local NJ trends with regards to prescribing practices and new legislation, opioid overdoses and trends with opioid use. Participants will be able to distinguish the difference between which drugs are considered naturally occurring opiates, which are considered semi-synthetic opioids and which are considered synthetic opioids. Participants will be introduced into the assessment of and treatment of Opioid Use Disorders via the DSM 5 criteria, the latest nationally recognized medicated assisted treatment and the non-medication assisted treatment approaches when working with clients. Participants will be able to identify three different medicated assisted treatments (MAT), and discussion of medicinal marijuana being added as an MAT option. Workshop participants will be introduced to a harm reduction treatment paradigm and will be able to identify at least 3 different harm reduction principles when working with clients. Finally, workshop participants will engage in an interactive case that will develop throughout the workshop and have different objectives (e.g., assessing a proper level of care, and then incorporating a harm reduction treatment orientation with the client in regards to their MAT decision process).
Medical & Legal Marijuana: Practice and Policy Issues
The goal of this interactive workshop is to identify the changes that have occurred in the NJ Medical Marijuana Program. The history of marijuana legalization and major events that have shaped this history are discussed. Known scientific research on the benefits of medical marijuana and the risks associated with marijuana usage are covered, as well as the continued barriers to better scientific research on this topic. Interactive exercises are incorporated in order to have participants analyze child custody issues for clients who are on the NJ medical marijuana program. Other exercises include the participants discussing how treatment is impacted by medical marijuana and participants will analyze under what conditions there would be a “duty to report” a coworker on medical marijuana.
Emerging Drugs of Abuse and Current Drug Trends
The goal of this interactive workshop will discuss the latest developments and information regarding synthetic cannabinoids, MDPV, Mephedrone, Kratom, and other emerging drugs that have been showing up with clients recently. Workshop participants will be introduced to the physiology of these drugs and how they can possibly impact, mimic and exacerbate mental health disorders such as anxiety and depressive disorders. Epidemiologic trends in drug abuse in both youth and adults will be discussed as will the latest trends both on the national and local levels.