Practicing Alcohol Moderation

Recorded Webinar
Instructor: Craig James, LCSW, LSATP, MAC & Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC ​
CEs: 1.5 
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Social workers and other social service providers.
Course Delivery Method and Format: Recorded webinar, self study. All courses are hosted on SmithOnline. Login information will be emailed immediately after registration to the email address entered during registration.
System Requirements: Attendees will need access to a computer with internet and the capability to play recorded videos.

Date of original webinar: March 19, 2020, noon - 1:30 p.m. ET

Nearly 90 million people in the United States struggle with alcohol use but are not physically dependent. Most treatment is designed for the severe alcohol user, which accounts for about 17 million Americans, leaving the majority of people experiencing problems from alcohol without appropriate services. In 2014, the National Association of Social Workers put out the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice for Clients with Substance Use Disorders. They state that in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition), substance use is no longer viewed as an either/or phenomenon and should be viewed as existing along a continuum. Additionally, they state that a harm reduction approach is consistent with the social work value of self-determination and meeting the client where the client is. 

However, the traditional recommendation for drinkers experiencing problems is to encourage them to admit that they are “alcoholics” who must quit drinking forever and who must attend 12-step meetings. There is over 50 years of research that proves that the harm reduction strategy of alcohol moderation is a more effective treatment option. This presentation will give an overview of harm reduction, differentiate types of drinkers and their treatment needs, interpret the Alcohol Moderation Assessment, develop a Moderate Drinking Plan, and teach tools for alcohol moderation.

Registration Fee and Deadline:

$35 (one time registration fee of $5) | Ongoing 

Learning Objectives:

1. Differentiate types of alcohol users and the changing treatment landscape. 
2. Describe how the Alcohol Moderation Assessment gives predictions on who may be a good candidate for alcohol moderation.
3. Explain how to develop an Alcohol Moderation Plan for appropriate clients.
4. Discuss benefits of including adults who are at-risk to abuse or who are abusing in prevention service planning.

Instructor Biography:

Craig James, LCSW, LSATP, MAC has been in the addiction treatment field for over twenty years. He is the Co-Founder & Director of Operations of Insight Into Action Therapy and Insight Recovery Centers. He serves on the board of the Northern Virginia Region Association of Addiction Professionals.

Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC has been a therapist for almost three decades. She is the Co-Founder & Clinical Director of Insight Into Action Therapy and Insight Recovery Centers and is a national trainer on alcohol moderation. Cyndi is the author of Can I Keep Drinking? How You Can Decide When Enough is Enough, The Clinician’s Guide to Alcohol Moderation: Alternative Methods and Management Techniques, and Practicing Alcohol Moderation: A Comprehensive Workbook.