Advisory: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

This manual helps clinicians design and implement intensive outpatient treatment programs for people living with substance use disorder conditions. It discusses cultural competence and approaches, use of 12-step programs, cognitive behavioral therapy, and therapeutic communities.

Based on Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 41, Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy, this Advisory provides an overview of goals, processes, group-specific approaches, resources, and common elements that support favorable outcomes in group therapy.

This Advisory is based on TIP 35, Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Use Disorder Treatment. It addresses the spirit, application, and fundamentals of motivational interviewing (MI), discusses how practitioners can effectively employ MI in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provides tools that practitioners can use to encourage and promote lasting positive outcomes for their clients.

This updated (March 2020) TIP is intended to provide addiction counselors and other providers, supervisors, and administrators with the latest science in the screening, assessment, diagnosis, and management of co-occurring disorders (CODs). 

This updated TIP is designed to help providers and others better understand how to identify, manage, and prevent substance misuse in older adults. The TIP describes the unique ways in which the signs and symptoms of substance use disorder (SUD) manifest in older adults; drug and alcohol use disorder screening tools, assessments, and treatments specifically tailored for older clients' needs; the interaction between SUDs and cognitive impairment; and strategies to help providers improve their older clients' social functioning and overall wellness.

This manual contains materials, such as talking points and handouts, to help counselors conduct intensive outpatient treatment sessions. The manual discusses five types of sessions for treating adults who misuse substances. Sessions address recovery, relapse prevention, social support, and family education.