Aging and Addiction: Clinical Strategies for Supporting Older Adults with OUD and SUDs

Aging and Addiction: Clinical Strategies for Supporting Older Adults with OUD and SUDs

Recent attention has turned to opioid use disorder (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUDs) as significant and growing health concerns among older adults. Biopsychosocial complications that develop with age, including medical comorbidities and cognitive impairments, contribute to some of the adverse interactions between substance misuse and the aging brain. This webinar will focus on how professionals can effectively work at the intersection of aging, mental health, and substance use, with a specific emphasis on opioid use disorder. Participants will learn practical strategies for assessing, diagnosing, treating, and supporting older clients with OUD or other SUDs, and will be empowered to offer compassionate, evidence-informed, and age-responsive care.

Learning Objectives

• Participants in this webinar will be able to identify three unique considerations for older adults related to opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders, mental health, and physiological aging.
• Participants will be able to describe two barriers to accessing the care that is needed at the intersection of substance use and the aging brain.
• Participants will be able to discuss three compassionate, evidence-informed interventions to support older clients in navigating OUD/SUD and achieving recovery.

Learn more & register

For trainings that indicate Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available, contact the organizer and/or the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation to verify that the credits will count toward the continuing education requirements of your licensure or certification.