16-113a Emerging Drug Use Trends and Emerging Treatments for Addictive Disorders –
6 Hour Seminar
Kurt White, M.S.W.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Course Description
It’s rough out there! Drug overdose deaths seem to be everywhere in the news – from people in small town
Vermont communities to accomplished movie stars. To complicate matters, the landscape of drug use is
changing: prescription drug abuse, referring to the use of prescription opioids such as Oxycontin, Percoset, etc.
is being called an epidemic – and its epicenter is Northern New England. More recently, illicit opioids have
given way to a resurgence in heroin, including in unexpected places and populations – fueled in part by
incredibly potent supply and efficient supply chains. New designer drugs, such as the so-called “bath salts” have
also emerged along with designer drugs such as synthetic cannabinoids. More familiar drugs, like cannabis,
have become drastically more potent, and more young people are engaging in use, with often dangerous
consequences. In this workshop, we will explore these and other troubling trends, along with effective
approaches for addressing substance use disorders. Effective but often misunderstood pharmacological
treatments such as Suboxone and methadone will be explored at length. Along the way, we will discuss the
nature of addictive illness, new categories in DSM-5, and the new 3rd edition of the ASAM Placement Criteria.
Faculty: Kurt White, L.I.C.S.W., L.A.D.C., C.G.P. – Kurt is the Director of Ambulatory Services at the
Brattleboro Retreat in Brattleboro, VT, and is a social worker and drug and alcohol counselor by trade and
training. He presently currently serves as president of the Vermont Association of Addiction Treatment
Professionals (VAATP), which represents addiction treatment agencies in Vermont. Kurt is adjunct assistant
professor at Smith College School for Social Work, where he teaches Group Theory and Practice. He is also
adjunct faculty at Antioch New England Graduate School, where teaches in the Applied Psychology program.
Learning Objectives
After attending this seminar, participants will be able to:
1. List three new patterns of illicit drug use in the USA
2. Explain and have an operational understanding of the available pharmacologic treatments for opioid and alcohol
use disorder
3. Describe how addiction typically develops in adolescent years, and becomes a chronic illness if it fully develops
4. List three things that therapists can do in their practice to more effectively treat substance use disorders
Bibliography

American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2011) Public Policy Statement: Definition of Addiction.
http://www.asam.org/docs/publicy-policy-statements/1definition_of_addiction_long_4-11.pdf

Gahlinger, P. (2003). Illegal drugs: A complete guide to their history, chemistry, use, and abuse. New York:
Plume.

Kuhn, C, Swartzwelder, S., & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and abused
drugs from alcohol to ecstasy (3rd ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Mee-Lee, D. (2013). The ASAM criteria: Treatment criteria for addictive, substance-related, and co-occurring
conditions. Carson City, NV: The Change Companies.

Miller, W. R, Forcehimes, A. A, & Zweben, A. (2011) Treating addiction: A guide for professionals. The New
York, NY: Guilford Press.

White, W. L. (1998). Slaying the Dragon: The history of addiction treatment and recovery in America.
Bloomington, IL. Chestnut Health Systems.