Lesson – Fentanyl Surge: Etiology, Screening, & Ethical Considerations

Fentanyl use and abuse is rapidly becoming one of the greatest threats to public health in America. The number of overdose deaths per year (70,601 in 2021 per CDC) from this deadly illicitly manufactured fentanyl are staggering and increasing at an alarming rate (25% annually per CDC). One of the most concerning aspects of this situation is fentanyl laced street drugs and substance abusers who unknowingly ingest it (and become addicted to it or overdose from it). This accidental use is resulting in increased drug emergencies and deaths. Clients presenting in your practice may be exposed to illicit fentanyl in other substances they are using, and without proper screening, you and the client may be unaware that a fentanyl addiction is present or developing.

Please join us for a review of the etiology of fentanyl, the need to screen substance disorder clients who may have unsuspectingly ingested it, the role that Narcan plays in saving lives, and your ethical responsibility as a behavioral health care professional to appropriately manage mortal risk when treating clients in the fentanyl landscape.

In addition to the below Objectives, this webinar training includes the following highlights:

1. A Mandatory Disclosure checklist that includes information specific to the fentanyl crisis when treating substance use disorder clients.
2. A discussion of the heightened risks involved in treating substance use disorder clients and how to ethically manage those risks.
3. A discussion of the importance of working with a clinical supervisor/ clinical consultant/ medical consultant in fentanyl or suspected fentanyl SUD cases.
4. How to best approach fentanyl or suspected fentanyl SUD cases inside a treatment team consisting of you (therapist), a medical case manager, a licensed medical professional, and a prescriber.

Objectives:

This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:

a). Identify and describe two known facts regarding the etiology of fentanyl.

b). Describe two methods currently used for fentanyl screening.

c). Define what Narcan is, its common uses, and the common qualifications used in best practice to safely administer it.

d). Identify and describe two aspects of mandatory disclosure relevant to SUD treatment for clients addicted to fentanyl or suspected fentanyl.

Target Audience:

Clinical Mental Health Professionals such as Counselors, Psychologists, Therapists, Substance Abuse Counselors, and Licensed Clinical Social Workers.

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Instructor(s): Jodi Ann Geis-Crowder, MS, LPC, ACS

Material Author(s): Jodi Ann Geis-Crowder, MS, LPC, ACS

A native of Wyoming, Jodi holds an Associate of Science Degree in Education from Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Sciences with areas of emphasis in psychology, economics, political science and anthropology, and a Master of Science Degree in Counselor Education and Human Development with an emphasis in Leadership from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. She holds professional counseling licenses in good standing in Colorado (LPC-2476, March 2000) and Wyoming (LPC-1602, September 2016), is an Approved Clinical Supervisor, a certified Solution Focused Brief Therapy practitioner, is a trainer for Professional Case Management and Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling, holds a certificate in the Human/Animal Bond from the Denver University Graduate School of Social Work, has studied and gained numerous continuing education credits in the area of the human/animal bond, has been registered with three therapy dogs (2005, 2010 and 2019) and is a tester/observer for Alliance of Therapy Dogs, a national credentialing organization for therapy dog teams headquarter in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Jodi’s passion for culturally meaningful human/animal bond and agriculture related services in rural areas resulted in her developing animal assisted therapy programs for two community behavioral health centers: Centennial Mental Health Center in Northeast Colorado and Peak Wellness Center in Southeast Wyoming. She also developed a therapeutic horticulture program while at Centennial Mental Health Center. Jodi has held positions as a clinician, clinical coordinator, clinical supervisor, regional clinical director, telehealth clinical supervisor and education and training coordinator in her years in community behavioral health. In addition to the program development mentioned above, Jodi was the architect for and developed a centralized telehealth clinical supervision model for Peak Wellness Center.

For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.