6 Hours / 6 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Alcohol and Substance Use Disorder Detection and Treatment: Prevention and Intervention Approaches is presented by Nancy A. Haug, PhD, and Regina Moro, PhD.

This program covers information related to major treatment approaches to preventing and treating addiction, including research foundations for the models and application strategies for providers. It also details the process of referring individuals to treatment based on their unique level of need. The program outlines community resources for individuals in need of treatment and their families. Ethical and legal issues for clinical practice across the levels of care are presented.

The 6-hour program is structured to meet the California psychologist pre-licensure coursework requirement for training in alcoholism and chemical dependency detection and treatment (§1382.3). Participants may be clinicians, counselors, or mental health providers at any stage of their career who work in a clinical environment where clients present with substance use or misuse as a primary or co-occurring condition. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the continuum of care for substance use and addictive disorders
  • 2 Describe principles of prevention and established programs
  • 3 Describe evidence-based treatment interventions for addiction
  • 4 Describe strategies for matching clients to appropriate treatment resources based on assessed level of need
  • 5 Describe ethical and legal considerations for clinical practice in addiction treatment across levels of care

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for clinicians, counselors, and mental health providers who work with individuals experiencing substance use or addictive disorders, including those with co-occurring conditions. It is particularly relevant for professionals specializing in addiction treatment, supporting clients across the spectrum from prevention to recovery.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Addiction Counselors
    • Substance Use Disorder Counselors
    • Social Workers
    • Psychologists
    • Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs)
    • Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)
    • Clinical Social Workers
    • Psychiatric Nurses

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience in addiction treatment.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to addiction treatment concepts and seek foundational knowledge of the continuum of care, evidence-based interventions, and ethical considerations.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience with substance use or co-occurring disorders and are looking to deepen their understanding of treatment matching, community resources, and application of established prevention and intervention models.

    • Advanced: Participants have extensive experience in addiction treatment and are interested in refining advanced clinical skills, integrating complex ethical and legal considerations, and contributing to program development or supervision.

  • Practice Setting

    Participants typically work in legally oriented, security-conscious environments focused on non-therapeutic assessment that informs judicial and administrative decisions. They conduct evaluations, formulate opinions, and communicate DSM-5-TR–grounded findings to legal decision-makers within multidisciplinary teams under strict procedural and documentation standards.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Courthouses and court clinics
    • Jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers
    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals and secure inpatient units
    • Community-based forensic assessment and diversion programs
    • Probation, parole, and reentry services
    • Law enforcement agencies and attorney offices (consultative roles)
    • Civil forensic evaluation settings (personal injury, disability, immigration)

Training Instructors:

Nancy A. Haug, PhD

Nancy A. Haug, PhD

Nancy A. Haug, PhD is Professor in the Department of Psychology at Palo Alto University. She is core faculty in the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium, and Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Haug is a licensed psychologist in California and maintains a private practice in Los Gatos, CA. She has clinical expertise in evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders such as motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies, such as ACT and DBT.

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Regina Moro, PhD

Regina Moro, PhD

Dr. Regina Moro is licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor (Idaho), Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (North Carolina) and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Florida). She is also a National Certified Counselor and a Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider. Her clinical passion involves work with crisis and trauma, including a focus on addiction with individuals and families. She has experience working in community mental health, integrated care settings, and private practice.

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Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • ASAM Levels of Care

  • Medication-Assisted Treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders

  • Motivational Interviewing

  • Evidence-based Addiction Treatment Approaches

  • Referral and Community Resources

  • Ethical and Legal Issues for clinical practice

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.