Summer Institute on Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Workshops
Elder Substance Abuse
Elders are one of our invisible populations when it comes to substance abuse. This is largely due to the fact that many elders no longer have the connection with systems that would otherwise confront them on their misuse of alcohol and other drugs. The goal of this workshop is to increase awareness of how substance abuse manifests itself in elders, as well as treatment options.
Learning Objectives
- The role of isolation in alcoholism.
- Prescription medication use and misuse.
- Opiate addiction and treatment.
- The role of painkillers in addiction.
- Psychiatric medication.
- Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other factors influencing self-care.
- Treatment options.
Worshop Leader: Matthew Hoffman, MPH (Master is Public Health), LADC-I, CCS, CADAC - II, CAS
Matt is the Program Director of the Answer House Recovery Home in South Boston and has 20 years of experience in the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction. He teaches Psychopharmacology at University of Massachusetts Boston Alcohol/Chemical Dependency Treatment Services Program (A/CDTSP), Plymouth site. He is also a trainer for the MA Council on Compulsive Gambling. Among Matt’s special interests are the use of addiction medications to support recovery, clinical supervision, and the identification and implementation of evidence-based best practices in the additions treatment field.
