Lesson 1Behavioural addiction assessment: gambling history, types (sports betting), losses, time spent, triggers, chasing, concealment, financial consequencesThis part looks at structured assessment of behavioural addictions like gambling and phone behaviours, checking start, patterns, triggers, chasing losses, hiding, losses, life impact, and money troubles to help with diagnosis and treatment.
Documenting gambling and betting historyAssessing time spent, losses, and chasing behaviorIdentifying triggers, urges, and high-risk contextsEvaluating concealment, lying, and relationship harmAssessing financial impact, debt, and legal risksLesson 2Functional assessment: occupational, relationship, legal, housing, social support, daily routine, leisure activitiesThis part shows how to check functioning in work, relationships, legal matters, housing, social circles, daily structure, and fun activities, connecting problems to substance or behavioural addictions and finding strengths for recovery.
Assessing occupational and academic impairmentEvaluating intimate and family relationship strainScreening for legal problems and justice involvementHousing stability, homelessness, and environmental risksSocial support mapping and daily routine analysisLesson 3Goal-directed brief intake structure: structuring first 2–3 sessions, prioritised questions, documentation templates, red flags requiring urgent referralThis part explains how to organise the first two to three intake sessions, pick key questions, manage time, spot danger signs needing quick referral, and use templates for steady records and risk sharing.
Planning the first three intake encountersPrioritizing questions under time constraintsRecognizing red flags requiring urgent actionUsing structured intake and note templatesCommunicating findings to the care teamLesson 4Psychiatric and medical history: mood symptoms, anxiety, sleep, trauma, suicidality, family history of SUD, medical risks of stimulant and alcohol useThis part goes over getting full psychiatric and medical history, covering mood, anxiety, sleep, trauma, suicide thoughts, family addiction patterns, and health risks from alcohol, stimulants, and other substances for risk and treatment.
Screening mood, anxiety, and psychotic symptomsAssessing trauma exposure and PTSD symptomsEvaluating suicidality and self-harm historyFamily history of SUD and psychiatric disordersMedical risks of alcohol, stimulants, and opioidsLesson 5Collateral information and consent: when and how to obtain collateral data, limits of confidentiality, release formsThis part details when and how to get extra info from family, partners, and other helpers, explains confidentiality limits, and covers informed consent, release forms, and handling conflicting stories respectfully and ethically.
Indications for obtaining collateral dataExplaining limits of confidentiality to clientsDesigning clear, specific release of information formsBalancing client autonomy with safety concernsReconciling discrepant collateral and client reportsLesson 6Comprehensive substance use history: quantity, frequency, patterns, routes, polydrug use, withdrawal signs, tolerance, binge episodesThis part teaches how to get detailed substance use history, including start, amount, how often, methods, patterns, multiple drugs, tolerance, withdrawal, and binge times, while reducing shame and boosting accuracy for clinic use.
Documenting onset, progression, and contextsAssessing quantity, frequency, and routes of useIdentifying polydrug patterns and interactionsEvaluating tolerance, withdrawal, and blackoutsExploring binge episodes and loss of controlLesson 7Standardised instruments and screening tools: AUDIT, DAST-10, ASSIST, CAGE-AID, PHQ-9, GAD-7, SOGS/PGSI, Timeline Follow-Back (substance and gambling)This part introduces main screening and assessment tools for substance and behavioural addictions and related issues, explaining choice, scoring, meaning, and fitting results into diagnosis and treatment plans.
Selecting tools for setting and populationUsing AUDIT, DAST-10, ASSIST, and CAGE-AIDUsing PHQ-9 and GAD-7 for comorbid symptomsUsing SOGS and PGSI for gambling problemsTimeline Follow-Back for substance and gambling useLesson 8Risk assessment and safety planning: overdose risk, acute intoxication signs, suicidality, intimate partner risk, financial harm assessmentThis part covers steady risk checks for overdose, sudden intoxication, suicide, violence, and money harm, and teaches making joint, practical safety plans with crisis help, watching, and record duties.
Screening overdose and acute intoxication riskAssessing suicidality and self-harm in contextEvaluating intimate partner and family violence riskIdentifying financial exploitation and gambling harmsDeveloping and documenting safety plans
