Lesson 1Timeline follow-back, standard drinks, cocaine use metrics, polysubstance explorationThis section unpacks timeline follow-back methods, standard drink measures, and cocaine use indicators, demonstrating how to chart polysubstance patterns over time to gauge risk, inform diagnosis, and track treatment progress with real-world clinical cases.
Timeline follow-back interview techniqueDefining and calculating standard drink unitsCocaine quantity, purity, and route metricsDocumenting polysubstance patterns over timeUsing metrics to monitor treatment responseLesson 2Psychiatric history and symptom review techniques for mood, anxiety, psychosisThis section covers methodical psychiatric history-taking in addiction contexts, spanning mood, anxiety, psychosis, and sleep issues, stressing differentiation of substance-related symptoms, screening tools, and evaluation of functional impact and risks.
Eliciting past and current psychiatric diagnosesScreening for mood and anxiety in substance usersRecognizing psychosis and substance-induced statesAssessing sleep, cognition, and functional impactUsing brief validated psychiatric screenersLesson 3Social determinants: housing, employment, legal issues, insurance and accessThis section tackles evaluation of social determinants of health like housing, jobs, legal matters, medical aid, and care access, showing how to fold these into treatment plans, advocacy efforts, and links to community support networks.
Housing stability and living environmentEmployment, income, and financial stressorsLegal involvement and criminal justice issuesInsurance coverage and care access barriersLinking patients to social and legal resourcesLesson 4Detailed substance use history: quantity, frequency, pattern, routes, binge/withdrawal signsThis section teaches gathering detailed substance use histories, covering onset, amounts, frequency, methods, binge cycles, withdrawal symptoms, and past treatments, plus spotting tolerance, loss of control, and DSM-5 substance use disorder markers.
Chronology of first use and progressionAssessing quantity, frequency, and routesIdentifying binge and high-risk use patternsScreening for tolerance and withdrawal signsLinking history to DSM-5 SUD criteriaLesson 5Medication, medical comorbidity, and over-the-counter/substance replacement historyThis section reviews collecting histories on medications, co-existing medical conditions, and over-the-counter or substitute substances, spotlighting interactions, liver and heart risks, pain control, and effects on medication-based treatment strategies.
Current and past prescribed medicationsMedical comorbidities relevant to addictionOver-the-counter and herbal substance useNicotine, cannabis, and self-directed replacementDrug–drug interactions and safety concernsLesson 6Working with limited collateral and building engagement with marginalised patientsThis section delves into tactics for handling sparse collateral info and connecting with marginalised patients, including motivational interviewing, harm minimisation, rapport-building, and tackling distrust, stigma, and systemic hurdles for ongoing care.
Assessing reliability of self-report dataUsing motivational interviewing micro-skillsHarm reduction framing in early encountersBuilding trust amid stigma and mistrustPlanning follow-up with unstable contactLesson 7Step-by-step addiction-focused interview flow (presenting complaint to collateral history)This section maps out a step-by-step addiction interview process, from chief complaint and substance history through medical, psychiatric, social, and collateral details, highlighting structure, adaptability, and time efficiency across varied clinic setups.
Clarifying presenting complaint and goalsSequencing substance, medical, and psych historyIntegrating social, legal, and functional domainsStrategic use of collateral and recordsTime management in brief clinical encountersLesson 8Trauma, intimate partner violence, and safety screening (suicide, homicide, child protection)This section outlines trauma-aware screening for trauma, partner violence, suicide, homicide, and child harm, focusing on safety plans, required reporting, record-keeping, and teamwork with protection and crisis services.
Principles of trauma-informed questioningScreening for intimate partner and family violenceSuicide and homicide risk assessment stepsIdentifying and reporting child abuse or neglectSafety planning and crisis resource linkageLesson 9Structured opening, consent, and establishing rapport in trauma-exposed populationsThis section centres on kicking off the interview, securing consent, and forging rapport with trauma-affected patients via teamwork-oriented, non-judgemental talk, firm boundaries, and cultural sensitivity to build trust and avoid re-traumatising.
Structuring the opening minutes of the visitExplaining purpose, limits of confidentialityObtaining informed consent for sensitive topicsUsing empathic, nonjudgmental languageCultural humility and managing power dynamics
