Common Medical Comorbidities in Adults

Training Description:

People presenting for evaluation of a psychiatric crisis are at risk for significant medical issues that can arise related to their underlying psychiatric condition, absence of appropriate medical care before presentation, side effects of psychiatric treatment, as the direct result of substances that may have been ingested or occur independently of their psychiatric condition. Mental health clinicians need to be familiar with some common presentations and the high-risk medical conditions in this population. At times, the features of an individual’s psychiatric presentation may interfere with their ability to clearly state medical symptoms, or they may be dismissed by providers who mistakenly interpret their symptoms as part of a psychiatric syndrome.

This training will familiarize providers with the common effects of substances, features of presentations that may overlap between medical and psychiatric causes, as well as common and important medical conditions that may occur in psychiatric or non-psychiatric populations, but which require more attention concurrent to psychiatric treatment. The lecture will not encompass treatment approaches to these conditions but serve as an overview to aid clinicians in identifying when they may need additional medical support to evaluate or care for a given individual.

Training Objectives:

After participating in this training participants will be able to:

1. Describe signs and symptoms of intoxication and withdrawal from commonly used substances including alcohol, cannabis, opioids, stimulants, and hallucinogens.
2. Discuss the features of delirium that may distinguish a primary medical condition from a psychiatric presentation
3. List screening questions that can help decrease the likelihood that a person is experiencing an urgent medical crisis in addition to their psychiatric presentation

Continuing Education Credits:

Discipline	Approval Statement
Licensed Social Worker	This program has been approved for 1 Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D 92381.
Licensed Psychologist	CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content. For questions about receiving your Certificate of Attendance, contact Berkshire AHEC at hbruno@berkshireahec.org. For questions about CE, contact Spiritual Competency Academy at info@spiritualcompetencyacademy.com. 1 CE Hour(s).
MA Licensed Mental Health Counselor	This program has been approved for 1 Category I MaMHCA hours for re-licensure in accordance with 262 CMR. MEACP Authorization 24-0073.
MA Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor	This course has been approved by the Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services/LADC Unit for 1 contact hours for Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors and Assistants.
MA Registered Nurse	Program meets the requirements for nursing contact hours as specified by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing 244 CMR 5.04.
MA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist	This activity has been certified by NEAFAST on behalf of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health & Human Services Professions, for LMFT professional continuing education. Certification PC- 042183.