Section: Module 5: Lesson 4: Substance Use Follow-Up, Self-Help, Well-Being, and the Community | Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care | NextGenU.org
-
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:- Recognize when to refer patients - Assist the patient in acquiring healthy lifestyles, which can improve mental health and help manage substance use disorder triggers such as stress - Perform a general healthy weight assessment (BMI, weight, and height)."
- Explain how, at follow-ups, to reassess the person’s expectations of treatment, clinical status, understanding of treatment, and adherence to the treatment and correct any misconceptions.
- Explain how to continually monitor for treatment effects and outcomes, drug interactions with substances (alcohol and illicit drugs), and medicines (both naturopathic and traditional) and adjust accordingly.
- Explore involvement in self-help and family support groups, where available.
- Identify and mobilize possible sources of social and community support in the local area, including educational, housing, and vocational supports.
- Discuss the self-monitoring of symptoms and explain when to seek care immediately.
- Identify when it is appropriate to involve the carer or family member in the person’s care.
- Explore strategies that promote autonomy and independent living among individuals with substance use disorders, while minimizing reliance on institutional or long-term residential care.
- Explore useful self-help and well-being resources for Substance Use Disorder patients.
- Describe when to assist the patient in acquiring a healthy lifestyle, which can improve mental health and help manage substance use disorder triggers such as stress.
- Describe how to perform a general healthy weight assessment (BMI, weight, and height).
-
Required Learning Resources and Activities
-
Read the entire article. (32 minutes)
StatPearls Publishing LLC. - 2025
-
Read the entire webpage. (5 minutes)
The University of Arizona - 2019
-
Read the entire webpage. (7 minutes)
National Institutes of Health - 2020
-
-
Read No.5 "Follow-up" in the "Essential care and practice" section (PDF pg. 21), as well as Sub 3 "Follow-up" in the Disorders due to substance use" section (PDF pgs. 136-137). (6 minutes)
WHO- 2019
-
Read the entire article. (43 minutes)
NCBI - 2021
-
Read the sections "Introduction," "Findings," and "Discussion." (35 minutes)
SAGE Publications Ltd - 2020
-
-
Read the entire article (58 minutes)
NIAAA - 2025
-
-
Read Sections 1 "Monitoring, support and review," 2 "What to do when a treatment and recovery care plan is not working?" and 3 "How to respond if OST is not working?". (34 minutes)
Public Health England - 2021
-
Read the entire webpage. (15 minutes)
US Department of Veterans Affairs - 2025
-
Read the entire chapter: "Chapter 3—Family Counseling Approaches ". (60 minutes)
SAMHSA - 2020
-
Read section 4.2 "Vocational, educational, and housing support" on pgs. 83-84. (4 minutes)
WHO - 2019
-
Read pages 1 to 7. (19 minutes)
SAMHSA - 2021
-
Read the entire webpage. (14 minutes)
CDC - 2022
-
Read the entire webpage. (49 minutes)
AAC - 2024
-
Read the entire webpage. (21 minutes)
AAC - 2025
-
Read the selected sections: "Introduction" and "Discussion". (77 minutes)
Springer Nature Limited - 2024
-
Read Chapter 4—Counseling Approaches for Sustaining Recovery and Promoting a Healthy Life (153-205). (60 minutes)
SAMHSA) - 2023
-
Read the following sections: "Introduction", "Results", and "Discussion". (54 minutes)
Springer Nature Limited - 2023
-
Read the sheets under the sections "Lifestyle: Exercise, diet & sleep" and "Meditation and relaxation." Although not required, you may read the other sheets from this resource. (30 minutes)
Black Dog Institute - 2025
-
Read the entire web page (10 minutes)
Samarpan - 2024
-
-
Read the introduction (pgs. 1-3), discussion, and conclusion (pgs. 27-31). (28 minutes)
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - 2020
-
Read the entire webpage. (7 minutes)
State Government of Victoria - 2021
-
Read the entire webpage. (11 minutes)
Utah State University - 2020
-
Read the entire article. (11 minutes)
Journal of Addictive Behaviours and Therapy - 2024
-
-
Interact with the website and read the complete content. (10 minutes)
2024 calculator.net - 2024
-
Recommended Additional Readings
-
Read Chapter 3: "Screening and Assessment of Co-Occurring Disorders" (pages 31-68). (132 minutes)
NIH - SAMHSA- 2020
-
Read the entire article. (60 minutes)
NCBI - 2023
-
SLOs:
Distinguish links between mental health conditions and substance use disorders
Explain how substance use interacts with HIV
Describe reproductive health considerations for substance users
Identify strategies for follow-up care and community support
General Instructions:
In this activity, you will analyze the complex relationships between substance use disorders and comorbid conditions, with special attention to vulnerable populations.
Step 1: Select and Reflect
Review evidence on the bidirectional relationship between mental health disorders and substance use
Study the impact of substance use on HIV transmission, progression, and treatment adherence
Examine the effects of substance use during pregnancy and reproductive health implications
Step 2: Respond
Develop a comprehensive post (400-600 words) addressing one of the following topics:
Dual Diagnosis: Strategies for managing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in primary care
Substance Use and HIV: Approaches to prevention, screening, and integrated treatment
Substance Use in Pregnancy: Screening, intervention, and harm reduction approaches
Community-Based Recovery Support: Models for long-term management and wellness
Your post should include:
Analysis of evidence-based approaches to your chosen topic
Discussion of implementation challenges in primary care settings
Consideration of cultural and contextual factors
Recommendations for integrated care delivery
Step 3: Share
To share your work, click on the "Add a new discussion topic" button under this post and paste your work into the "Message" box. Make sure to reference others' intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B.: references are excluded from word counts).
-
Quiz: Module 5
To access the quiz, click on the name of the quiz provided above. On the following screen, click the attempt quiz button to view the case studies and respond to the questions.
TO PASS THIS QUIZ YOU MUST OBTAIN A SCORE OF 80%.