Healthcare Addiction & Recovery Clinical Foundations™

What you will learn

This program has four parts. By the end of each part, you should be able to:

Part 1: Foundations of Addiction Science, Substance Use Disorders & Recovery-Oriented Care

• Explain core concepts in addiction science, substance use disorders, and the disease model of addiction.
• Recognize common substances of misuse, behavioral addictions, and early warning signs in healthcare settings.
• Identify risk and protective factors that influence substance use, addiction, and recovery.
• Apply stigma-reducing, trauma-informed, and patient-centered communication strategies with patients and families.
• Differentiate key ethical considerations, professional boundaries, and appropriate roles in addiction-related care.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to support screening, referral, and recovery-oriented care planning.

Part 2: Assessment, Intervention, Treatment & Recovery Support

• Apply screening and assessment approaches to identify substance use concerns and co-occurring mental health needs.
• Differentiate levels of care and match patients to appropriate treatment and recovery support options.
• Recognize withdrawal warning signs and describe the role of medication-assisted treatment in care planning.
• Use motivational interviewing and therapeutic communication strategies in common clinical interactions.
• Develop individualized, interdisciplinary care plans that include documentation, family support, and patient advocacy.
• Implement relapse prevention and recovery support strategies that promote safety, engagement, and continuity of care.

Part 3: Crisis Intervention, Relapse Prevention, Recovery Management & Professional Practice

• Recognize common addiction-related crises and identify appropriate immediate response priorities within scope of practice.
• Differentiate core response principles for opioid, stimulant, and alcohol-related emergencies in healthcare environments.
• Identify relapse warning signs and build practical relapse prevention plans with patients and care teams.
• Apply harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and therapeutic communication strategies in everyday clinical interactions.
• Coordinate recovery management through interdisciplinary collaboration, family engagement, referrals, and community resource linkage.
• Document care accurately and uphold legal, ethical, and patient advocacy responsibilities in addiction and recovery practice.

Part 4: Long-Term Recovery, Care Coordination, Leadership & Clinical Excellence

• Develop long-term recovery plans that support continuity of care and sustained patient engagement.
• Coordinate interdisciplinary services, discharge processes, and community referrals across the recovery continuum.
• Apply patient advocacy, family engagement, peer support, and culturally responsive practices in addiction and recovery care.
• Recognize legal, ethical, and documentation responsibilities that support safe, compliant, high-quality care.
• Use quality improvement methods and clinical excellence practices to strengthen recovery services.
• Implement resilience and leadership strategies that reduce burnout and improve team performance.

Program details

• Self-paced online program for healthcare professionals
• Program length: 10 hours, in four parts
• Includes graded assessments you must pass to complete the program
• Earn a downloadable Certificate of Completion upon successful program completion—ideal for documenting professional development and submitting to your employer for potential reimbursement
• Each certificate has a verification ID that employers can check at nahcp.com/verify

Program length describes the length of the program, not a number of continuing-education credits. Check with your employer or licensing board before submitting a program for credit or reimbursement.