Substance Abuse: Information for School Counselors, Social Workers, Therapists, and Counselors (6th Edition)

Comprehensive, accessible information on substance abuse, with a focus on the populations affected–the ideal text for future professionals in mental health and allied fields.

In an accessible writing style, this text presents succinct, practical coverage of alcohol and other drug prevention, treatment, and recovery for generalist students, prospective mental health professionals, and allied professionals. It includes basic information on substances of abuse and focuses on clinically relevant knowledge on such topics as cultural competence, co-occurring disorders, other behavioral addictions, children and families, and ethics and confidentiality. Each chapter includes clinical application cases and questions for further discussion.

NEW! The new edition inclues a new chapter on Co-Occurring Disorders and Other Special Populations, new information on cultural competencies and intervening with special populations such as the elderly and LGBTQQI, and new information on risk factors for alcohol and other drugs for culturally and ethnically diverse populations.  

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Gary Fisher is the Founder, first Director, and current Professor for the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies at the University of Nevada, Reno. He was the first Director of the Mountain West Addiction Technology Transfer Center and the Western Region Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies.

In addition to numerous scholarly articles, Dr. Fisher is the author of seven books and the senior editor of the Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery. His textbook, Substance Abuse: Information for School Counselors, Social Workers and Therapists, is in its sixth edition. Dr. Fisher’s most recent book, Understanding Why Addicts are Not All Alike: Recognizing the Types and How Their Differences Affect Intervention and Treatment, was published in 2011. 

After receiving a master’s degree in 1974, Dr. Fisher began his professional career as a school psychologist in the Seattle area. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Educational Psychology from the University of Washington in 1982 and accepted a teaching position in 1983 at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is also a licensed psychologist in Nevada.  

Thomas Harrison is the Co-Founder and first Director of the Downing Counseling Clinic at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is also former Chair of the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, and the former Associate Dean of the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno.

In addition to publishing scholarly articles, Dr. Harrison has also authored 6 books. His textbooks include Substance Abuse: Information for School Counselors, Social Workers, and Therapists (6th edition) and Consultation for Contemporary Helping Professionals.

Dr. Harrison received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1983. Dr. Harrison developed the University of Florida Athletic Department’s Substance Abuse Program and headed that effort for several years. Dr. Harrison is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and, in addition to his professional duties at the University of Nevada, Reno, he has a private practice in the community.