In this illuminating installment of Lightning Step's Behavioral Health Innovators series, host Benjamin Turner sits down with Annie Peters, PhD, LP, the Director of Research and Education at NAATP (National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers).
Dr. Peters shares her expertise in creating individualized treatment plans based on comprehensive psychological assessments. She walks through the critical components of an effective assessment, including screening for co-occurring mental health disorders, evaluating risk factors, and fostering a strong therapeutic alliance.
The conversation also delves into best practices for measuring treatment outcomes. Dr. Peters emphasizes the importance of tracking both symptom reduction and overall quality of life, while involving patients in collaborative goal-setting.
From a research perspective, Dr. Peters highlights the potential of aggregating outcomes data across treatment centers to identify more significant trends and evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions. She discusses her work with NAATP's Foundation for Recovery Science and Education (FoRSE) initiative.
Dr. Peters also discusses the genuine challenges of burnout among behavioral health clinicians. She offers advice on prioritizing self-care and harnessing new technologies to streamline workflow without sacrificing human connection.
Tune in for a thought-provoking dialogue full of valuable insights for behavioral health providers and anyone passionate about the future of addiction recovery. Stay tuned for more engaging conversations with leaders in the field from this Behavioral Health Innovators series.