E-therapy for Substance Abuse and Co-morbidity

This brief provides an overview of the emerging field of Electronic Therapy, E-Therapy, with a specific focus on alcohol and substance abuse. Understanding barriers that prevent individuals from seeking necessary mental health treatment is at the center of the development and analysis of practice models of care. Geographic location, transportation, language barriers and other situations contribute to difficulties in obtaining adequate treatment for mental illness. E-Therapy eliminates these barriers by administering counseling and mental health services through audio or audiovisual means. This brief examines E-Therapy best practices as they apply to alcohol and substance abuse intervention and prevention.

JOHN S. WODARSKI, Ph.D., M.S.S.W., is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. He also serves as a Senior Research Scientist with the University of Tennessee Children’s Mental Health Services Research Center. Dr. Wodarski received his B.S. degree from Florida State University, the M.S.S.W degree from the University of Tennessee, and the Ph. D. from Washington University in Saint Louis. From 1993-2000 he served as the Janet B. Wattles Research Professor and Director for the Research Center and Doctoral Program of the State University of New York at Buffalo. His main interests include Child and Adolescent Health Behavior, including research on violence, substance abuse, depression, sexuality and employment. Dr. Wodarski’s research experiences include multiple funded projects which form the basis for his knowledge of the use of peer structures to facilitate learning. He is currently serving as the Principal Investigator on three SAMHSA-funded grants: “HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse Primary Prevention in Minority Adolescents,” “HIV/AIDS Primary Prevention Program with Caribbean Youth,” and “The Expanded Care Coordination through the Use of Health Information Technology.”

SARAH CURTIS, M.S.S.W, L.M.S.W., received her master’s degree from the University of Tennessee in May 2012. She has extensive experience in sexuality education and joined The University of Tennessee Children’s Mental Health Services Research Center to work with the HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse Primary Prevention in Minority Adolescents projects. She has collaborated with Dr. Wodarski on several journal publications.