Agencies:

• SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

• NIDA: National Institute on Drug Abuse

• CARF: Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities

• DEA: Drug Enforcement Agency

• HHS: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• ASAM: American Society of Addiction Medicine

• BHDD: SC Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

• OSUS: Office of Substance Use Services-A Department of BHDD

• SCORF: South Carolina Opioid Relief Fund

• SCARR: South Carolina Alliance for Recovery Residences

Treatment Settings:

• IP: Inpatient Treatment/Hospitalization (Level 4)- This level of care is medically managed, intensive 24-hour nursing care and daily physician care for severe, unstable, and medically complex issues.  This level of care is used most often for crisis stabilization, detoxification or severe psychiatric conditions requiring medically directed withdrawal management and intensive medical and psychiatric services.

• RIP/RTC: Residential Inpatient Treatment/Residential Treatment Center (Level 3)- This level encompasses residential services that typically provide 24 hour living support and structure, with support from trained SUD treatment, mental health, and general medical personnel. It is designed for those with minimal withdrawal risk and stable mental/physical health conditions. It provides various types of therapy, medication management, education, and recovery support.

• PHP:Partial Hospitalization Program (Level 2.5)- This level of care includes 20 or more hours of service per week but does not require 24-hour care.  It is an outpatient service that delivers treatment, usually during the day.  It can include individual and group therapy, educational groups, medication management, and recovery support.  This level of care is similar to IOP, but on a more intense/frequent scale.

• IOP:Intensive Outpatient Program (Level 2)- This level encompasses services that can meet the complex needs of people with SUD and co-occuring disorders.  The treatment hours may vary from day, evening, and/or weekends.  IOP’s consist of 9-19 hours of service per week (adults) or 6 or more hours per week (adolescents).  It can include individual and group therapy, education, case management, and recovery support.

• OP:Outpatient Program (Level 1)- This level of care typically consists of less than 9 hours per week (adults) and 6 hours per week (adolescents).  Treatment hours may vary.   It may include group therapy, education, and recovery support.

• EAP:Employee Assistance Program- A confidential, employer-sponsored benefit offering free support for personal and work-related issues.  It may include assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and resources for challenges such as stress management, SUD, grief, or mental health problems.  The goal of an EAP is to improve employee well-being and improve job performance.

• DETOX:Detoxification- This can be inpatient or outpatient depending on necessity.  This involves managing withdrawal symptoms with supportive care, and medications as needed.

• ADSAP:South Carolina Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program- Classes that are mandatory for a Driving/Boating Under the Influence (DUI) conviction. 

• MAT:Medication Assisted Treatment Program- This is a treatment pathway that provides various FDA-approved medications, with or without behavioral therapy, that can assist recovery by controlling cravings, relieve withdrawal symptoms, and help to prevent relapse.

• MOUD: Medication for Opioid Use Disorder- FDA-approved medications used to treat Opioid Use Disorder such as Methadone, Suboxone, Subutex, Vivitrol, Sublocade, or Brixadi.

Assessment and Evaluation:

• ASI: Addiction Severity Index- A tool used by clinicians to determine the severity of a person’s substance misuse and provides a comprehensive overview of a person’s substance related issues

• AUDIT: Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test- A 10 item screening tool to assess alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems.  Includes both a clinician administered version and self-reporting version that is completed by the individual.

• DSM-V:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition-Manual used by clinicians that defines SUD by 11 criteria and diagnosis is made based on symptom count (mild 2-3, moderate 4-5, severe 6 or more)

• SBIRT:Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment- This approach is used in healthcare settings to identify people at risk for SUD and provide early intervention to reduce negative health outcomes.  Most often performed in emergency rooms and physician offices, by peer support specialists.

• UDS:Urine Drug Screen- This is used as an assessment tool used to detect the presence of prescription medication and legal or illegal substances for the purpose of medical treatment.

• COD/Dual Diagnosis: Co-Occurring Disorders- The presence of both a substance use and mental health disorder-such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc.

Therapies and Interventions:

• CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy- A structured, goal-oriented talk therapy that helps identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors, thus improving mood and coping.

• DBT:Dialectical Behavior Therapy- A type of CBT specifically adapted for individuals who experience emotion very intensely, like Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, etc.  It encompasses 4 core modules: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

• MET:Motivational Enhancement Therapy- A brief approach using motivational interviewing to help resolve ambivalence and build intrinsic motivation for positive behavior change.

• ART:Accelerated Resolution Therapy-A psychotherapy that uses guided eye movements, combined with imagery rescripting, to help reprocess traumatic memories. This reduces their emotional impact quickly, often within 1-5 sessions, without needing detailed verbal recounting of the trauma.

• EMDR:Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing- A structured psychotherapy which helps to reprocess painful memories, reduce their emotional impact, and allow new, healthier ways of thinking.  Clients focus on a traumatic memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, taps, or sounds. This stimulation mimics REM sleep, which helps the brain naturally process and store the memory in a less distressing way.

• MRT: Moral Reconation Therapy- A therapy designed to reduce recidivism by enhancing moral reasoning, improving self-image, and promoting positive behavior using a step system, often called the “Freedom Ladder.”  It is used most often for justice-involved individuals to identify and change thinking patterns that lead to criminal or harmful behaviors by focusing on concepts like honesty, accountability, empathy, and goal setting.

• REBT: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy- A model that helps to identify and challenge self-defeating thoughts to then replace them with healthier, more rational ones.  It’s primary tool is the ABC model (Activating Event, Beliefs, Consequences) to focus on the present and teach practical skills for coping and self-acceptance.

• FBT:Family Behavioral Therapy- A practical, skills-based approach to help families change unhealthy interaction patterns, reduce stress, and solve problems.  It focuses on problem specific behaviors and improving communication.

Support Groups:

• AA: Alcoholics Anonymous- A mutual aid group designed to help individuals recover from alcohol use disorder through abstinence, structured meetings, and a 12 step-based recovery approach.

• NA:Narcotics Anonymous- A mutual aid group based on the principles of the 12-step program listed above, but focuses primarily on substance use disorder, while also considering alcohol a drug.  There are also substance specific groups: CA-Cocaine Anonymous, MA-Marijuana Anonymous.

• MARA:Medication Assisted Recovery Anonymous- A mutual aid group based on the principles of the 12-step based recovery programs above, but is for those who use prescribed medications as a recovery tool.  It offers a non-judgmental space, often lacking in traditional abstinence-focused groups, that emphasizes peer support, personal choice, and reducing harm.

• CoDA- Co-Dependents Anonymous- A mutual aid group that is a 12-step based recovery program for those recovering from a co-dependent relationship.  It is designed to help people develop functional, healthy relationships.

• SMART:Self-Management and Recovery Training- An evidence-informed recovery method grounded in REBT and CBT that utilizes a 4-point program that includes 1. Building and maintaining motivation, 2. Cope with urges and cravings, 3. Manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, 4. Live a balanced life.

• RCO: Recovery Community Organization-A nonprofit organization that provides various types of recovery services such a mutual-aid meetings, recovery coaching, community education, and harm reduction services.

General Terminology:

• Abstinence- Free from any mind or mood-altering substances.

• Narcan- Opioid antagonist medication used to reverse the effects of opioids and prevent overdose deaths.

  • Free Narcan available at FAVOR Upstate | 864.308.8159

• Overdose- Ingesting too much of a substance-prescription, over-the-counter, legal, or illegal that can lead to serious medical complications, including death. 

• Recovery Pathways- The person-driven processes of initiating and sustaining hope and recovery.

• Relapse- A return to use after a period of abstinence or reduced use, which can range from a single occurrence to return to ongoing use. It often involves an emotional, psychological, and then physical progression triggered by stress, intense emotions, or certain people/places.

• Stigma- A set of negative attitudes, beliefs, and discriminatory behaviors directed towards individuals with SUD. It is primarily rooted in the misconception that SUD is a personal choice or a moral failing, rather than a chronic, treatable medical condition.

• Withdrawal- The physical and psychological symptoms experienced when someone with SUD suddenly stops or reduces the use of a substance. 

• Tolerance- The body’s diminished response to a substance that results from repeated use.  The individual needs to use larger or more frequent doses to achieve the same effect they experienced initially.

• Dependence- A state in which the body only functions normally in the presence of a substance, experiencing withdrawal symptoms when the substance is removed. A person can be dependent on a substance without being addicted.

• Harm Reduction- A set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing the negative consequences associated with substance use.

• Recovery Capital- The quantity and quality of both internal and external resources that a person can utilize to initiate and maintain recovery.

• Trauma-Informed Care- An approach to care which accounts for the widespread impact of trauma and the understanding of potential paths for recovery. It includes the recognition of the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others. Organizations that are trauma-informed fully integrate knowledge about trauma into policies and procedures, and actively avoid re-traumatization.

• Person-First Language- Using wording such as a person with, or suffering from, substance use disorder. Person-first language articulates that the disease is a secondary attribute and not the primary characteristic of the individual’s identity.