Training Topics

The Great Lakes FASD Regional Training Center (GLFRTC) provides an array of training opportunities that utilize and expand upon an "FASD Competency-Based Curriculum for Medical and Allied Health Education and Practice" developed in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Training topics are listed below, and can be modified as needed to meet local needs.

Competency I-FASD Foundation

Basic biomedical foundation
Clinical issues
Epidemiological and psychosocial-cultural aspects

Competency II-Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention

Risk factors
Screening methods
Brief interventions
Evaluating alcohol consumption during pregnancy
Criteria for referral to treatment

Competency III-Models of Addiction

Past and current models of alcohol use
Categories of alcohol use in women
States of alcohol use, dependence, and addiction
Stages of change in alcohol use
Alcohol and co-occurring psychiatric disorders
Characteristics of alcohol-dependent families

Competency IV-Biological Effects of Alcohol on the Fetus

Defining amount of alcohol in a drink
Alcohol metabolism and pharmacology
Neuromorphological birth defects associated with alcohol use
Alcohol-induced injuries on developing organ systems
Cellular responses to alcohol exposure
Putative biomedical mechanisms
Fetal alcohol exposure effects on neurobehavior
Genetic variants and markers

Competency V-Screening, Diagnosis, and Assessment of FAS

Framework for FAS diagnosis and services
FAS diagnostic criteria
Considerations for a referral for an FAS diagnostic evaluation
Evaluation of FASDs

Competency VI-Treatment Across the Lifespan for Persons with FASDs

Concerns across the life span
Providers and approaches to treatment and intervention for FASDs
Family support services and resources

Competency VII-Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues

Ethical issues
Legal and policy issues