Current Dilemmas in the Treatment of the Impaired Professional

This program delves into treament of the imparied professional and the current controversies and dilemmas that arise. TRC is the oldest and largest impaired professional program in the world, having treated thousands of impaired professionals over its 30 year history. Current Dilemmas in the Treatment of the Impaired Professional will review the literature on the treatment of impaired physicians in particular, describing changes in the patient population, types of drugs used, and techniques in treatment. The talk will define what we believe to be the core dilemmas in the treatment of the impaired professional and current controversies that arise from these dilemmas. The controversies:

• Should professionals practice on maintenance opioids?
• Should anesthesia personnel return to the operating room if addicted to parenteral opioids?
• Where does public safety conflict with the professionals need for privacy?
• Is externally monitored and state mandated abstinence the same as self sought recovery?

Learning Objectives

• Identify the key factors that make the treatment of professionals different from the treatment of non-professionals
• List the ethical dilemmas that care givers face when treating impaired professionals and define how to address each dilemma
• Describe the major controversies that exist today in the treatment of professionals.

About the Speaker

Dr. Earley has 20 years of experience treating addictive diseases and specializes in long term therapy and advocacy for professionals who suffer from addictive diseases. Prior to joining the Talbott Recovery Campus, Dr. Earley was the Medical Director of the Impaired Professionals Program and Service Director of Adult Addiction Medicine at Ridgeview Institute in Atlanta. Dr. Earley is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and sat on the board of ASAM for over 10 years in several capacities. He is sought out nationally for his training in addiction and is the author of numerous articles about addiction and its treatment. In 1998, Dr. Earley's work was featured in the Bill Moyer's special on addiction titled "Close to Home."