Topic: Using DBT in the treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Mental health practitioners are invited to learn how the four skill modules of Dialectal Behavior Therapy can be integrated into addiction treatment to support patients in recovery.

Presenter: Vanessa Whitnell, M.Ed., LPC

Vanessa Whitnell, M.Ed., LPC, has had a long-standing interest for the etiology and treatment of substance use disorders. Ms. Whitnell first gained both clinical and research experience in substance use behaviors as an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri—Columbia, where she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, May 2012. After graduation, Ms. Whitnell was accepted into the Community Counseling Graduate Program at DePaul University. During this time, Ms. Whitnell served as a clinical intern in addiction treatment at Presence Behavioral Health in Lake Bluff. After she graduated with her Master of Education Degree in Community Counseling in June 2015, Ms. Whitnell worked as a private contractor for Presence Behavioral Health, which allowed her to continue her passion working with the substance abuse population. A few months later, she was offered a full-time position as the Youth Program Coordinator at Presence Behavioral Health in Palos Heights where currently manages the Intensive Outpatient Program for the treatment of substance use disorders in adolescents.