Assessment
- All good substance abuse treatment begins with a clinical
assessment of a person's needs. This assessment helps in the
development of an effective treatment plan. Assessment should
be ongoing throughout the program and the plan should change
as a the patients needs change.
Medical Care
- Some drug treatment programs can provide medical
care on site. Medical care typically includes screening and
treatment of hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and other health
related concerns. Programs that do not provide care on site
should be able to refer the patient to quality care.
Treatment Plan
- The treatment team, along with the person in treatment develops
a treatment plan based on the assessment. A treatment plan is
a written guide to treatment that includes the person's goals,
treatment activities designed to help meet those goals, ways
to tell whether a goal has been met, and a timeline for meeting
goals. The addiction treatment plan helps both the person in
treatment and treatment program staff stay focused. As stated
earlier the treatment plan should adjust over time as the patients
needs are reassessed.
Group and Individual
Counseling - At first individual counseling generally
focuses on motivating the person to stop using drugs or alcohol.
Treatment then shifts to helping the person stay drug and alcohol
free. The counselor attempts to help the person to:
- See the problem and become motivated to change
- Change his or her behavior
- Repair damaged relationships with family and friends
- Build new friendships with people who don't use drugs
- create a recovery lifestyle
Group counseling may be different in each program,
but group members usually support and try to help one another
cope with live without using drugs or alcohol. They Share their
experiences, talk about their problems and feelings, and find
out that they are not alone.
Individual Assignments
- People in drug abuse treatment may be asked
to read certain things, listen to audiotapes, watch videos, complete
written assignments, and try new behaviors.
Education About
Substance Use Disorders - Patients learn about
the symptoms and the effect so of drug use on the brain and body.
They also learn what makes addiction a disease and how to manage
this illness.
Life Skills Training
- The training can include learning and practicing employment
skills, communication skills, leisure activities, social skills,
communication skills, anger management, goal setting, and money
and time management.
Testing for Drug
and Alcohol Use - Program staff members regularly
take urine or saliva samples from people for drug testing.
Relapse Prevention
Training - Relapse prevention training teaches
people how to identify their relapse triggers, ho to cope with
cravings, how to develop plans for handling stressful situations,
and what to do if they relapse.
Orientation to
Self-Help Groups - Participants in self-help groups
support and encourage one another to become or stay drug and alcohol
free. Twelve-step programs are probably the best known of the
self-help groups; however, there are others.
Treatment for Emotional
Problems - Many people with a substance use disorder
also have emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, or post
traumatic stress disorder. Treating both the substance abuse and
mental illness increases the chance that the person will recover.
Family Education
and Counseling Services - This education can help
family members understand the disease and its causes, effects
and treatment. Family members should participate as fully as possible
in the family counseling the program offers.
Adapted from: What is Substance Abuse Treatment?
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. DHHS Publication No.
(SMA) 04-3955.
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