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Overview:
Alcohol or other drug (AOD) abuse is the intentional excessive use
of a psychoactive, or mood-altering, drug.
AOD addiction is drug use that involves 1) compulsion
-spending a substantial amount of time thinking about, seeking, or
using one's drug of choice, 2) loss of control - inability to
moderate one's drug intake or stop one's drug use altogether, 3)
continued use in spite of negative life consequences. Recovery from AOD addiction is a lifelong process.
It involves establishing and living a lifestyle of personal
growth and discovery, a lifestyle that promotes ongoing physical,
psychological, social and spiritual health. Individuals typically pass through several stages on their
journey of recovery. These
include: 1) detoxification from psychoactive substances, 2)
building a support system, 3) making positive, healthy lifestyle
changes, 4) working through “unfinished business” from past
traumas and negative experiences, and 5) maintaining a healthy
lifestyle.
The same basic helping skills previously
discussed and practiced are use when counseling AOD abusers and
addicts. However,
basic knowledge with AOD abuse, addiction and recovery is required
in order to facilitate constructive change with AOD abusers and
addicts in counseling. This
section will provide information about AOD abuse, addiction and
recovery and discuss the application of basic helping skills to
the areas of substance abuse and addiction.
Goal:
Learn about the application of helping skills to the areas of
substance abuse and addiction.
Outcomes:
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Describe a variety of helping strategies
for reducing the negative effects of substance abuse and
depression.
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Demonstrate engaging the client in the
treatment and recovery process.
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Demonstrate client-counselor
collaboration in the development of realistic, achievable
goals consistent with achieving and maintaining recovery.
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Explain the addiction professional's
obligation to adhere to ethical and behavioral standards of
conduct in the helping profession.
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Explain the addiction professional's
obligation to adhere to ethical and behavioral standards of
conduct in the helping profession.
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Explain the confidentiality rights of
clients, program procedures that safeguard them and exceptions
imposed by statute.
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Demonstrate respect and nonjudgmental
attitudes towards the client in all contacts with other
professional or agencies.
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Objectives:
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Readings from course and supplemental texts.
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Exploration of relevant web sites.
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Interviews with local professionals.
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Discussion questions.
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Exercises and role plays.
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Videotape assignment.
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Class discussions.
Tasks:
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Complete the assigned text readings.
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Complete the following exercises in your
Cormier and Hackney text with an appropriate, willing partner
and local supervision:
| 5.1
(pages 60-61) |
6.3 (pages 85-85) |
9.1 (page
126) |
| 5.2 (page 71-72) |
7.1 (page 92) |
9.2 (pages 127-128) |
| 6.1 (pages 78-79) |
7.2 (pages 97-99) |
9.3 (pages 129-131) |
| 6.2 (page 83-84) |
7.3
(pages 104-105) |
10.1 (pages 156-159) |
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Submit complete and thoughtful answers to
the following questions in your Cormier and
Hackney text:
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#1-#4 at the end of Chapter 5 (page 76)
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#2, #4 and #5 at the end of Chapter 6
(page 87)
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#1-#4 at the end of Chapter 7 (page 107)
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#1-#3 at the end of Chapter 8 (pages
118-119)
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#1, #2 and #4 at the end of Chapter 9
(page 133)
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#1-#5 at the end of Chapter 10 (page 161)
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Practice the basic helping skills with an
appropriate, willing partner and local supervision with AOD
abuse and/or addiction as a key client issue.
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Submit a 30-minute videotape
demonstrating the basic helping skills with AOD abuse and/or
addiction as a key client issue.
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Participate in class discussions.
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Complete two of the following exercises:
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Explore a minimum of four web sites
that provide information on chemical abuse and addictions
treatment. Write
a 3-page paper, including brief descriptions of the sites
you visited, your reactions to the information provided at
each site, and your opinion regarding each site’s
usefulness to someone wanting to learn about chemical
addictions treatment.
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Interview local treatment providers who
work with individuals with chemical abuse and/or addiction
problems. Write
a 3-page paper reporting on your findings, including 1)
their counseling philosophy and that of their agency, 2)
their counseling style, their views on addiction, recovery
and 12-step groups, 3) the types of clients they typically
see, 4) their view of the helping relationship, and 5) the
helping skills and techniques they have found to be most
useful in their work, 6) how they define “success” in
treatment and what percentage of their clients are
successful in their recovery.
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Interview individuals in recovery from
addiction to alcohol and/or other drugs.
These may be people you know personally or people you
might meet at treatment agencies, open AA and/or open NA
meetings. Inquire
about their experiences with their drug(s) of choice,
addiction, and recovery.
Inquire about their treatment experiences – what
they found to be useful and not so useful. Write a 3-page paper on your findings and your reactions.
Be sure to respect anonymity and confidentiality by
avoiding any and all identifiers of specific individuals.
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Visit three open AA and/or NA meetings.
In addition to listening and learning, inquire about
members’ opinions about and experiences with addiction and
recovery. Write
a 3-page paper on your findings, and describe the meetings
and your reactions to them.
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