Screening relates to a formal testing procedure used to ascertain whether a client’s condition warrants additional attention with regards to a specific condition; it is an approach used to identify the probable presence of an as-yet-undiagnosed disorder in persons without signs and symptoms (Cooper, 2018). According to Cooper (2018), professionally designed screening procedures are typified by an effective mechanism for establishing cut-off scores. Additionally, screening protocols often detail the necessary standard processes to be used in the documentation of assessment outcomes. Assessment is the clinical evaluation of a client’s functioning and well-being; it constitutes the primary information required in treatment planning and matching. The assessment process allows one to examine one's background (historical and demographic information) such as family, history of violence, and trauma history, history of substance use, and develop a preliminary determination of the addictive disorder. A treatment plan relates to written documentation which delineates the progression of a treatment intervention or therapy. A comprehensive assessment acts as a basis for a personalized treatment plan. The complexity of a treatment plan depends on the discovered information in every domain and therefore, an effective treatment plan ought to be aligned with the needs of an individual.
Crisis Management
Crisis management is a short-term and immediate psychological care aimed at helping individuals in a particular crisis to minimize the possibility of long-term psychological trauma and to restore balance to their bio-psychological functioning (Sethuraman, Subodh, & Murphy, 2016). Crisis management process is important because it facilitates the evaluation of a client’s crisis (Sethuraman, Subodh & Murphy, 2016). The therapist often schedules and performs a thorough bio-psychological assessment of the client to identify the primary issues concerning the situation. During this process, the client is often given the control and consent to discuss his condition. Through the evaluation of the client's crisis, one is usually able to understand the coping mechanisms employed by the client, for instance, drug use. Crisis assessment enhances the establishment of an appropriate and effective treatment plan. Secondly, crisis management is an essential procedure for assessing an individual's cultural and biosocial surrounding. Here, assessment tools are usually employed to determine the client's current stress levels, health condition, and the severity of the crisis episode. Thirdly, crisis management enhances the capacity of the client to comprehend his current crisis. Processing a crisis is usually essential because it allows the victim to understand all the events of the crisis thereby, helping him to gain a better understanding of the crisis and to express his feelings regarding the experience.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Assessment Process
The assessment process for identifying individuals with addictive disorders is categorized into twelve significant steps. The initial step in the assessment procedure is to engage the patient in a welcoming and empathic manner and establish a rapport to enhance an open disclosure of information about substance use disorders, mental health issues, and other related problems. The aim is to create a non-judgmental and safe environment that enhances the discussion of sensitive issues. Secondly, one needs to identify and communicate with collaterals such as friends and family. Substance abuse treatment clients, especially those with past and current mental health symptoms may be unwilling or unable to report present and past circumstances accurately, and due to this, the inclusion of the routine processes for identifying and contacting collaterals with important information is recommended (Han, Compton, Blanco, & Colpe, 2017). Thirdly, the psychologist needs to screen and detect co-occurring diseases due to the increased prevalence of mental disorders in the treatment of substance abuse. Substance abuse screening involves the screening for severe safety risk associated with withdrawal or severe intoxication and for the history of substance use, and substance-related disorders and problems. Mental health screening involves the screening for acute safety risks such as violence and suicide, history of mental health disorders and symptoms, learning and cognitive deficits, and for the history of trauma and victimization.
Fourthly, one needs to determine the locus and quadrant of responsibility; this is usually based on the severity of substance abuse and mental disorders. Fifthly, one needs to assess the level of care using various assessment mechanisms such as the ASAM PPC-2R (Fatseas, Serre, Swendsen, &Auriacombe, 2018). Sixthly, the psychologist should determine the process of diagnosis. Seventhly, the psychologist should then assess the functional and disability impairment of the patient. The eighth step is the identification of the client's supports and strengths; this offers a more positive strategy for treatment engagement than focusing entirely on the deficits that ought to be corrected. The ninth step involves the identification of linguistic and cultural supports and needs. The tenth step incorporates the identification of problem domains. The eleventh step consists of the assessment of the stage of change. Lastly, the psychologist should then schedule a treatment plan in line with the information obtained from the assessment and screening process (Fatseas et al ., 2018).
Considerations
When selecting an appropriate assessment tool, one ought to consider the equipment's reliability, and validity features, administration procedures, treatment orientation, and staff skills (Han et al., 2017). An instrument's validity and reliability are crucial to its value. The extent of their validity and reliability may differ in various situations. One should determine the efficacy of an instrument in adequately assessing the condition it’s designed to examine and the desired outcome. Treatment orientation often reflects the intellectual and philosophic framework chosen by the psychologist in approaching a particular treatment; this, in turn, influences the treatment interventions and the instruments to be used. Administration procedure relates to a set of principles which govern the procedures for managing a particular instrument. The administration procedure of a specific assessment tool ought to correlate with the process of evaluating a specific disorder to establish accountability, efficiency, and consistency. An individual's expertise and inexperience in the use of a particular instrument will play a significant role in the selection of an assessment tool. One is likely to choose an assessment tool one is familiar with for the assessment process.
General Overview of Criteria
DSM-IV-TR, the current DSM edition, establishes diagnostic criteria for two forms of substance use disorder: Abuse and dependence. The ICD-10 criteria correlate with the DSM-IV substance dependence assessment criteria. The criteria for substance dependence include tolerance, withdrawal, the consumption of substance in large quantities or over an extended period than intended, constant desire or unfruitful efforts to control or cut-down intake, period spent in activities essential to recover, use, or obtain the substance, important recreational, occupational, or social activities reduced or given up, and continued use in spite of the knowledge of having recurrent psychological or physical problems. DSM-IV has a listing of substance-specific withdrawal and intoxication symptoms for various common categories of drugs. In DSM-IV criteria substance abuse symptoms include the incapacity to fulfil primary obligations at home, school, or work, frequent use in conditions considered physically dangerous, intermittent substance-related legal issues, and the continued intake despite persistent interpersonal or social issues (Han et al., 2017).
Potential problems
Some of the potential problems that may arise due to the sole reliance on the DSM criteria include first, the inability to accurately evaluate clients from marginalized and underrepresented groups mainly because DSM focuses entirely on an individual’s pathology at the expense of a person’s developmental and cultural issues. DSM does not take into account various adjustment issues such as immigration and acculturation (Fatseas et al., 2018). The assessment of a client's developmental history often fosters the understanding of a client's behavior. Secondly, the counsellor will be unable to assess the positive aspects of the functioning of the client. The emphasis on a client's symptoms undermines the individual's strengths, and the available support systems and resources. Lastly, the counsellor will be faced with issues regarding the treatment procedure to be implemented since DSM does not link the disorders to their respective treatment procedures.
Examples
Examples of commonly used substance use disorder assessment tools include the CIDI (Composite International Diagnostic Interview) and the ASI (Addiction Severity Index).
References
Cooper, S. E. (2018). A Primer on College Student Substance Use Disorders Screening, Assessment, and Treatment Planning. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy , 32(1), 73-89.
Fatseas, M., Serre, F., Swendsen, J., & Auriacombe, M. (2018). Effects of anxiety and mood disorders on craving and substance use among patients with substance use disorder: An ecological momentary assessment study. Drug & Alcohol Dependence , 187242-248.
Han, B., Compton, W. M., Blanco, C., & Colpe, L. J. (2017). Prevalence, Treatment, And Unmet Treatment Needs Of US Adults With Mental Health And Substance Use Disorders. Health Affairs, 36(10), 1739-1747.
Sethuraman, L., Subodh, B. N., & Murthy, P. (2016). Validation of vocational assessment tool for persons with substance use disorders. Industrial Psychiatry Journal , 25(1), 59-64.
