Best Practices
The 12 Core Functions of Addiction Counselors
These core functions are simply the types of tasks that are required day-to-day in the world of addiction counseling. If you’ve ever wondered what addiction counselors do specifically, these core functions should give you a solid foundation. Each function is based on a set of global criteria, and these 12 core functions are used by addiction professionals around the world. Let’s take a quick look at each function.
1. Patient Screening
Before an employee becomes a patient in any type of addiction counseling program, we must first determine if the patient is a good match for the program in question. We also will evaluate an employee for signs of alcohol and drug use and also work to identify any co-occurring disorders.
Co-occurring disorders are extremely common with many individuals seeking help for addiction treatment. These include medical, psychiatric and physical conditions. For instance, you might have an individual with bipolar disorder and drug addiction. You might also have an individual with depression and addiction, or perhaps chronic pain and addiction. All of these conditions need to be identified and then addressed to treat the whole person.
2. Intake
Once you determine via screening that an individual is a good match for a particular program, the admissions or intake process begins. Every program or facility will have its own schedule of paperwork that will need to be completed during this process. This will include signed consent forms, as well as information about items such as insurance, emergency contacts, the initial patient assessment and more
3. Orientation
During this process, an individual is helped to understand the program itself. Each program is unique and what you discuss during this part of the process will include everything from rules of client conduct to treatment costs to your client’s rights and more. For an inpatient facility, you might discuss rules, quiet hours, daily schedules, etc. With an outpatient program, you will provide information about daily services and hours of operation and so forth.
4. Assessment
This is similar to screening, but it dives much deeper into an individual’s history. More information will be gathered about the individual’s history with drugs and/or alcohol as well as focusing on the individual’s problems and needs as well as their strengths and weaknesses and develop a solid evaluation of the individual’s substance abuse and any co-occurring disorders.
5. Treatment Planning
Each of the core functions builds on the previous function, and once a detailed assessment, it’s crucial that they understand the treatment plan and how and why the addiction counselor chose this specific plan.
The plan will need to identify the problems your patient faces and prioritize each of these issues. Short-term goals and long-term goals will be created and agreed upon based on the results of the assessment and identified needs of the individual needs. Treatment methods will be discussed as well as the types of resources available to the employee.
6. Counseling
Counseling can involve many different options, including individual counseling, family counseling and group counseling. There may be different types of therapy involved, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing etc. to help employees deal with all their issues.
7. Case Management
As a Substance Abuse Professional, I will create a plan for each employee that includes a variety of services. This might include finding 12-step programs after a person leaves a rehab facility or perhaps identifying doctors that can help with various physical and mental illnesses. Each case will be unique and designed to help the individual achieve long-term sobriety and to help them deal with all the issues or problems they might be facing.
8. Crisis Intervention
A crisis can occur at any point during the assessment process, rehab or recovery, and steps will need to be taken as quickly as possible to mitigate the crisis. This could be an emotional crisis during rehab or perhaps an issue during recovery but having a crisis plan can help the individual to work through the crisis and get back to a healthier state of mind and body.
9. Client Education
Many individuals seeking treatment don’t understand their addictions or other problems they might be facing. They also often aren’t aware of the many resources out there that are available to them. SAP will help educate individuals about support services as well as about addiction in general.
10. Referral
SAP will assist individuals in identifying areas the client needs support and finding appropriate services to help them. For instance, perhaps they need help with bipolar disorder or perhaps they have been diagnosed with an eating disorder or diabetes and need nutritional support and advice. Finding professionals that can assist individuals in meeting their needs in a way that ensures the individual’s life of recovery is successful.
11. Reporting & Record Keeping
Paperwork is an important component of substance abuse counseling and we will maintain a variety of records that include assessments, treatment plans, discharge summaries and a variety of reports. Not only does all the paperwork need to be carefully organized, but patient confidentiality is also crucial.
12. Consultation With Other Professionals
This includes working with other professionals at your facility as well as contacting and collaborating with outside professionals. While you will gain many important skills during your education and training, there will be times when issues are present that are beyond our own skills or knowledge. In these cases, consultation with other professionals is a necessary step in the process of addiction counseling.