Search

Using the Brief Situational Confidence Questionnaire, the authors examined the refusal self-efficacy of 105 Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) members according to their affiliation length and meeting frequency. Results demonstrated that longer affiliation with SMART Recovery and higher meeting frequency significantly enhanced substance refusal self-efficacy.

The authors explored college counselors' (N = 77) integration of religion and spirituality into substance abuse counseling. Results indicated a discrepancy between the importance ratings of religion and spirituality and the frequency of using such elements in counseling practice.

The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first purpose was to determine whether a self-report measure of cold heartedness (CH) correlated significantly better with proactive criminal thinking (PCT) than with reactive criminal thinking (RCT). The second purpose was to investigate whether cold heartedness was partially responsible for the negative relationship proposed to exist between PCT and counselor rapport. These two hypotheses were tested in a sample of 4638 male and female correctional clients enrolled in substance abuse counseling for an average of 121 to 141 days. In support of the first hypothesis the zero-order CH–PCT correlation was significantly higher than the zero-order CH–RCT correlation and PCT but not RCT correlated with CH when age, sex, and race were controlled. The second hypothesis, that CH would partially explain the correlation between PCT and counselor rapport, also found support in the form of a positive interaction between cold heartedness and PCT in predicting counselor rapport. These results suggest that cold heartedness or callous/unemotional traits are both antecedents of proactive criminal thinking and features of personality partially responsible for the putative rapport-inhibiting effects of proactive criminal thinking.

Dass die grenznahen Gebiete zur Tschechischen Republik – vor allem Sachsen und der Osten Bayerns – seit einigen Jahren mit einer „Crystal-Meth-Welle“ konfrontiert sind, ist inzwischen hinlanglich bekannt. In den ambulanten Suchthilfeeinrichtungen der Caritas Zwickau und der Stadtmission Chemnitz wurden zwischen Januar 2010 und September 2015 1 894 Klienten mit Methamphetaminproblematik aufgenommen. Die hohen Fallzahlen und die substanzwirkungsbedingten kognitiven Besonderheiten der Klientel machten es fur die ambulante Suchtberatung erforderlich, Organisationsablaufe und Beratungsansatze zu uberprufen und zu modifizieren, das Personal suchtmedizinisch weiterzubilden sowie die Indikationsstellung fur stationare Suchtbehandlungen anzupassen. Zusatzlich scharfte sich in der Arbeit mit Crystal-Meth-Konsumenten der Fokus auf die mitbetroffenen minderjahrigen Kinder der Klienten, was inzwischen zu einer intensivierten Kooperation mit Tragern der Jugendhilfe und zur Konzeptualisierung und Implementierung spezieller Hilfsangebote fuhrte.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing have gained increasing importance within the literature body as approaches to utilize when working with the substance abuse population. Despite a strong focus within the research on these approaches, however, substance abuse and substance abuse-related behaviors continue to have a detrimental effect on the community. As research demonstrates the potential efficacy of narrative therapy in various areas, evaluation of its application in substance abuse services is important. Integration of two narrative therapy techniques with potential integration into group therapy is introduced with the rationale, assumptions, and objectives of the approach. In addition, adaptations and limitations are discussed.

Spirituality represents an important internal and external strength that can support clients when facing a variety of problems including substance misuse and addiction. Spirituality is commonly inc...

Background While the efficacy of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in the prevention of HIV is well established in clinical trials, its utility in clinical practice needs to be defined. In contrast to lifelong HIV treatment, the use of PrEP should be only for those who remain at continued risk of HIV infection. Using sexual transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis as an indicator of continued high-risk sexual behavior, this study aimed to evaluate risk factors associated with STIs in PrEP users in New York City. Methods This retrospective cohort study included electronic health records of patients who initiated PrEP at Mount Sinai Health System from 2013 to 2016. Patients were screened for syphilis and urethral, rectal and pharyngeal gonorrhea and chlamydia every 6 months with additional testing at providers’ discretion. Results During the study period, 599 patients (95% male) initiated PrEP at 34.3 years of age on average (SD=9.8; range=17–75). Of the 516 with information on sexual orientation, 91% was MSM; 38% was White, 17 % Hispanic, and 12 % Black. Nearly 35% of the 450 tested for STIs had at least one STI with 9% receiving 3 or more positive results. A total of 278 STIs were detected over 460 person-years of follow-up among 328 patients with a known PrEP initiation date; STI incidence was 59.7/100 person-years (95% CI: 48.68–70.63). There were no significant differences by race or ethnicity. Rectal STIs were significantly higher among those aged 25–30 (P < .01) than the other age groups and among those with PrEP-AP or Medicaid insurance coverage (P < .05) compared with private insurance. A greater number of men who reported alcohol or drug use tested positive for STIs than men who did not report substance use (P < .05). Adjusted logistic regression analysis showed the odds of being diagnosed with any STI or a rectal STI were 1.78 (95% CI: 1.14–2.77) and 2.56 (95% CI: 1.30–5.05) times among those reporting substance use. Conclusion STI incidence, including rectal STIs, was significantly higher among men who reported alcohol or drug use. This study highlights a group within this cohort of PrEP users that remain at high risk for HIV and would benefit from continued adherence to PrEP as well as enhanced counseling on substance use and reducing high-risk sexual behaviors. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

This nationwide, quantitative study documented licensed counselors' perceived self-efficacy of adequately providing substance abuse services. Despite their lack of substance abuse training, counselors were highly confident in their ability to provide quality substance abuse services. Counselor training implications are discussed.

Clinician training and supervision are needed to transfer evidence-based practices to community-based treatment organizations. Standardized patients (SPs) are used for clinician training and evaluating. However, to be effective for substance abuse counselors, SPs must realistically portray substance abuse treatment clients. The current study assessed authenticity of SPs as substance abuse treatment clients. Twenty-one substance abuse counselors interviewed SP(s) with differing profiles. Counselors provided quantitative and qualitative ratings of SP authenticity. Counselor responses to the study procedures were analyzed as well. Quantitative results include high-authenticity ratings for the SPs but counselors’ subjective responses varied. Counselor's rated the experience of participating in the study positively and provided constructive comments for future applications of this methodology. Results support future work on SPs as teaching and evaluation tools in substance abuse counseling. Findings also illustrate the need to refine definitions of authenticity for SPs as substance abuse clients.

In this study, the authors sought to examine factors that contribute to the overall development of supervisors in the substance abuse field. Significant predictors for supervisor development were found as were differences in these predictors that were based on supervisor recovery status.

The authors assessed the substance abuse counseling needs of women in the criminal justice system using interviews (n = 304) and surveys (n = 1,170). On the basis of the results, the authors call for gender-specific treatment as well as family-oriented support for women who are mothers.

SUMMARY Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT) is designed for married or cohabiting individuals seeking help for alcohol or other drug abuse. BCT sees the drug abusing patient together with the spouse or live-in partner. Its purposes are to build support for abstinence and to improve relationship functioning. BCT promotes abstinence with a “recovery contract” that involves both members of the couple in a daily ritual to reward abstinence. BCT improves the relationship with techniques for increasing positive activities and improving communication. BCT also fits well with 12-step or other self-help groups, individual or group substance abuse counseling, and recovery medications.

Professional counselors and counselors-in-training continue to serve clients who have substance abuse issues, yet systematic training in substance abuse counseling is not available to many counselors. The authors investigated the extent to which students in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2001) are exposed to clients presenting with substance abuse issues and the relationship between state licensure or certification in substance abuse and the resulting perception of the need for the inclusion of substance abuse training in these programs. Three methods are presented for possibly including substance abuse training in CACREP standards.

East Carolina University has one of the few comprehensive substance abuse counselor education (SACE) programs in the nation that offers an undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level of preparation in substance abuse counseling. This article describes the evolution of this SACE from its beginning in 1972 to its current status. This comprehensive program can serve as a model for substance abuse counselor educators developing SACE programs at other universities.

Professional counselors and counselors-in-training continue to serve clients who have substance abuse issues, yet systematic training in substance abuse counseling is not available to many counselors. The authors investigated the extent to which students in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2001) are exposed to clients presenting with substance abuse issues and the relationship between state licensure or certification in substance abuse and the resulting perception of the need for the inclusion of substance abuse training in these programs. Three methods are presented for possibly including substance abuse training in CACREP standards.

The present study examined the perceived need for CACREP-accredited counselor education programs to formalize curriculum standards for substance abuse counseling courses. The participants were university professors who are CACREP liaisons for currently accredited counselor education programs. A survey was conducted using questions constructed from a review of literature and subsequent feedback from counselor educators with substance abuse counseling and CACREP expertise. Results suggested that providing educational preparation for students aspiring to be substance abuse counselors should be implemented. More than half of those surveyed (56.6%) indicated that the establishment of such curriculum standards by CACREP is “important” (23.3%), “very important” (14.4%), or “extremely important” (18.9%).

A growing number of assisted living facilities (ALFs) are caring for elders with disabilities. Residents often need a broad array of supports as their physical, mental, and social functioning declines. The need for social work competencies was examined in this study of 140 ALF administrators. The 31 competencies were borrowed from the CSWE/SAGE-SW National Competencies Survey Report. Only 17 of the respondents employed professional social workers but facilities with social workers were significantly more likely to offer bereavement, crisis, family, and substance abuse counseling. The majority of administrators agreed that social work competencies could be useful in their facilities; however, non-social workers appeared to be performing many of these tasks.

Almost 90% of all State and Federal prisons in the U.S. offer some form of substance abuse counseling, and one in eight prisoners have participated in a substance abuse treatment program while incarcerated. Evidence indicates that these programs can be successful in stopping prisoners' substance abuse. While some data are available about the success of these programs, little is known about program administrators', counselors' and participants' experiences with and perceptions of these treatment programs. These experiences and perceptions remain important because they may be helpful for understanding areas of agreement and conflict in staff-participant relationships. The more understanding we have for these relationships, the more likely it is that we will be able to improve staff-participant communications, program effectiveness, and participant success. The results suggest similarities and differences between staff and participants in the areas of participant motivation, staff-participant commun...

The perceptions of childhood and adolescent relationships among chemically dependent women who are new in recovery are examined. Participants placed themselves in social and psychological contexts as they described the impact of significant inter-personal relationships on their lives. Two relevant and descriptive categories of responses were developed based on participants' narratives: “childhood marked by inconsistent family support” and “adolescence notable for adult disregard.” Implications for substance abuse counseling include emphasis on emotional support and encouragement for clients in enriching therapeutic environments.

Substance abuse counseling students must become familiar with an overview of the issues involved in counseling. A clear format is needed to present the overview. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of models addressing the unique aspects of substance abuse counseling. However, the Integrated Developmental Model (IDM) developed by Stoltenberg, McNeill, and Del worth (1998) appears to be appropriate. This article describes the application of the eight clinical domains of the IDM to the overview of substance abuse counseling.

This paper will discuss confidentiality issues in the field of social work, specifically when working in addictions. Exceptions to the Code of Ethics and the Federal statute on Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Patients are discussed. Specific cases are examined around the populations of clients with HIV/AIDS and adolescence. Implications for practice and future directions are considered.

The authors describe the development of an instrument to measure substance abuse counseling orientations. The Powerless-Empowerment Scale, which was developed by investigating its reliability and viability, demonstrated initial promise as an instrument that can be used in a variety of settings in the substance abuse field.

Little has been written about the supervision of substance abuse counselors. Even less has been written about the application of supervision models in substance abuse counseling. The supervision of substance abuse counselors has been described as vague, fragmented and even nonexistent. In order to provide effective supervision of substance abuse counselors, it would be helpful for the supervisor to use an existing model of supervision. This paper will apply the 3 overriding structures (self and other awareness, motivation, and autonomy) of the Integrated Developmental Model of clinical supervision to substance abuse counselors. Special attention will be placed on the unique issues of substance abuse counseling and their implications on clinical supervision.

This is another look at the practice of coerced substance abuse counseling. The practice is discussed from a research, practice, ethical, and theoretical perspective. Based on the discussion, the practice of coerced counseling is highly unprofessional.

This article examines the clinical value of self-efficacy theory for substance abuse counselors practicing in a managed care environment. The authors delineate how a self-efficacy approach can be adapted to provide time-limited or brief therapy substance abuse counseling.

This article argues that the growing trend toward tough penalties in corrections is not the solution to juvenile violence. Rather, policy addressing increased violence should take account of research, which suggests a focus on the home and community. Children are forced to become independent and competitive too soon. Instead, emphasis should be placed on the process, not the product. We need to support mentoring programs; community schools with facilities available after hours; family preservation programs; individual and family counseling services; substance abuse counseling and treatment; and continuing education programs. Also important is interagency cooperation rather than competition.

Spirituality is crucial, the sine qua non, to substance abuse counseling, because the objective of the entire enterprise is for the client to come to believe in one spirit more than another. Tillich's “ultimate concern,” a paradigm from William James, the experience of Bill Wilson, an explanation of Vernon Johnson's and Silkworth's “deflation in depth” elaborate this. The patient transfers his “ultimate concern” from trust in the substance to faith in the recovering community and its Higher Power. Reality-facing the truth-is not enough! Recovery wants the full grasp of a brand new spirituality.

This randomized pilot study tested the efficacy of an integrative treatment targeting homeless substance abusing mothers with young children in their care. Sixty mothers with 2–6 year old children were recruited from a local family shelter. The mothers were randomly assigned to Ecologically-Based Treatment (n = 30) or treatment as usual (n = 30). The intervention group received 3 months of rental and utility assistance up to $600 per month, case management services, and substance abuse counseling (referred to as supportive services). The treatment as usual group received housing and services through the family shelter and community housing programs. All participants completed follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 9 months post-baseline. Mothers receiving Ecologically-Based Treatment showed a quicker decline in alcohol frequency and a quicker increase in housing stability. Furthermore, with supportive services, two-thirds of women were successful in maintaining their apartments 6 months after rental assistance ended.

The Wild Mustang Program operated from 1988 to 1992 at a correctional facility in New Mexico. Inmate labor operated a horse adoption program. While animal-facilitated therapy is not new to the correctional system, research is limited. We found no other attempt to study a program of this type. This case study includes qualitative and quanitative evidence. Findings suggest that inmate and staff perceptions about the success of the program exceed the statistical evidence. This program was associated with; reduction of disciplinary reports, particularly for those who simultaneously participated in substance abuse counseling and for violent offenders. Evidence is inconclusive regarding recidivism.

The association between substance abuse and trauma is increasingly recognized. Substance use and abuse appears to be a precipitant of trauma in various populations. Closer scrutiny often reveals the presence of a substance abuse disorder, not just substance use in these patients. Substance abuse counseling and referral is emerging as an integral part of trauma management. Once these patients are hospitalized with a traumatic injury, substance withdrawal may occur and complicate recovery. Knowledge of the various substances used and their withdrawal manifestations are important in preventing additional morbidity in these patients. Diagnosis and treatment of various withdrawal syndromes are discussed.

The Naval Health Research Center was tasked by Headquarters Marine Corps with assessing the process by which the Marine Corps Substance Abuse Counseling Centers (SACCs) address clients with stress concerns and behavioral health conditions stemming from deployment, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat operational stress. The following report details findings from the scientific literature and SACC site assessments, and provides specific recommendations. It documents the current treatment approach with regard to substance abuse clients with co-occurring mental health concerns at selected Marine Corps SACCs; and it reviews and recommends best practices for screening, referrals, treatment, patient education, and case management. The overall purpose is to provide recommendations that will lead to optimal treatment of SACC clients suffering from PTSD and other military-related behavioral health conditions.

Substance abuse counseling treatment in community corrections ultimately aims to assist offenders in learning constructive coping skills and restoring social and occupational functioning. A review is discussed of various treatment methods that have survived the tests of empirical scrutiny, clinical experience, and practical financial considerations. In addition, these methods are offered for consideration by community corrections professionals in developing a basic design for outpatient substance abuse treatment programs.