Substance Abuse Counseling

Initial screening of potential clients as to their need for further evaluation and diagnosis.

Collecting of necessary personal information, explanation of confidentiality laws, obtaining of appropriate release of information signatures.

Clarify rights and responsibilities of both client and treatment facility, facility rules, tour appropriate areas, explain treatment process, help client to understand what is expected, and what s/he may expect.

Be able to: select the appropriate counseling model(s) for a situation; use one-on-one and group counseling skills, including empowering clients, focusing on strengths, and keeping the focus on the client's agenda, not the counselor's.

Recognize and appropriately respond to signs of relapse, suicidality, depression.

Help client to understand the processes of addiction, withdrawal, relapse, and recovery; convey this information in terms understood by clients and in one-on-one, in group or in front-of-the room environments.

Be able to understand, and where appropriate assist client with, processes in which the client may be involved in the areas of social services, legal, health care, and mental health care.

Reporting and Record Keeping.