Fiona Dava 3

Running Head: ELIZA D CASE STUDY 1

ELIZA D CASE STUDY 2

Andravus Stenson

Grand Canyon University

July 27, 2021

ELIZA D: Part 2

Examine the case and propose why the changes occurred

The counselor has received orders to conduct a mandatory evaluation because Eliza has recently been indicted in two drinking incidents in the client’s dorm. She was involved in both incidences. After being charged for public intoxication, it now means that she has to attend mandatory alcohol classes. Although the previous assessments indicated that Eliza took alcohol, she vehemently denies involvement in drinking incidents, and she continued insisting that she was innocent. She said that her friends in the dorm were causing the problem, and she did not have any drinking problem. It is possible that the changes in her case were made because of her increased tendency to blame her friends for the alcohol problem. Another cause could be her low self-esteem and anxiety, contributing to the patient drinking alcohol more frequently and more abusively. However, it is very important to note that the current incidences illustrate that this patient has a severe alcohol problem, but she does not want to accept that she has the problem. The client’s inability to accept her drinking habits is one of the major reasons she goes too far with her drinking habits (O’Connor, et al., 2018).

Reassessing the effectiveness and the validity of the treatment plan

The previous treatment plan aimed to address the client’s anxiety, low self-esteem, schoolwork, and peer pressure. The counselor had therefore used the cognitive-behavioral theory in governing the treatment sessions and developing a treatment plan. The counselor placed much of the efforts in addressing the client’s distorted cognitive functions and interoceptive exposure in helping the client identify and address her distorted thinking pattern. Although these are some of the most effective strategies, the treatment did not meet the goals and objectives that the counselor intended them to. The treatment approach and the interventions used only helped the client understand her thinking pattern and how the thinking pattern had been distorted, but the approach did not help address the patient’s drinking pattern. Similarly, the treatment plan did not go ahead after exposing the client’s problem to illustrate how the client would cope with the issues she was facing.

The way the treatment plan needs to be adjusted to address the situation

It is very important to help Eliza in overcoming the current problem that she is facing. The most important thing is, therefore, to make changes in the previous treatment plan. The details offered regarding the mandatory counseling indicate that the patient could be having an alcohol use disorder, and it should be addressed accordingly. It is very critical to understand that alcohol use disorder should be treated using a certain cycle. It has to include craving, relapse, and abstinence (McHugh, & Weiss, 2019). Therefore, the client’s treatment plan is required to be adjusted in a way that will help the counselor and the client to be able to address the potential pattern of the repeated alcohol use by this client, the struggles that she is facing to abstain and the potential of the patient falling into the relapse. One of the most important things is for the counselor to help the client accept that she has a problem with alcohol use. After the client accepts that she has the problem, the other important thing is to include group counseling. The health care personnel have to address this issue with urgency because of the severe mental threat that it presents to this client. The client must learn the various ways that can help in abstaining from drinking alcohol, and the development of adaptive coping skills should be added to the client's treatment goals (Corace, et al., 2020).

Justification of the changes both legally and ethically

The changes that have been highlighted are both ethically and legally justified. This is especially because, according to the ACA codes, a counselor is required to avoid any actions that may cause harm to the client (ACA, 2018). By not changing the treatment plan, the counselor would be causing harm since the client's needs will not have been addressed. By the client having herself on the wrong side of the law on two different occasions, this is a clear illustration that the client could end up in more danger if alcohol abuse is not addressed with urgency. Therefore, the healthcare personnel is ethically entitled to do everything humanly possible to prevent the patient from causing harm to herself or from causing harm to others. This is especially because the client is not considered to have attained the right drinking age, which is 21 years in the U.S. Therefore, her behavior forces her to break the law. It may drive her to engage in legal battles and probably find herself kicked out of school.

What do the changes mean to the treatment plan?

The changes in the client’s situation mean that the initial treatment plan was incomplete. Therefore, this requires that the treatment plan is adjusted to ensure that the major issues with this client are addressed (Corace, et al., 2020). The initial treatment plan did not address alcohol use disorder illustrating that the initial treatment plan was not holistic. The drinking plan could therefore affect the client’s behaviors and thinking.

Evaluating resources for making a referral

The counselor must compare the needs and the services provided by every resource. Some of the most important aspects to consider in this case include the client’s age, diagnosis, resistance, and self-image. Therefore, the counselor will be required to evaluate every resource and determine whether these resources cater to the individual need of this particular patient. It is important to evaluate whether the resources are fully equipped in providing care for female adolescents suffering from alcohol-related problems. Similarly, the staff should be able to deal with a resistant client.

Communicating to the client the need for referral

The healthcare provider must inform the client of the significance of addressing the problem and how this may affect her if it is not well addressed. It was critical to helping her understand the co morbid issues and how they affect each other. The counselor has the responsibility of stressing that the referral is for the benefit of the client.

The referral that I would make

The counselor must explain every referral facility to the patient and make an informed decision on the facility that she would like to go to. However, the counselor should recommend the best facility that fully addresses the patient’s needy. The referral should address the client’s self-esteem, relationship concerns, and alcohol problem.

References

Corace, K., Willows, M., Schubert, N., Overington, L., Mattingly, S., Clark, E., ... & Hebert, G. (2020). Alcohol medical intervention clinic: a rapid access addiction medicine model reduces emergency department visits. Journal of addiction medicine, 14(2), 163-171. retrieved from: Alcohol Medical Intervention Clinic: A Rapid Access Addictio... : Journal of Addiction Medicine (lww.com)

Literature on Technology Integration: American Counseling Association (ACA) Counseling Journals between 2000 and 2018. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 42(3), 319-333. retrieved from: A Content Analysis of the Counseling Literature on Technology Integration: American Counseling Association (ACA) Counseling Journals between 2000 and 2018 | SpringerLink

McHugh, R. K., & Weiss, R. D. (2019). Alcohol use disorder and depressive disorders. Alcohol research: current reviews, 40(1). retrieved from: Alcohol Use Disorder and Depressive Disorders (nih.gov)

O’Connor, E. A., Perdue, L. A., Senger, C. A., Rushkin, M., Patnode, C. D., Bean, S. I., & Jonas, D. E. (2018). Screening and behavioral counseling interventions to reduce unhealthy alcohol use in adolescents and adults: updated evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Jama, 320(18), 1910-1928. retrieved from: Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force | Adolescent Medicine | JAMA | JAMA Network