Sophie Miles

THIS IS DUE WEDNESDAY 06/02/21

Week 1: Starting the Process: Ethics and Steps in Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders Counseling

The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.

—Samuel Johnson

People often engage in a certain behavior for the pleasure or the release derived from it. Individuals may become comfortable with their behavior because it protects against pain or stress. Habits by themselves may be good or bad. When a habit leads to unhealthy behaviors, it may be transforming into an addiction. By the time many individuals realize they may possibly be addicted, they may already be locked in the addiction’s chains. The keys to helping individuals become unlocked from the chains of addiction are forged when addictions professionals conform to ethical professional codes and principles, follow established steps of assessment, and are part of a multidisciplinary team.

This first week of the course, you explore codes and principles of ethical, professional practice in addictions counseling. These codes and principles were established by two of the foremost associations in the addictions field: the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). In addition, you examine steps in assessment and the importance of utilizing a multidisciplinary team.

Note : Before continuing on to the rest of the week, be sure to review the Course Introduction found on the left navigation bar. It contains valuable information that will help you successfully complete this course.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Apply principles for ethical, professional practice to addictions assessment

· Analyze steps of an addictions assessment

· Analyze the importance of a multidisciplinary team in addictions assessment

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Perkinson, R. R. (2017). Chemical dependency counseling: A practical guide (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

· Chapter 1, “The First Contact” Focus on the descriptions of client perspectives in the “Treatment Works” and “How to Develop the Therapeutic Alliance” sections and how these descriptions relate to the codes of ethics and principles addictions professional should follow (see this week’s Discussion area). Also focus on the information on treatment facilities and group practice to learn more about the need for multidisciplinary teams for your Assignment.

· Chapter 14, “The Clinical Staff” Focus on the various types of professionals that might need to be included in the multidisciplinary team.

American Psychological Association. (2013). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

Focus on the Preamble, which provides a rationale for following codes of ethical principles and standards. Focus also on the General Principles, which sets the stage for other information on ethics violations.

The Association for Addiction Professionals. (2013). NAADAC code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.naadac.org/resources/codeofethics

Focus on the standards listed in the section titled “The Counseling Relationship” for an excellent overview of expected behavior on the part of counselors.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012b). Starting the process [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

 

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 17 minutes.

 

Accessible player 

Optional Resources

Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (Eds.). (2012). Foundations of addictions counseling (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

· Chapter 5, “Introduction to Assessment”

Discussion: Ethical Codes and Principles in Addictions Assessment

The assessment of an individual for a substance-related or addictive disorder is a sensitive practice. An addictions professional may be perceived as being in a position of power, and the client often is physically and emotionally vulnerable. A client in an addictions assessment may be concerned about the legality of the substance he or she is using or the type of gambling in which he or she is involved since gambling is not legal in all states. He or she may also be concerned about the confidentiality of personal experiences being discussed. In recognition of the sensitive nature of addictions assessment, professional associations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), two of the most recognized professional associations in the field of addiction, have established codes and principles of conduct. Addictions professionals who violate these codes and principles of ethics put at risk not only their clients but also their professional licenses, their reputations, and even their careers. Therefore, it is critical that addictions professionals familiarize themselves with the APA and NAADAC codes and principles and commit to following them in their daily practices.

To prepare:

Review the Learning Resources, including the following:

· Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct

· NAADAC Code of Ethics

· The media titled Starting the Process. Consider the behavior of the addictions professional in the media in the context of the codes of conduct established by the APA and the NAADAC. Think about the effect of ethics violations on the development of the relationship between the addictions counselor and the client.

By Day 4

Post a description of one example from the scenario found in this week’s media that clearly demonstrates when the professional was following APA and NAADAC ethical codes and principles. Provide a second example from the scenario that demonstrates a lack of adherence to ethical codes and principles.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

THIS IS DUE BY SATURDAY 06/05/21

Assignment: Steps of Addictions Assessment Processes

Addiction may take many forms. A person may be addicted to a substance, such as cocaine, or a behavior, such as gambling. Individuals who enter into addictions assessment generally have exhibited certain hallmarks of addiction, such as an increase in the behavior, problems in relationships and life functioning, and withdrawal symptoms upon ceasing the behavior.

Someone with a potential addiction may be facing a host of issues. He or she might require medical and/or legal help. A teenager may be a minor requiring parental consent for any treatment and might already be receiving help from a guidance counselor or school psychologist. It is true that individual assessments have unique features and should be tailored to the needs of and aspects related to each individual being assessed. However, there are important steps common to most assessments that allow addictions professionals to gather reliable, valid, and relevant information about the clients they serve, as well as to enlist the best set of professionals to form the multidisciplinary team.

This week, you describe the steps of a standard addictions assessment and reflect on the importance of using a multidisciplinary team.

To prepare:

Review the Learning Resources, including the following:

Perkinson, R. R. (2017). Chemical dependency counseling: A practical guide (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

· Chapter 1, “The First Contact”

· Chapter 14, “The Clinical Staff”

By Day 7

Submit a 2- to 4-page paper that includes the following:

· The steps of an addictions assessment

· An explanation of why each step is important

· One example of a multidisciplinary team and the contribution each of the team members might make to the assessment

Cite your sources using APA guidelines.