Marshall, Michael Marshall 1

Professor John Sandin

English 95

3 May 2013 Substance Abuse Counseling

Many people suffer from chemical dependency, this occurs when the body becomes

dependent for a chemical substance. People abuse substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and

other drugs for various and complicated reasons. It is clear that substance abuse is detrimental to

our society as a whole. It is imperative that we have properly trained counselors to offer help to

those individuals addicted to chemical substances. Working with chemical substance abusers you

must be able to asses, diagnose, and develop an individualized treatment plan based on the clients

needs.

First, Counselors must have a general knowledge of counseling coupled with specialized

skills relative to addiction thru education and training; Giving them the ability to diagnose, asses,

and treat substance abuse. Counselors must also have knowledge of assessment techniques; the

Addiction Severity Index Baseline(ASI-B) is the most common tool in assessing and diagnosing

substance abuse severity. The Diagnostic and statistical manual(DSM) is another tool utilized by

substance abuse counselors in diagnosing substance abuse.

Second, substance abuse counselors develop treatment plans based on the clients needs.

There are many approaches to treatment planning; the severity of abuse, the presence of co-

occurring disorders, and behavioral lifestyles are all important factors in developing a good

treatment plan. The goal is for the client to have recognition of the consequences related to her or

his substance abuse.

Third, Reality therapy, psycho dynamics, and grief therapy