Providing Professional Counseling Services to People who Abuse Substances

Providing Professional Counseling Services to People who Abuse Substances

Substance abuse or drug abuse, which is majorly characterized by addiction, is a significant public health issue in the United States and Globally. Substance abuse develops from voluntary use, with repeated use, leading to alterations in neurons in the brain, creating changes in the development of dependencies on the drugs, inability to resist taking the drugs, and drug use behaviours becoming compulsive (Levis et al., 2022). Substance abuse or simply drug addiction creates significant health and social challenges for the individual, their family, and the communities they exist in.  For instance, sufficient evidence links drug use by parents as a significant risk factor for child maltreatment in families where one or both parents abuse drugs in the United States (Kenny et al., 2024). However, providing care, including professional counseling and support to people who abuse substances, unlike other mental and behavioral conditions, is complicated due to the individuality of the decision to use and abuse substances. This necessitates the need for individualized and specialized approaches to providing professional counseling services to this clientele group.  This review paper explores current research on substance abuse with a focus on assessment and testing methodologies, the various options for treatment and care services, social and cultural awareness, and considerations. It also briefly discusses the parameters within the counseling profession for helping people who abuse substances and the certification requirements in order to deliver effective counseling for substance abuse.

Assessment and Testing

The first step towards successful counseling and management of substance abuse is assessment and testing. Testing and assessment have been noted to focus mostly on identifying the severity of substance addiction. A comprehensive assessment of substance abuse of the individual is required to help evaluate and understand the progression of, the nature of, and the reasons for substance. Notably, there is a significant intersectionality between substance abuse and behavioral addictions with notable substance abuse in individuals with gambling problems (Nadiradze et al., 2022), as well as notable relationships between emotional dependency, attachment patterns, and the ability to regulate an individual’s emotional, and substance use (Momeñe et al., 2021). This co-occurrence of mental health conditions with substance abuse requires a comprehensive assessment focusing on the domains of psychology and biology of the individual which may be linked to their substance abuse, underlying traumas, nature and reasons for substance use, related effects of the substances used, and the emotionality of substance use. Available research has tested the validity of various assessment and testing tools for general substance abuse and for specific abuse substances.

Assessment for substance may utilize standardized tools such as the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) and the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). These tools can further be modeled to meet specific populations during substance abuse assessment, such as the highly validated Abbreviated Self Completion Teen-Addiction Severity Index (ASC T-ASI) (Reckers-Droog et al., 2020) which supports objective assessment among teenagers and adolescents with a focus on social and economic domains to support the development of relevant interventions. Furthermore, additional assessment information based on family and community context on the individual with regard to their mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being can provide insights into their substance use history and support needs (West et al., 2022). Both the use of screening tools such as the ASI and SASSI, as well as collateral information from outside sources, could lead to objective and accurate diagnosis and the implementation of case-tailored interventions.

Treatment Options and Services

There is no known cure for addiction, there exist options for treatment and support services that lead to successful treatment and management. Known treatment and management modalities for substance abuse are both pharmacological and non-pharmacological in nature. The treatment option selected is tailored to the assessed needs and the nature of the substance. For instance, medications such as Acamprosate, Disulfiram, and Naltrexone are used for alcohol use disorder, which alters the reinforcing effects of alcohol use, targeting neurotransmitter systems like opioid, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and serotonin (Mason & Heyser, 2021). Other medications for use in the treatment and management include antidepressants such as Venlafaxine, Duloxetine, and Baclofen. Besides pharmacological treatments, substance abuse can be treated and managed using evidence-based behavioral and psychological therapies including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and contingency management. Cognitive psychotherapy modalities such as CBT have been found to be effective in managing substance use disorders and associated, or related mental disorders such as depression and social anxiety (Al-Khair, 2023). Other approaches to treatment and management of substance abuse that can be integrated into counseling services include the use of support groups (Witkiewitz et al., 2022), mindfulness-based interventions, and yoga such as Sudarshan Kriya meditation, which is significantly linked to reduced drug cravings, physical and emotional wellbeing (Unudurthi et al., 2023). A combination of both medications and cognitive psychotherapies is associated with better treatment and management outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders.

Social and Cultural Awareness and Considerations

Professional counseling for people who abuse explores the sensitive and complex contexts of the patients, including diverse social and cultural contexts, as well as economic backgrounds that may conflict with the counselor’s social and cultural understandings and perspectives. Counselors need to understand the differences in culture, including beliefs, values, and views of substance use and mental health, and the cultural biases that exist due to such differences. As aspects of cultural competence (Handtke et al., 2019), social and cultural awareness need to be considered and integrated into all interactions with substance use clients. Such considerations are essential for the delivery of culturally responsive counseling that supports treatment and management. Additionally, it is important to also consider that drug addictions due to brain changes are persistent, meaning that the risk of relapse in substance use is significant regardless of the period without use (Devi & Singh, 2023). This, as elucidated by Amini et al. (2023), requires the recognition of the substance-specific risk factors for relapse to help design preventive strategies and support existing management methods.

Parameters within the Counseling Profession for Helping People who Abuse Substances

The counseling profession is guided by specific, non-negotiable ethical guidelines and professional standards that define a provider’s scope of practice. Such ethical and professional standards define the parameters within which a professional counsellor is expected to adhere during their provision of support and care to people with substance abuse problems. Regardless of the nature of substance use, professional counseling should and must be provided within the confines of professionalism, including setting boundaries of engagement during provisions of care and the ethical principles of patient autonomy while considering the beneficence of the services provided. The provider should also avoid any possible harm from the services provided. Additionally, all care should be equitable regardless of a client’s social and economic background.

Certification Requirements

Counseling for substance abuse in the United States requires to be provided in a professional capacity. Individuals must attain a degree level in mental or medical fields, as well as pursue a Master’s degree in Counseling or a related field in mental health and behavioral psychology. An individual also needs to undergo specialized training in substance abuse counseling with certification options including the National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level I (NCAC I), National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level II (NCAC II), and Master Addiction Counselor (MAC), with other specialties such as tobacco, opioid, alcohol, and drug counseling.

Conclusion

Substance abuse is a complex mental and behavioral condition. Providing professional counseling services to people who abuse substances is a specialized approach that involves understanding and using validated assessment and testing methodologies, utilization of multifaceted treatments and management strategies, and sufficient cultural competence. As substance abuse is a relapsing disease, it is essential to consider the various risk factors for relapse and provide continued emotional, psychosocial, and physical support through competent counseling. By integrating evidence-based medication treatment and psycho-cognitive therapies into professional counseling, it is possible to achieve positive outcomes for people who abuse substances and long-term recovery from substance abuse.

 References

Al-Khair, F. A. (2023). Substance Abuse, Depression, and Social Anxiety: Case Study and Application of Cognitive Psychotherapy. Case Reports in Psychiatry, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3430636

Amini, K., Long, T., Jafari Varjoshani, N., & Rabie Siahkali, S. (2023). A comparison of risk factors for relapse in opiate-related and stimulant-related substance use disorders: A cross-sectional multicenter study. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 55(3), 566–576. https://doi.org/10.1111/JNU.12872

Devi, S., & Singh, S. (2023). Relapse in Drug Addiction: A Review. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 14(3), 405-409. https://su.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/relapse-drug-addiction-review/docview/2878443227/se-2

Handtke, O., Schilgen, B., & Mösko, M. (2019). Culturally competent healthcare – A scoping review of strategies implemented in healthcare organizations and a model of culturally competent healthcare provision. PLOS ONE, 14(7), e0219971. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0219971

Kenny, M. C., Ortiz Diaz, K., Goldfarb, D., & Satoba, S. (2024). Parental drug use as a form of potential child maltreatment in the United States: A review of state statutes. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. https://doi.org/10.1037/LAW0000419

Levis, S. C., Baram, T. Z., & Mahler, S. V. (2022). Neurodevelopmental origins of substance use disorders: Evidence from animal models of early-life adversity and addiction. European Journal of Neuroscience, 55(9–10), 2170–2195. https://doi.org/10.1111/EJN.15223

Mason, B. J., & Heyser, C. J. (2021). Alcohol Use Disorder: The Role of Medication in Recovery. Alcohol Research : Current Reviews, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.35946/ARCR.V41.1.07

Momeñe, J., Estévez, A., Pérez-García, A. M., Jiménez, J., Chávez-Vera, M. D., Olave, L., & Iruarrizaga, I. (2021). Substance Use and Its Relationship to Emotional Dependence, Attachment, and Emotional Regulation in Adolescents. Annals of Psychology, 37(1), 121–132. https://doi.org/10.6018/ANALESPS.404671

Nadiradze, T., Bakhtadze, S., Khachapuridze, N., Cunha E Costa, N., Cruz, S., & Sobreira, G. (2022). Overlap between substance and behavioral addictions: substance abuse in patients with pathological gambling. European Psychiatry, 65(S1), S832–S832. https://doi.org/10.1192/J.EURPSY.2022.2155

Reckers-Droog, V., Goorden, M., Kaminer, Y., van Domburgh, L., Brouwer, W., & Roijen, L. H. Van. (2020). Presentation and validation of the Abbreviated Self Completion Teen-Addiction Severity Index (ASC T-ASI): A preference-based measure for use in health-economic evaluations. PLOS ONE, 15(9), e0238858. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0238858

Unudurthi, S. D., Wright, K. D., Klimpel, J. M., Sud, A., Tan, A., & Warren, B. J. (2023). Sudarshan Kriya Meditation Reduces Substance Abuse Cravings and Improves Physical and Emotional Well-Being of Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder A Pilot Study. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61(8), 51–59. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20230321-01

West, A. E., Telles, V., Antony, V., Zeledon, I., Moerner, L., & Soto, C. (2022). An Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Needs Assessment Study for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth in California. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 36(5), 429–439. https://doi.org/10.1037/ADB0000664

Witkiewitz, K., Stein, E. R., Votaw, V. R., Hallgren, K. A., Gibson, B. C., Boness, C. L., Pearson, M. R., & Maisto, S. A. (2022). Constructs Derived From the Addiction Cycle Predict Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes and Recovery 3 Years Following Treatment. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 37(3), 376–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/

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Research Paper
Develop a research paper on providing professional counseling services to a specific clientele group (children and families, people who abuse substances, people who are homeless, military personnel and their families, etc.). You will consider assessment and testing, treatment options and services, social and cultural awareness and considerations, and the parameters within the counseling profession for helping a specific clientele group. You will also communicate the certification requirements to work with the group and will investigate and present previous research undertaken with that group.

Providing Professional Counseling Services to People who Abuse Substances

Using the South University Online Library database (ProQuest or EBSCOHOST) only, find 5-7 journal articles related to your topic chosen. (Your textbook, Wikipedia, or any other Web source will not be accepted for this assignment.) The type of journal article has to be from a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.