substance abuse

Part One: Research Paper
Your research and paper should cover the following areas:

1. According to the particular model you have chosen, how are substance use/misuse issues viewed? • How would this compare and contrast to how a practitioner might view “addiction” from a psychodynamic perspective? This should include a description of the etiology of addiction, the dynamics of addiction as they pertain directly to the individual’s life, and how, theoretically, the addict he or she is considered. What makes substance use a problem? • What are the pros and cons of both perspectives: for the client; the clinician and for the clinical work?

2. What would the process of assessment look like according to this model? • What aspects of the individual’s experience with substance use does assessment hone in on? • What specific assessment tools, if any, do clinicians practicing from this model utilize? • What standards for interpreting data collected from the assessment process are used in determining the scope or severity of the addiction problem (including determination regarding whether or not the person’s use is a problem)? • How would treatment goals be established between the client and the practitioner? • How would the process of assessment and diagnosis compare and contrast to psychodynamically informed practice? Again, what might the pros and cons be?

3. What particular practices, techniques and strategies are utilized in order to engage the client in the therapeutic relationship? • Once the treatment alliance has been established, how will the clinician work with the client in order to meet designated treatment goals? Again, please describe specific strategies and treatment methodology used to achieve positive outcomes. You may want to consider providing a rationale for the employment of particular techniques (i.e. why would, according to this particular therapeutic approach, the clinician do what they do in the context of the treatment relationship?). • How would these techniques, strategies, and practices compare to those of a psychodynamically informed clinician? • How might these differences be utilized in the treatment arena? • How would the clinician make differential decisions regarding the application of various practices?

4. How does this model of treatment take into account relevant factors regarding the client’s life and their unique psychosocial context (i.e. co-occurring psychiatric disorders; race; socio-economic status; social context; age; ethnicity and cultural distinctions; etc.)? • How would this practice be compared and contrasted to a psychodynamically informed practice?

5. How, according to the particular therapeutic model you have chosen, would ongoing treatment be assessed and evaluated? • When does treatment come to an end and what, if any, specific strategies would the clinician use in the process of terminating the treatment relationship/process? • What steps, if any, are taken to provide follow-up or relapse prevention? • How would these practices be compared and contrasted to a psychodynamic focus and what might be the significant differences for the client over time?

6. How is the outcome of the therapeutic effort evaluated? • What, if any, research has been conducted regarding the efficacy of this approach? • What strengths and limitations has research shown regarding this specific research? • How would this practice compare and contrast to a psychodynamically informed practice?

Part Two: Reflection and Integration

1. How did researching this particular model of intervention and making the comparison to psychodynamic orientation, impact your thinking in terms of: a) the way you view “addiction” as a problem; b) your ideas, beliefs and attitudes regarding “good treatment”; and c) the way you see yourself doing treatment?

2. What insight, “new learnings”, and/or challenges did your research bring up for you? How might these challenges be helpful and generative in your professional development?

3. Given how you see yourself today, in terms of your own developmental path in the field, what would the application of this model be like for you? Specifically, think about given who you are at this point in time, what might be an “easy fit” (how might this model be congruent with your own experiences and the way you are currently viewing addiction, addicts and addiction treatment) — and what would be a challenge for you as you attempt to integrate this model into your ways of thinking and practice?