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| New Treatment Improvement Protocol on Substance Abuse Treatment and the Criminal Justice System |
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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released a new Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP 44) that presents clinical guidelines to help substance abuse treatment counselors who treat persons in the criminal justice system. TIP 44 provides information on state-of-the art screening, assessments, treatment services and follow-up services for individuals in a variety of criminal justice settings. It is designed for treatment counselors and clinicians working with clients who are involved in the criminal justice system under full or partial supervision; on probation; on parole; or on pretrial release. It provides recommendations and best practice guidelines based on the research literature and the experience of treatment professionals.
The following is an excerpt from the TIP:
Screening and Assessment
A vital first step in providing substance abuse treatment to people under criminal justice supervision is to identify offenders in need of treatment. In the criminal justice system, screening often is equated with "eligibility," and assessment often is equated with "suitability." To do this effectively, the consensus panel recommends that protocols be developed to determine which offenders need substance abuse treatment, assess the extent of their treatment needs and ensure that they receive the treatment they need. Obtaining accurate and reliable information during screening and assessment can be a challenge; offenders do not always accurately report drug or alcohol problems. Other collateral sources of information (e.g., drug test results, correctional records) can be combined with self-report information to make referral decisions. For example, in many correctional facilities, urine tests are used to flag the need for treatment-even when an offender denies recent substance abuse.
Many offenders who abuse substances have co-occurring mental disorders that can make treatment more complex. They should
therefore be screened for other psychological or emotional problems. Offenders who are initially assessed as having symptoms of
co-occurring disorders should be evaluated over an extended period of time to determine whether these symptoms resolve in
the absence of substance use.
A significant number of offenders who abuse substances also have histories of trauma and physical or sexual abuse. Screening
and assessment of a history of physical and sexual abuse should be conducted routinely, particularly in settings that include female
offenders. Staff training is needed to develop effective interviewing approaches related to the history of abuse, counseling approaches for addressing abuse and trauma issues and in making referrals to mental health services.
Triage and Placement in Treatment Services
Information obtained in screening and assessment is used to place offenders in the treatment program that is best suited to their needs. More offenders can receive appropriate treatment if a range of substance abuse treatment options is provided in criminal justice settings, particularly in institutions and community settings where offenders are supervised for long periods of time. In addition to key information regarding substance abuse problems, risk for criminal recidivism, and mental health problems, triage and placement decisions also should consider the offenders motivation and readiness for change, the length of sentence or incarceration, history of previous treatment, violence potential, and other related security or man-agement issues. The consensus
panel recommends that in general, offenders who have moderateto-high levels of substance abuse problems and criminal risk should
be prioritized for placement in substance abuse treatment services, rather than in other types of institutional programs.
Treatment Planning
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About The Author:
Adapted from the newsletter of the NADCP, Fall 2005
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) publishes NADCP News four times a year to communicate topical information on the association and the drug court movement to the field. It is distributed to active members of NADCP and at NADCP/National Drug Court Institute (NDCI)-sponsored trainings. NADCP invites, but reserves the prerogative to edit, articles submitted from the field. |
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| Providing Support After a Drug Rehab Program | |
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Post by
BURTONwilles
(1)
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2009-05-10
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There are many ways that family members and friends can offer support to someone in addiction recovery after they have come home from a drug rehab center. People often want to help the individual get back on their feet, but they may not be sure how to go about it.
They are afraid of getting in the way or making the situation worse. In the following ideas, there is sure to be something that any type of person would feel comfortable doing.Some of the ways that a recovering addict can use help are concrete actions. The little frustrations in life sometimes build up until the individual becomes overwhelmed and stressed out, which makes it more likely that they will relapse. For example, they may need financial help for a time after they finish rehab until they can find a job. It can also be simple things like cooking a meal or fixing a broken appliance. Think about your skills and what you enjoy doing. As long as this isnt part of a pattern of enabling behaviors or codependency, it can be a great support.
Psychological support is another way to help someone after drug and alcohol rehab. Having a caring and supportive social network reduces the chances of relapse in addicts. This means just being there to listen and letting the individual know that you are proud of them for their accomplishments so far. Tell them they can call you at any time when they need someone to lean on. It means giving advice, but only when it is asked for. Having another point of view to bounce decisions of off can be very important for someone who is in addiction treatment. Addicts often engage in risky behaviors and make poor choices, so they may need some time to practice better decisions in life.
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BURTON
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http://www.drugtreatments.com" >Drug Treatment--Drug Treatment |
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