Addiction Counseling Research Articles

Knowledge, attitudes, and referral practices for smokers to a state tobacco quitline in a federally qualified healthcare center: Healthcare provider perspectives.

Federally qualified healthcare centers (FQHC) treat a large population of low-income patients disproportionately burdened by tobacco use. This study investigated healthcare providers' knowledge, attitudes, and referral patterns of patients who smoke to a state tobacco quitline. The study used a descriptive-qualitative design. In-depth interviews were conducted in 2021 with a sample of healthcare providers recruited from a federally qualified healthcare center (FQHC) in a large city in the Midwest. The interviews were guided by a standardized moderator's guide and lasted 30-45 minutes. Written informed consent was obtained before each interview, and participants completed a brief self-administered survey. Among the 25 participants, 92% were female and 44% were Black. Participants included medical providers (52%), behavioral health providers (16%), and other types of providers (32%). Participants' age and work experience averaged 41.5 and 5.25 years, respectively. Only 32% of providers reported having specialty training in smoking cessation or addiction counseling. Over half (52%) of the participants never or rarely referred patients to the Illinois Tobacco Quitline (ITQL). Providers reported several barriers to referring patients to the ITQL, including limited knowledge about services offered, time constraints, difficulties with the referral process, and lack of feedback between providers and the ITQL. Further, providers described patient-related barriers, including low motivation to quit smoking, language barriers, and failure of patients to respond to calls from the quitline. Recommendations were described for improving patient and provider education, referral processes, and increasing bi-directional communication between providers and the quitline. Providers identified numerous barriers to referring patients for smoking cessation treatment. Addressing the identified barriers requires a multi-faceted approach involving education, streamlined processes, supportive infrastructure, and patient-centered interventions to strengthen provider use and satisfaction with the available resources.

Addiction and Anxiety Counselling

Addiction and anxiety often go hand in hand. Depression may be the reason an addict begins using drugs or alcohol or, it may develop as the addiction progresses. Dual diagnosis of addiction and anxiety is, when a person has an addiction plus a psychiatric illness such as anxiety, doctors say that they have a “dual diagnosis”. The term is a reminder for the counsellors, physicians, and other medical professionals that this client has extra challenges on the road to recovery. Depression and other psychiatric illnesses increase the risk of addiction. Of all people who are diagnosed as having a psychiatric illness, roughly 29% are alcohol or drug abusers. As many as 37% of people who abuse alcohol and 53% of people who abuse drugs, have at least one serious mental illness. Depression, already common in the general population, is even more common among alcoholics and drug abusers. In this paper highlights the symptoms, causes, factors and counselling techniques of Addiction and Anxiety.

Technology and Client Relationships: Juxtaposing Organizational & Addiction Counseling Perspectives

Technology and Client Relationships: Juxtaposing Organizational & Addiction Counseling Perspectives

Addiction Consultation Services for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Initiation and Engagement

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are highly effective, but only 22% of individuals in the US with opioid use disorder receive them. Hospitalization potentially provides an opportunity to initiate MOUD and link patients to ongoing treatment. To study the effectiveness of interprofessional hospital addiction consultation services in increasing MOUD treatment initiation and engagement. This pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster randomized implementation and effectiveness (hybrid type 1) trial was conducted in 6 public hospitals in New York, New York, and included 2315 adults with hospitalizations identified in Medicaid claims data between October 2017 and January 2021. Data analysis was conducted in December 2023. Hospitals were randomized to an intervention start date, and outcomes were compared during treatment as usual (TAU) and intervention conditions. Bayesian analysis accounted for the clustering of patients within hospitals and open cohort nature of the study. The addiction consultation service intervention was compared with TAU using posterior probabilities of model parameters from hierarchical logistic regression models that were adjusted for age, sex, and study period. Eligible participants had an admission or discharge diagnosis of opioid use disorder or opioid poisoning/adverse effects, were hospitalized at least 1 night in a medical/surgical inpatient unit, and were not receiving MOUD before hospitalization. Hospitals implemented an addiction consultation service that provided inpatient specialty care for substance use disorders. Consultation teams comprised a medical clinician, social worker or addiction counselor, and peer counselor. The dual primary outcomes were (1) MOUD treatment initiation during the first 14 days after hospital discharge and (2) MOUD engagement for the 30 days following initiation. Of 2315 adults, 628 (27.1%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 47.0 (12.4) years. Initiation of MOUD was 11.0% in the Consult for Addiction Treatment and Care in Hospitals (CATCH) program vs 6.7% in TAU, engagement was 7.4% vs 5.3%, respectively, and continuation for 6 months was 3.2% vs 2.4%. Patients hospitalized during CATCH had 7.96 times higher odds of initiating MOUD (log-odds ratio, 2.07; 95% credible interval, 0.51-4.00) and 6.90 times higher odds of MOUD engagement (log-odds ratio, 1.93; 95% credible interval, 0.09-4.18). This randomized clinical trial found that interprofessional addiction consultation services significantly increased postdischarge MOUD initiation and engagement among patients with opioid use disorder. However, the observed rates of MOUD initiation and engagement were still low; further efforts are still needed to improve hospital-based and community-based services for MOUD treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03611335.

S84 - Lived Experiences of Addiction Counselors: A Protocol Exploring Stigma in a Time of Regulatory Change Within Opioid Treatment Programs

S84 - Lived Experiences of Addiction Counselors: A Protocol Exploring Stigma in a Time of Regulatory Change Within Opioid Treatment Programs

Role of Childhood Trauma in Addiction and Social Anxiety of Young Drug Users in Islamshahr City

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of childhood trauma in addiction and social anxiety among young drug users in Islamshahr City. This research is applied in terms of purpose and in terms of descriptive-correlation method and it is survey type. The statistical population of the present study was 800 young drug users in Islamshahr City who had been referred to addiction treatment and counselling clinics. Based on the table of Morgan Karjesi, the sample size was calculated to be 260 people. To collect information, a questionnaire tool was used, which was distributed among the sample using the available sampling method. 22SPSS software was used to analyze the findings and regression analysis was used to check the hypotheses. The results showed that the correlation between childhood trauma and the addiction tendency of drug users is 0.75. Also, the determination coefficient value is 0.29, which shows that 0.29 changes in the variable of tendency towards addiction among drug users can be explained by childhood trauma. Therefore, it can be concluded that childhood trauma with a confidence level of 95%; has a significant effect on the addiction tendency of young drug users. Also, the correlation between childhood trauma and social anxiety of young drug users is 0.465. Also, the coefficient of determination is 0.441, which shows that 0.44 of the changes in the social anxiety variable of drug users can be explained through childhood trauma. Therefore, it can be concluded that childhood therapy has a direct and significant effect on addiction and social anxiety of drug users with a confidence level of 95%. Therefore, paying attention to childhood trauma plays an important role in predicting young people's tendency to addiction as well as their social anxiety.

A Tailored Virtual Program for Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Among Liver Transplant Candidates and Recipients Is Feasible and Associated With Lower Post-Transplant Relapse.

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a leading indication for liver transplant (LT) in the United States. Rates of early liver transplant (ELT) with less than 6 months of sobriety have increased substantially. Patients who receive ELT commonly have alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) and are often too ill to complete an intensive outpatient program (IOP) for alcohol use disorder (AUD) prior to LT. ELT recipients feel alienated from traditional IOPs. We implemented Total Recovery-LT, a tailored virtual outpatient IOP specific for patients under evaluation or waitlisted for LT who were too ill to attend community-based alcohol treatment programs. The 12-week program consisted of weekly group and individual counseling delivered by a master's level Certified Addiction Counselor trained in the basics of LT.Treatment consisted of 12-Step Facilitation, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We report on program design, implementation, feasibility and early outcomes. From March 2021 to September 2022, 42 patients (36% female, 23 in LT evaluation, 19 post-transplant) enrolled across five cohorts with 76% (32/42) completing the program. Alcohol relapse was more common among noncompleters versus those who completed the program (8/10, 80%vs. 7/32, 22%, p = 0.002). History of trauma or post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with lower likelihood of completion. Patients' desire for continued engagement after completion led to the creation of a monthly alumni group. Our integrated IOP model for patients with high-risk AUD in LT evaluation or post-transplant is well-received by patients and could be considered a model for LT programs.

Transformasi Kehidupan: Peran Konselor Adiksi dan Pekerja Sosial dalam Proses Rehabilitasi di Panti Rehabilitasi Narkoba

This visit activity is the result of theoretical learning that has been explained. In understanding the roles of addiction counselors and social workers, the author used a research method involving in-depth interviews with addiction counselors and social workers. The counselor is a former user who has proven that they have escaped the brink of death. The difference in roles between addiction counselors and social workers can be seen from the tools they use; although different, they remain aligned. The goal is the same: to design rehabilitation programs aimed at helping addicts recover from their physical and psychological dependence on narcotics, alcohol, or other addictive substances.

Analisis Tupoksi Antara Konselor Adiksi dan Pekerja Sosial

This analysis aims to determine the similarities and differences between the main tasks and functions of addiction counselors and social workers (Tupoksi) in the context of social services. Data were collected using qualitative descriptive methods and through in-depth interviews with experienced practitioners in both fields. Outcomes of analysis include individual and group counseling and client advocacy. However, differences were also observed in the intervention approach and primary focus. Addiction counselors tend to focus on rehabilitation and addiction-related treatment, while social workers often focus on the social and environmental recovery of their clients. This research provides insight into how these two professions can complement and collaborate in efforts to improve the well-being of individuals affected by addiction and other social issues.

HRSA reports substantial shortages in SUD counseling workforce

Last December's report by HRSA on the addiction workforce – the most recent available from the agency – show both increased demand and reduced supply of in the addiction workforce – especially, addiction counselors.

In Case You Haven't Heard…

Can pharmacists help ease the mental health workforce shortage? Pharmacists are not new to health care, but Ray Love, psychiatric pharmacist and past president of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, says they're underutilized, according to an article published in the April 23 issue of #CrisisTalk. “Within pharmacy, we can serve a whole array of clinical roles in patient care settings,” he said. As behavioral healthcare demands increase and the workforce continues to plummet, Love believes psychiatric pharmacists can help address these shortages, the article stated. In recent years, the pandemic has pushed community pharmacists into the spotlight, with those working at retail pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS administering vaccines and long‐acting injectables like antipsychotic medications and naltrexone for substance use disorders. “Community pharmacists were the unsung heroes of Covid — they did all the vaccinations in assisted living and nursing homes and then administered them in the community,” he said. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis at the Health and Human Services Department has projected that by 2036, there will be shortages throughout the behavioral health workforce, including addiction counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, school counselors and psychiatric physician assistants. As workforce shortages rise, Love believes psychiatric pharmacists can help. “We're skilled in behavioral health medications and are complementary team members,” he said.

Counselor Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Competency: Christian and Non-Religious Addiction Counseling Programs

This study compared levels of professional competency working with self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients among graduates and field experience students of Christian and nonreligious-affiliated CACREP-accredited addiction counseling programs. Applicants completed an instrument to measure the dependent variables of awareness, knowledge, and skills to work with LGB clients. The sample consisted of 84 master’s students in field experience and unlicensed counselors within 2 years of graduation. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the hypotheses. Participants from nonreligious-affiliated addiction counseling programs scored higher on the awareness (<em>M</em> = 68.82, <em>M</em> = 63.03), knowledge (<em>M</em> = 50.22, <em>M</em> = 35.88), and skills (<em>M</em> = 43.20, <em>M</em> = 37.91) subscales than participants from Christian-affiliated programs. These differences were found to be statistically significant at <em>p</em> < .000.

Relationship Between Oral Health and Mental Health in Individuals with Substance Use Disorder: A Short Commentary

Substance use disorders are highly widespread in the United States, exerting significant adverse effects on individuals’ wellbeing, overall contentment, and societal functionality. Our review of the literature shows a close connection between Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and oral health problems, revealing a mutual association between drug addiction and oral health. Moreover, our review further indicates that individuals seeking treatment for addiction display a notably elevated occurrence of coexisting mental health disorders. Recent studies suggest a potential bidirectional relationship between mental health and dental well-being, emphasizing the broader implications for mental health and oral health outcomes even in individuals not involved in substance use. Based on the above review, we perceive a considerable gap to examine any relationship between oral health and mental health in individuals with SUD. Having co-occurring oral health and mental health problems can significantly reduce quality of life in individuals with SUD. There appears to be a critical need to investigate any relationship between oral health and mental well-being in individuals grappling with SUD. It is crucial to inform both mental health and dental health professionals, as well as substance addiction counselors about any potential existence of such a relationship. Recognizing this link could contribute to the development of more effective strategies to encourage individuals with SUD to seek treatment and address both their oral and mental health needs.

Discipline, caregiving, and identity work of frontline professionals: Talking about the acts of compliance and resistance in the everyday practices of social workers

Abstract This article investigates how the identities of frontline professionals are (re)constructed in their talk about their everyday work activities. Based on a study of a mental health and addiction counselling service organization in Ontario, we illustrate that when talking about acting in accordance with their organizational policies, the social workers’ identities are disciplined by and appropriated from addressing the practices of documentation and regular meetings with their supervisors that constitute the routine processes of organizing. However, when discussing instances where they override the organizationally sanctioned rules, their identities are disciplined by the aspiration of fabricating a client-centred caregiver identity adopted from the dominant discourse in their profession. We, therefore, counterbalance the understanding that professionals’ identity work related to their deliberate micro-emancipation acts are merely an expression of agency and argue that their preferred resistant identities pertaining to their self-declared apparent deviation from the organizational order are also made within frameworks of disciplinary power. By delineating that both discursive conformity and resistance cut across the boundaries between acting in alignment with and against organizational guidelines, we unveil an underexplored complexity of conducting professional identity work associated with the interrelationships between practices of talk and action that has largely been overlooked in prior scholarship. We, therefore, offer an action-related analysis of discursive identity work that extends beyond the context of this study and informs future research.

Dukungan Sosial Konselor Adiktif dan Keluarga dalam Program Rehabilitasi Pecandu Narkoba

The problem of drug abuse is truly disturbing for the government and society throughout Indonesia. Every year the prevalence rate of drug abuse always increases. Efforts are needed to eradicate the distribution and use of drugs in society. One of the efforts is a social and medical rehabilitation program for drug addicts. The success of the rehabilitation program must be supported by professional social support sources, namely addiction counselors and non-professional sources, namely the family. Various forms of social support provided by addiction counselors and families really help restore the physical and mental condition of drug addicts to become healthy and productive individuals again. The aim of this research is to find out and explore the forms of social support provided by addiction counselors and families in the rehabilitation program for drug addicts at the Doulos Batu Recovery Center. The research method used is a qualitative method with a case study approach. Meanwhile, the research informants were 2 addiction counselors and 2 clients/residents. The research results show that social support in the form of emotional support, tangible or instrumental support, informational support, and companionship support can restore clients' social capabilities and social responsibility so that they can return to being healthy and productive humans.

Utah gets license for masters in addiction counseling

It took two years of work and a 50‐page report, but Richard Nance got Utah to create a new Office of Professional License Review to be the screening arm of the Division of Professional Licensure. Any new license had to go through an application and review process, he told ADAW. “We were the first,” said Nance, former president of the Association of Utah Substance Abuse Professionals (AUSAP). “In 2023, I had my senator run the [Medication Aide Certified] MAC license bill, but the head of the Senate Business and Labor Committee refused to allow it a committee hearing because it ‘hadn't been through the OPLR process.’ There wasn't an OPLR process yet. Once it was created, I spent the summer of 2023 writing the application and working with the OPLR people to fix errors in the process,” Nance said.

Holistic Rehabilitation in Action: A Data-Driven Analysis of the Impact on Quality of Life among Individuals with Psychoactive Substance Abuse.

Background: Psychoactive substance abuse can affect biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects, as well as the users' quality of life, and obliged to carry out medical and social rehabilitation. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify the effect of holistic rehabilitation programs on quality of life among drug abusers. Methods: Quasi-experimental with time series design. The sample of this study amounted to 54 people, taken by G-power, all participants who will take part in the rehabilitation program at the National Narcotics Board rehabilitation clinic. Rehabilitation interventions include health assessment, psychological assessments, health counseling, human immunodeficiency virus-related voluntary counseling and testing, addiction counseling, group therapy, family therapy, client and family monitoring, relapse prevention therapy, and postrehabilitation services. Interventions are provided for 10 weeks, and delivered by health professionals. Measurement of quality of life using World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) MEAT 26 statements consisting of physical, psychological, environmental, and social relationship dimensions, with an alpha value of 0.8756. The data was analyzed with the Friedman test. Results: Holistic rehabilitation influences all dimensions quality of life of drug abusers with a P-value of <0.001. Conclusions: A holistic rehabilitation program improves the quality of life of drug abusers.

Pelatihan Praksis Konseling Adiktif untuk Meningkatkan Kompetensi Pedagogi dan Profesional Guru Bimbingan dan Konseling

Counseling is professional assistance provided by a counselor to a counselee. In a counseling relationship, personal qualities required by the counselor include empathy, congruence and respect. Counseling covers all aspects of life, one of which is addiction counseling. Counselors need to understand addiction counseling, namely so that the counselor has the goal of understanding behavior, motivations and knowing the feelings of the client, this goal is not limited to understanding the client. Counselors who already understand addiction counseling in helping the counselee's recovery, namely by knowing the counselee's self-understanding through group therapy (group counseling) and individual counseling which is a counseling activity that attempts to change the resident's behavior while undergoing the program. By providing addiction counseling practices, it can also be used to increase the personality competence of guidance and counseling teachers. In an effort to improve this competency, the guidance and counseling study program at PGRI Adi Buana University Surabaya provides community service related to the practice of addiction counseling to school counselors in the MGBK (Guidance and Counseling Teachers' Conference) at the SMP/MTs level. in Sidoarjo Regency, East Java

The need for Hispanic cultural competency in drug abuse treatment training programs: An empirical and ethical evaluation of US universities

Ethical clinical practice requires cultural competency. In the United States, Hispanics report stronger attitudinal barriers to drug abuse treatment than any other racial/ethnic group. Hispanics report feeling that drug abuse treatment providers do not understand their unique cultural needs and are unfamiliar with their experiences of discrimination and immigration. Using this case study to explore broader ethical and policy issues, this study investigates the extent to which US universities train counselors to address the culturally specific needs of Hispanic patients and how this is reflected in practice in Los Angeles County. Based on a content analysis of the required courses, syllabi, and course descriptions at 30 universities related to culture/race/racism/ethnicity/diversity at the undergraduate and graduate levels on the addiction therapist track, and thematic analysis of eight in-depth interviews with counselors working in outpatient rehabilitation centers in Los Angeles, I argue that cultural competency education for drug abuse counselors is too surface level and infrequent to adequately prepare students for a career in addiction counseling for Hispanic clients. Significant changes must be made to how cultural diversity is valued and prioritized in the field of psychology to provide better care for Hispanic people with a substance use disorder and fulfill the moral obligation to eliminate this health disparity. Although this study focuses on counselors in Los Angeles, these findings are relevant for professionals and healthcare systems across the United States and beyond who seek to provide equitable and effective care for Hispanic patients.

Addiction Counseling: A High-Demand, Rewarding Career

Addiction Counseling: A High-Demand, Rewarding Career