Summary of Substance Abuse Treatment (Essay Sample)

Summary of substance abuse treatment
Insert name:
Institution affiliation:
Due date:
Screening and comprehensive assessment are significant first steps in the process of substance abuse treatment. At the current time, there are no in-depth national guidelines for screening and assessment methods existing in the criminal justice system. Despite absence of such guideline, the ideas in this chapter can assist counselors and clinicians to create efficient screening and effective referrals protocols, which will enable them to carry various important tasks (p.10). First, they will be able to screen out offenders who do not require substance abuse treatment. Secondly, they will able to determine the extent at which offenders need treatment so that to make vital referrals. Thirdly, they will make certain that offenders obtain the treatment which they need instead of being released back to the society with a high possibility of re-offending. The chapter examines relevant issues pertaining screening and assessment and develop important recommendations for effective utilization of screening and assessment tools in particular settings.
When developing a screening protocol, counselors should understand the purpose of the screening and appropriate screening tools to be utilized and under what circumstances. Screening is important because it helps to identify offenders’ needs to ensure that they are given appropriate medication (p.10). Essential useful information for both screening and assessment can be obtained from various screening tools such as police reports, past correctional records, interview information, surveys and results of instruments conducted, booking records, past treatment records, prior offense records, correctional staff reports, emergency medical reports, and drug test results. Counselors may use specific screening tools or information source to collect relevant information about an offender. The assessment is vital because it is used to collect adequate information about offenders to define how the treatment system can solve their substance abuse problems and other related problems.
Screening and assessment will only be accurate when information obtained for the offender is honest and accurate (p.13). Screening and assessments are continuous processes; therefore continuous information and data sharing are vital aspects of the screening and assessment processes. Screening and assessment tasks are based on systemwide information sharing. This requires experts who carry initia...