Essay Sample on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counseling

Our team developed the case study of Stan Lee a client who needed a therapist diagnosis. Here are my individual thoughts about the challenges in this case study; first, the client's perception of the problem diagnosis can be a threat. Most people who have a history of substance abuse and mental health issues are associated with criminal personality hence it becomes difficult to accept change. Again, our team is likely to experience a flux of challenges in case they fail to employ criminal thinking. This is because counselors have the potential of putting themselves into the conditions of the clients and therefore, like criminal offenders, substance abuse clients should be treated as with taking to capture their thinking errors.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Failure Stan Lee to report for the sessions regularly will also be a challenge in the case study. Mental health issues can affect such a client not to understand the importance of multiple sessions in a counseling process. From my own perspective, counseling requires personal commitment and for the case study, the juxtaposing analogy can be achieved when the client can perceive counseling as an effective opportunity to change and transform the worse conditions that can be helpful for diagnosis. On the same note, our group may also experience problems in relation attending of the sessions. When a client fails to attend sessions regularly, it becomes difficult to make an effective check-up for the counseling process because it contradicts what had already been achieved.

If I were continuing to work with Stan Lee as her case manager, the first topic I would like to discuss next with her would be the goals of counseling. Here, our discussion will explore fully on substance abuse and the need to use drugs like Methamphetamine. I will also discuss the effects of the drugs especially on health, mental conditions and the long-term effects such as addiction and being incarcerated. From this discussion, San Lee will develop a picture of the current plan and the future effects of drug and substance abuse. He will, therefore, help in developing plans which can transition him from the current addiction to diagnosis. In any counseling, the diagnosis will be ascertained if the process is goal oriented. This means that there is a stake goal which should be achieved despite the process of the small steps will result unto the achievement of the main goal. Consequently, making the goals explicit in the therapeutic relationship will make the client to be committed and therefore attend all sessions regularly. This will effectively create some leads to the diagnosis.

Our group developed the case study of Stan Lee. We used the following questions in our work with the client:

• What drug substances are you using currently?
• What is your history of drugs you have used and for how long have you used on specific drugs?
• Have you used the drugs in places that are dangerous like driving, if yes what happened afterward?
• Have you tried using drugs to fulfill important obligations for instance at work?
• Have you given up on your occupational activities because of drug and substance use?
• Have you used drugs to ease problems that come up with emotions, social life, or stress?
• What is your perception of drug and substance use?
• Have you been arrested for possession of drugs like Methamphetamine and how often?
• Have you made an attempt of trying to cut down drug use?
• How would you like to feel soon after the diagnosis?
• If I was continuing to work with San Lee as her case manager, I would want to ask the following questions;
• How are you feeling currently when using the drugs?
• What drugs are you using and by what amount and frequency?
• How are the drugs assisting you to fulfill your obligations either at work or any activity you involve yourself with?
• Have you tried to take any step to stop the use of those drugs?
• How do you want to feel six months from now?

I think the following information would be helpful to know in order to develop additional goals for San Lee;

The client Stan Lee is 32 years and he is currently unemployed because of drug and substance abuse. He started using drugs when he was 15 particularly alcohol. He has also used several drugs like LCD/ acid and marijuana over the past years. He cannot perform duty tasks without the detoxification of the drugs something that has affected his relationship with co-workers and family. He has been arrested several times due to possession of Methamphetamine which is a current drug in use. To this approach, probation is requiring treatment before he ends in prison.

Our group developed the collaborative case study for the San Lee. Below is our group's treatment plan, goals, and objectives we developed for the client, planned interventions, and recommended community resources.

Short-term objectives:

• Get San Lee enrolled in a health insurance plan.
• Get San Lee into a rehab facility for at least 30 days.

Similarly, the program plan encompasses long-term objectives which will ensure that the goals are achieved to enable full treatment of San Lee. They include:

• The patient will develop a recovery program which will allow the treatment of the patient on a consistent basis.
• The patient will develop a list of skills necessary for recovery.
• The patient will meet with the sponsor on a regular basis.
• The patient will learn how to tolerate uncomfortable feelings without turning to drugs and/or alcohol.
• Patients will practice the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
• Patient will develop a relapse prevention plan.
• The patient will find recreational programs to get involved in to add fun to his life.
• The patient will go to outpatient therapy (both individual as well as group).
• The patient will meet with his counselor on a regular basis.
• The patient will seek out and get quality medical care.
• The patient will meet with his doctor(s) on a regular basis/as needed.
• The patient will learn interchangeable job skills in order to be able to get a job
• The patient will explore the possibility of going back to continue his education.
• The patient will check in with his case manager at least once a week.

Our team worked closely to develop a plan for the case study of the client. However, individually, I feel that the team represented my specific skills as a team leader. My knowledge, values, and skills play a vital role in the assessment of the case and creation of the intervention plan. My knowledge of counseling is reflected in the intervention plan where a client should work hand in hand with the counselor. The client visiting the counselor regularly is an effective way of diagnosis which will help the client to transition from addiction and then go to look for a new job and also further his education. A counselor is like a personal life coach and it takes commitment for a patient to acquire treatment. The commitment is mutual but it is most galvanized from the patient because he is the one that is looking for the therapy.

The values in the case study plan are specifically mine. From the first approach, the goals in the case study were to transform the client from the worse conditions to positive life where the client will start working and also continue with his education. I, therefore, whispered conscience where the client is pointing out to a better way and even substituting drug use with entertainment so that the patterns and behavior can swift to illuminate a brighter future. My skills such as the client planning an outing to seek treatment for the problems are clearly reflected in the case study program which constitutes what the client may seek to overcome the challenge. Among other skills, personal and group therapy will open a window so that the client can understand that there are many people experiencing the problem and even worse than him. This will help the client to change his negative thoughts and then frequently visit the counselors in order to curb the addiction and mental conditions.

It has been six months since our group developed a case plan for Stan Lee. The patient has come in for a follow-up visit as planned without failure. Based on our conversation, the patient has developed various strengths which can help him to be fully diagnosed. San Lee could confidently share his experiences, frustrations, and fear which he could not share at the begging of the sessions. He had developed a controlled setting which is important for any successful therapeutic relationship. This is true the improved communication bonds in the family and close friends which during the time of addiction, existed discomfort and lack of social understanding. San Lee can manage his family and he has rebuilt trust which is an effective strategy for patients who have successfully benefited from a therapy. Consequently, the patient had recovered from the dual problems that are, drug abuse and mental conditions. I can confidently say this because, during the process of interaction, San Lee clearly denounced that he has started doing activities without the influence of drugs.

The client is continuing to work on the new job that he had recently acquired. He is trying to develop connections and bonds of communication throughout all steps he is making. At the same time, the rate of using drugs and substances is not traceable meaning that he can work without the interference or pressure of drugs. However, his behavior has not changed completely by the fact that, the mental condition has not shifted to represent a normal functioning individual. There are some complications with the mental state that need to be treated in order to ensure that he gets to understand himself and work without the interference of drugs. The client's next step is expected to be positive due to regular visits to the doctors and counselors. There is, therefore, a high probability of transition and therefore, full treatment.

Drug addiction occurs almost in all places on the globe. Addiction is a complex disorder that virtually affects many individuals although my client is excessively affected by the addiction. He ought to come from the American Indian community for the fact that, they are the among the highest users of drugs in the US. According to the recent study on drug use, individuals that have the highest rate of using drugs suffer from stress and health complications such as depression which results in the conditions. At the same time, lack of motivation and struggle for live limits such individuals from working hard in life in order to achieve their potential. Other conditions that permit excessive use of drugs are poor legal legislation which gives individuals a chance to use illegal drugs at any time. Licensing programs are, therefore, weak to cover the use of drugs like Amphetamines which are a threat to health.

Using the client's condition, alcohol, drugs and substance abuse corresponds with the level of education. It is clear that the San-Lee will continue with his education after getting full therapy. According to the case study plan, the patient had either graduated from college and that was among the early jobs. Alcohol dependence rate is high among the unemployed especially individuals in metropolitan areas. At the same approach, use of drugs in the US has moved through a series of legislation processes which result in high rates of drug use. People who extensively use drugs have the disorder but at the same time, the conditions allow them to do so. For example, the United States view on the use of drugs is contrary to how other nations can view it. The US treats drug abuse as a health condition that can be addressed by medication.