I need a assessment interview discussion
Assessment Interview
As we covered in the text this lesson, there are many different tools and approaches to the assessment interview. How would you approach an assessment interview? What are some questions you would absolutely include? What are the most important areas to cover, in your opinion? Please answer this question and respond to two other students’ posts. Thank you.
Screening: Brief procedures used to determine if there may be a problem, indicating the need for a more thorough assessment.
CAGE
- Have you ever tried to CUT down on your drinking?
- Have you ever gotten ANNOYED at someone else’s concern about your drinking?
- Have you ever felt GUILTY about your drinking?
- Do you ever drink an EYE-opener in the morning?
The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) and the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) are both widely used standardized screening tools.
The assessment may be the most important aspect of the treatment continuum. It is during the assessment that one identifies a person’s strengths as well as their problems, and begins the process of building a treatment plan. If the assessment misses something important, the person may not get the treatment they need. Great care must be taken in the assessment, as it is the foundation upon which the rest of the treatment experience is built.
Assessment:
The assessment seeks to determine:
- The severity of the problem
- Possibly influences that have perpetuated chemical use, culminating in addiction
- Related difficulties
- The individual’s perceptions of and attitude toward treatment.
When completing an assessment, the professional gathers information from a variety of sources. These may include a clinical interview, use of standardized screening/assessment tools, information provided by family members, prior records and urine analysis for substances of abuse. The professional must always be vigilant to the presence of denial in the person being assessed. Substance abusers tend to minimize the nature and amount of their substance abuse.
The objectives of assessment include:
- Identify those who are experiencing problems related to substance abuse and/or have progressed to the stage of addiction.
- Assess the full spectrum of problems for which treatment may be needed.
- Plan appropriate interventions.
- Involve appropriate family members or significant others, as needed, in an individual’s treatment.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions that are implemented.
A comprehensive assessment examines:
- Medical status and problems
- Psychological status and possible mental disorders
- Social functioning
- Family and peer relations
- Educational and job performance
- Legal problems
- Socioeconomic status and problems
There are three basic steps to assessment:
- Information gathering
- Data analysis
- Treatment plan development
Based on the outcome of the assessment, a treatment plan is developed, consisting of appropriate interventions designed specifically for the client.
These interventions may include:
- Referral for medical care
- Testing for infectious disease
- Random drug testing
- Referral for medication
- Group counseling
- Substance abuse counseling
- Life skills counseling
- General health education
- Peer/Support groups (AA/NA, for example)
- Substance-free social and leisure activities
- Alternative housing
- Relapse prevention
Solution Preview
Assessment Interview
The approach to an assessment interview bears much significance on the amount of information gathered in the assessment process. The interviewer could use an approach that could ultimately help him or her gather extensive information on the assessment he or she intends to make, or it could be so disastrous to the extent that he or she ends up with limited to no information. Therefore, using an approach that ultimately ends up creating an environment in which the respondent can trust the interviewer is usually likely to result in positive output for the assessment process.
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