client desired a consistent therapeutic relationship following a change in three counselors in three months. The client stated that he wanted to work on and develop a relationship with his children, he wanted to find employment, and he wanted to successfully develop coping skills in order to develop strength in a sober environment. I often feel that society directs their bias towards substance abuse and cannot possibly imagine how individuals get to the point of addiction. Societies’ values are rooted in judgement, excess, and entitlement when in fact, addiction does not discriminate. I have encountered more individuals at SAS who have come from “traditional” families that struggle just as hard with their addiction as individuals that would …show more content…
There are many reasons supervision is important, but for me, discussing my experiences and/or a specific problem is particularly helpful throughout this continued learning process. For me, supervision has been a combination of success and challenges. For instance, I find myself struggling with the differences in practice styles between Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASACs) and my own ethical standards as a social worker. To begin with, imagine an eager student willfully entering an agency with an abundant amount of energy to help clients, even the most difficult client, surrounded by some counselors who are burnt-out and lacking the motivation to exclusively “be there.” I sometimes feel like clients are told what to do rather than letting them decide their own pace and goals. Motivational interviewing is a common intervention approach utilized in the addiction setting. For instance, Hepworth, Rooney, Dewberry Rooney, and Strom-Gottfried (2013) explain that motivational interviewing is driven by the client’s right to either accept or not accept the suggestion of the counselor. If the client’s autonomy is stripped and goals are created for them rather than generated collaboratively, this can lead to problems. The client may feel that they are pressured to continue treatment and will no longer
Alcoholism is as prevalent in my family, as blood is in our veins. When previously asked to observe 12-step groups, I ritualistically flocked to Alcoholics Anonymous, without consideration of the possibility that other groups had any potential to make an impact on me. I always pride myself in my ability to identify as an individual that is not ensnared in alcoholism, but unfortunately am an individual that was highly tormented by alcoholism. Through observation of the group and how it processed, as well as identifying how I felt as a new attendee, I was able to understand why self-help, support groups are so vital for individuals in recovery. I finally realized, I too am in recovery.
My respect and solid working relationship with my supervisor allowed me to discuss any vicarious trauma I may have been experiencing. These bi-weekly sessions allowed me to process my strong feeling of sadness I felt for Susan as she lived among piles of possessions and a completely unusable and unsanitary kitchen. Supervision allowed me to express my thoughts of frustration during times of setbacks and to celebrate as accomplishments were made. Furthermore, through my supportive relationship with my supervisor I was able to learn more about myself and develop deeper therapeutic skills. I believe good supervision is important. Research shows the importance of individual supervision as the Charity Organization Department of the Sage Foundation offered the first known supervision in 1911(Kadushin,
Steinglass, P. (2008). Family Systems and Motivational Interviewing: A Systemic-Motivational Model for Treatment of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 26(1/2), 9-29. doi:10.1300/J020v26n01_02
Finally, an intervention skill that all social workers need is the ability to seek supervision and accept feedback from their supervisor. For me, at times, this is a skill that is needed to be worked on. I often forget to seek supervision when I am having difficulty knowing what to do next to best help my clients, as my supervisor is not readily available. This is a skill I defiantly need to get better at as my supervisor is very knowledgeable and a great resource.
For the 9 years that I have worked as a mental health support worker I have come across cases involving drug addiction and mental health. My passion to work with and help those in need of services grew over the years as I came to realize that with the right services and support, one can eventually become clean of drugs and reintegrate into society and live a normal life. I have been privileged to work with genuinely enthusiastic and caring colleagues who have enhanced my professional identity which makes me so proud to be part of a wider health care industry. I’m fortunate to have tremendous amount of sincere affection for service users and staff and this had made me resilient in adversity, and have a passion to want to do the right
The interview consisted of a brief explanation of each of the five questions and was performed via email. The counselor replied stating that his job duties included; group and individual therapy sessions. Other areas of responsibility were taking notes, treatment planning and management of each case including referrals and all documents. The counselor mentioned the most difficult obstacle was resistance from the client and being able to carry out a treatment plan. He also mentioned there is always the difficulty of emotional detachment. This is also one of the reasons the job is rewarding. The fact that this is a very engaging and challenging job, but there are times it can be sad. With alcoholics and addicts you never know what they will do next, since they can be unpredictable. This can be a fun and interesting profession, and is one that keeps you on your toes. The counselor explained that these are the t...
Therefore, when I work with substance abusers I will show empathy, encourage and validate their successes and their feelings about any failures. In addiction, I will help the person learn from their failures and normalize the situation. Furthermore, I would attempt to ensure that the person had several coping strategies in place, to help when he or she finds themselves in a difficult situation. Moreover, I intend to ensure the client has all the tools he or she needs to succeed while getting to the root of their problem through counseling.
Sheff (2008) found that "Addict's family walks an unhappy path that is strewn with many pitfalls and false starts. Mistakes are inevitable. Pain is inevitable. But so are growth and wisdom and serenity if families approach addiction with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and the acceptance that recovery, like addiction itself, is a long and complex process. Families should never give up hope for recovery-for recovery can and does happen every day. Nor should they stop living their own lives while they wait for that miracle of recovery to occur" (Sheff, 2008, pg. 230).
Developmental Supervision, Supervisor Flexibility, and the Postobservation Conference. Hills, J. (1991). Issues in research on instructional supervision: A contribution to the discussion. Journal Of Curriculum & Supervision, 7(1), 1-12. Jones, N. B. (1995).
Every single person in an addict’s immediate family is affected in some way by the individual’s substance abuse. In recent years, our society has moved further away from the traditional nuclear family. There are single-parent homes and blended family homes. Each of these family structures and more will affect the addict’s overall impact on the family. If young children are a part of the family, their
Motivational interviewing is an important technique and counseling style that was created by William Miller and Stephen Rollnick in the 1980’s. The brief definition of motivational interviewing (MI) that is provided by Miller and Rollnick in their influential text is “a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change” (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). Motivational interviewing is considered to be a style that evolved from client-centered therapy. The style is considered to be empathic but requires the counselor to consciously directive so that they may help their client resolve the ambivalence they are experiencing and direct them towards change. The important thing to note is that client autonomy is key to the process (Hettema, Steele, & Miller, 2005). However, despite being able to currently give a definition of MI, one that could be considered a working definition, motivational interviewing is “a living, evolving method” (Miller & Rollnick, 2009). It will continue to evolve as times change and it is implemented in use with other maladaptive behaviors. MI is a relatively new style that it still has the ability to undergo changes to adapt to what purpose it is serving (Miller & Rollnick, 2009).
There is a certain type of families, where the system of relationships does not work well enough in order to qualify as a functional one. In the social work field, these families are labelled as dysfunctional. One of the most widespread examples of a dysfunctional family is a household where one of the members of the family is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or simply put, an addict. Usually, in these cases, other members of the family have a tendency of isolating the household from the outside view. Other people are usually not let into this family and the relationships between the family members are not disclosed to the outside world, as recent research demonstrates (Morgan 56).
In this article, Hagedorn (2011) mentioned that resistance and ambivalence to change is not only a problem that counselors can experience in a group of substance abusers, but it can also be experienced in many other counseling groups with members experiencing different issues, such as depression or anxiety. Although, resistance and ambivalence can be found in members of counseling groups, the group leaders are responsible to explore the issue with group members by using experiential activities or other beneficial approaches in the group. Hagedorn (2011) explained that an exploration of the benefits of therapeutic letter writing for substance ...
It was thought that if a social worker was engaging in the life and struggles of a client, it needed to be ensured through supervision that the personal life of the worker did not influence their interactions. Presently, in HSO the notion of supervision demonstrates a dichotomy between hierarchy and control or support and nurture. Kadushin (1985) outlines support, education, and administration, as three areas to consider when looking at the conflict of practice and pressure faced by supervisors and the supervised. Gardner (2006) states that supervision within an organization is going to have it’s own culture, which may differ from the culture of the organization. The culture of supervision is impacted by the importance placed on it. To examine this, one could ask, does the supervisor have an agreement that is followed or an agenda for the meeting? Notability, supervision is a way to develop or maintain learning in a
The chances are that we all know or have loved ones with an addictions to either drugs or alcohol. Still today, one of the biggest challenges is being able to talk to that person about their addiction. Even though I personally have not had the opportunity to speak to a loved one or acquaintance about an addiction. Research shows when confronting a person with a problem; it takes preparation, patience, and being totally honest with that individual. Talking to someone with a dependency is something that most people avoid because people like myself would not want others mending in our lives; we, even, tend to believe that it is not our problem how much our f...