Diagnosis and Treatment

Whatever the treatment approach of contemporary programs, there are three standard components: screening; assessment and diagnosis; and treatment plan.

Screening identifies individuals with hazardous or harmful drug use, or drug dependence, as well as associated risk behaviors (needle sharing, unprotected sexual activity, potential violent behavior, suicide risk). There are standardized tools to assess drug use and its severity in an individual that help determine the degree of help required. These tools can be applied in different environments (primary health care system, school health and counseling services, and employee assistance programs at work places).

Diagnosis frequently uses references common to the mental health field. If there is a diagnosis of a co-morbid psychiatric disorder, a follow-up is made by a psychiatrist, while other health care professionals identify and manage drug use disorders and associated psychiatric co-morbidity.

A comprehensive assessment takes into account the stage and severity of the disease, physical and mental health status, individual temperament and personality traits, vocational and employment status, family and social integration, and legal situation. It further considers environmental and developmental factors, including childhood and adolescent history, family history and relationships, social and cultural circumstances, and previous treatment experience. Get great deals and reasonable price with coupons and deals in Canada.

The treatment plan is developed with the client and establishes goals based on identified needs and sets interventions to meet those goals. A care or treatment plan is a written description of the treatment to be provided and its anticipated course. Care plans set the specific individual needs and how they are going to be met by the treatment program. The plan is then monitored and revised periodically as required to respond to the client’s changing situation. Treatment plans may include the use of medication.