STEP ONE:

Individuals with substance use disorders (and mental health disorders more generally) often experience negative perceptions and reactions from others regarding their diagnoses. In fact, the stigma can be so strong that individuals may avoid seeking help because they’re afraid of being labeled or judged.

With addiction and mental health disorders affecting more than just the individual, it makes some sense that a person’s family, friends, and co-workers would form thoughts and opinions about these disorders. When those thoughts and opinions are judgmental or negative, stigmas emerge.

In your initial discussion post this week, please respond to the following prompts. Your post can be based upon your own opinion, knowledge from your coursework, or an Internet search.

• Identify some of the common stigmas associated with substance use disorders and mental health disorders.
• Explain how those stigmas might impact individuals with substance use or mental health disorders.
• List a few steps (3 or 4) that can be taken to decrease the stigmatization of individuals with these disorders.

PART 2

Directions

This week’s lecture covered some of the mental health disorders that tend to co-occur with substance use disorders. For your reflection this week, imagine you are working as an assistant in a behavioral health office. Then address the following prompts:

• Explain how co-occurring disorders might complicate the assessment and treatment process.
• Detail how you would ensure you are selecting the most effective treatment option for a client with substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder.
• Finally, describe what might be done to help clients’ family members and the community at large better understand substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. How can clinicians help in this effort?

PART 3

Select a type of vulnerable population you may work with as a case manager/counselor. What type of issues might you deal with? Compare and contrast what case management strategies you may use to work with this population and which strategies you may avoid. Explain your reasoning.

Part 4

As a case manager, you will be working closely, and as part of a team, with other case managers, counselors, and supervisors to develop best practices in your field. Write a description about a memorable experience working with a team. Examine four strengths and barriers to the teamwork you described using the following concepts:

• communication (how you relate to your team members and work through situations)
• values (understanding your feelings)
• identity (understanding your role on the team)
• territory
• procedure (coming up with and sticking to a plan of accomplishment)
• allocation of resources (distributing needs)
• competency (having knowledge of the task as well as your role)
• goals (what you look to achieve)

Summarize how you feel your experiences would translate to working on a treatment team. How would what you learned working on a team benefit your client?

Directions
Watch this video of a mock counseling session and answer the following questions:

• Assess the way in which this counselor interviews her client. What would you do differently if you were the counselor?
• Devise what questions you would ask based on responses the client gave.
• What role does their body language play?
• Does the environment look and feel like a professional counseling environment? Propose what you think the ideal environment would consist of and explain your reasoning.