Dual Diagnosis Model

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Working with dually diagnosed clients can be very difficult without the proper knowledge on how to assist these clients in treatment. When working with dually diagnosed clients, one must know how to approach the client, provide the necessary information needed to assist the client, know that working with this type of client can go on for years, and be able to make their self available to the client as needed. In this essay I will illustrate how to work with a dually diagnosed client. I will be using a client in which I had the opportunity of interviewing. I will be using the integrated dual diagnosis treatment model (IDDT) as my tool to assist my client. In using the IDDT model, one must know the stages and what needs to occur in each…show more content…
My goal is to get Sarah to the point of believing that substance abuse is a problem that needs to be worked on. This is the stage in which Sarah is currently at. Sarah believes that she should be able to smoke as much marijuana as she wants and drink whatever she wants at the age of sixteen. Sarah informed me that when she turns eighteen, she is going to drink and smoke all she wants and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Since Sarah is feeling this way, it is now my responsibility to motivate her to change her substance use and mental illness management behaviors. The key point for me to remember is to stay focused on motivating Sarah and not allow my morals and values enforce her change. I need to make sure that Sarah is carefully examining all available information on her mental illness and substance use. This means discussing with Sarah what she already knows and what else she is gaining about the effects of substance use in her daily life. In talking with Sarah, I found out that Sarah has some goals she would like to achieve and in this stage it is important that I assist her in learning how to achieve her goals. Doing this gives Sarah the opportunity of not focusing on just the negative aspects in her…show more content…
I will not be responsible for her getting to her groups and appointments. Sarah will still have her team to support her. Sarah will need to be looking into other self-help support groups for teens her age to keep her time idled. Sarah will be assisted in finding employment to learn independent skills that will assist her once she makes it into Independent Living. Relapse Prevention Stage Being the last stage of the integrated dual diagnosis treatment model, Sarah has successfully stopped using substances for a significant about of time. She will need to work towards maintaining awareness that relapse of substance abuse could happen and to extend recovery to other areas of her life. When Sarah reaches this stage, she will be more self-sufficient. Sarah will be able to have a job, live on her own, and be able to reach out to others in need. In conclusion, using the IDDT model allows the worker to cover every basis needed in helping a dually diagnosed client. As stated before, it can take years of hard work to get a client completely through the model due many of the various things mentioned above. It takes a dedicated and compassionate worker to work with clients who are dually
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