Assignment: Scholar Practitioner Assignment: Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders

It is no coincidence that mental disorders and addiction often appear together because they share causative neurological roots hence, co-occurring disorders. Individuals with mental disorders often turn to mood-altering chemicals and behaviors in an attempt to self-medicate, making them more vulnerable to addiction.

The rates of co-occurring disorders are high. A differential diagnosis, or a diagnostic decision that differentiates between two similar disorders is needed to be able to differentiate between the two. As a helping professional you should be familiar with the appropriate diagnostic and treatment strategies needed to manage all aspects of these disorders.

For this Assignment, review the “SPP Treatment Plan Template” located in the resources and use this template for this Assignment.

Consider the following scenario:

Maria is a 44-year-old hearing-impaired Latina female who was admitted to the inpatient treatment facility for alcohol dependence where you are a substance abuse counselor. During her admission, Maria expressed reluctance to undergo treatment, stating that her family did not approve of counseling or psychiatric services because they see it as a sign of weakness. During her admission, she began crying hysterically. She stated that her husband left her and that her two teenage children were home alone. Maria was inebriated, under emotional distress, and ended up being carried to her assigned room by two staff members.
Your psychosocial intake assessment revealed she is also manifesting signs and symptoms of a major depressive disorder. You know that Maria needs help with her alcohol addiction, but you also know that her depression might be a cause or an effect of alcoholism.

Assignment:

Create a brief 30-day addiction treatment plan for Maria in the scenario.