Substance Abuse Counselor Duties in a Hospital Based Environment
Substance abuse counselors in hospitals must be effective in high-pressure and demanding situations. Hospital workers juggle constantly changing groups of patients, and as a result counselors are often limited to only a handful of meetings with each client. During this short amount of time, they are required to complete a number of important duties.
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Diagnosis
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Insurance companies often require a formal diagnosis before paying for treatment. In these situations, substance abuse counselors must diagnose patients with a specific disorder before providing treatment.
Treatment Plans
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Substance abuse counselors frequently create plans for the treatment of clients abusing drugs. These plans typically include a strategy to help the patient quit the drug and to avoid future relapses.
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Counseling
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Counseling substance abuse patients can help reduce relapse through the understanding of triggers and situations that promote drug abuse.
Practical Information
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Substance abuse counselors in hospitals are required to have current knowledge of commonly abused drugs, their symptoms, withdrawal symptoms and treatments.
Service Referrals
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The ability to refer patients to outside resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, is an important duty of substance abuse counselors in hospitals. Counselors will frequently maintain professional relationships with local organizations that can offer additional help.
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