Addiction Counseling Competencies: The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Professional Practice
Technical Assistance Publication (TAP) Series 21

Section 2: the Professional Practice of Addiction Counseling

II. Treatment Planning

            1. Stages of change and readiness for treatment.
            2. The treatment planning process.
            3. Motivation and motivating factors.
            4. The role and importance of client resources and barriers to treatment.
            5. The impact that the client and family systems have on treatment decisions and outcomes.
            6. Other sources of assessment information.

            Skills

            1. Establishing treatment priorities based on all available data.
            2. Working with clients of different age, developmental levels, gender, racial, and ethnic cultures.
            3. Interpreting data.

            Attitudes

            1. Appreciation of the strengths and limitations of the client and significant others.
            2. Recognition of the value of thoroughness and follow-through.

            2. Explain assessment findings to the client and significant others involved in potential treatment.

            Knowledge

            1. How to apply confidentiality regulations.
            2. Effective communication styles.
            3. Factors effecting the client’s comprehension of assessment findings.
            4. Roles and expectations of others potentially involved in treatment.

            Skills

            1. Translating assessment information into treatment goal and outcomes.
            2. Summarizing and synthesizing assessment results.
            3. Assessing client for understanding and correcting misunderstandings.
            4. Communicating with clients in a manner that is sensitive to cultural and gender issues.
            5. Communicating assessment findings to interested parties within the bounds of confidentiality regulations and practice standards.

            Attitudes

            1. Recognition of one’s own treatment biases.
            2. Willingness to consider multiple approaches to recovery and change.
            3. Recognition of the client’s right and need to understand assessment results.
            4. Respect for the roles of others.

            3. Provide the client and significant others with clarification and further information as needed.

            Knowledge

            1. Effective communication styles.
            2. Methods to elicit feedback.

            Skills

            1. Eliciting feedback.
            2. Working collaboratively.
            3. Establishing trusting relationship.

            Attitudes

            1. Willingness to communicate interactively with the client and significant others.

            4. Examine treatment implications in collaboration with the client and significant others.

            Knowledge

            1. Available treatment modalities, client placement criteria, and cost issues.
            2. The effectiveness of the various treatment models based on current research.
            3. Implications of various treatment alternatives, including no treatment.

            Skills

            1. Synthesizing available data to establish treatment priorities.
            2. Explaining the treatment process.
            3. Presenting information in a non-judgmental manner.
            4. Selecting treatment settings appropriate for client needs and preferences.
            5. Building partnerships with client and significant others.

            Attitudes

            1. Willingness to negotiate with the client.
            2. Open-mindedness toward a variety of approaches.
            3. Respect for input from client and significant others.

            5. Confirm the readiness of the client and significant others to participate in treatment.

            Knowledge

            1. Motivational processes.
            2. Stages of change models.

            Skills

            1. Assessing and developing strategies to overcome barriers.
            2. Eliciting the client’s preferences for treatment.
            3. Promoting the client's readiness to accept treatment.

            Attitudes

            1. Respect for client values and goals.
            2. Patience and perseverance.

            6. Prioritize client needs in the order they will be addressed.

            Knowledge

            1. Treatment sequencing and the continuum of care.
            2. Hierarchy of needs.
            3. Interrelationship among client needs and problems.

            Skills

            1. Timing.
            2. Sequencing.
            3. Prioritizing.

            Attitudes

            1. Sensitivity to the client’s needs and perceptions.

            7. Formulate mutually agreed upon and measurable treatment outcome statements for each need.

            Knowledge

            1. Levels of client motivation.
            2. Treatment needs of diverse populations.
            3. How to write measurable outcome statements.

            Skills

            1. Translating assessment information into measurable treatment goals and outcome statements.
            2. Working with the client to develop realistic time frames for completing goals.
            3. Engaging, contracting, and negotiating with the client.

            Attitudes

            1. Respect for the client’s treatment and life goals.
            2. Respect for the client’s individual pace toward change.
            3. Appreciation for incremental treatment goals and achievements.

            8. Identify appropriate strategies for each outcome.

            Knowledge

            1. Intervention strategies.
            2. Level of client’s interest in making specific changes.
            3. Treatment issues with diverse populations.

            Skills

            1. Identifying alternate approaches tailored to client needs.
            2. Implementing strategies in terms understandable to the client.

            Attitudes

            1. Respect for client and others.
            2. Appreciation for various treatment strategies.

            9. Coordinate treatment activities and community resources with prioritized client needs in a manner consistent with the client's diagnosis and existing placement criteria.

            Knowledge

            1. Treatment modalities and community resources.
            2. Contributions of other professions and mutual-help or self-help support groups.
            3. Current placement criteria.
            4. The importance of client’s racial or ethnic culture, age, developmental level, gender, and life circumstances in coordinating resources to client needs.

            Skills

            1. Coordinating resources and solutions with client needs, desires, and preferences.
            2. Explaining the rationale behind treatment recommendations.
            3. Summarizing mutually agreed upon recommendations.

            Attitudes

            1. Acceptance of a variety of treatment approaches.
            2. Recognition of the importance of coordinating treatment activities.

            10. Develop with the client a mutually acceptable plan of action and method for monitoring and evaluating progress.

            Knowledge

            1. The relationship among problem statements, desired outcomes, and treatment strategies.
            2. Short- and long-term treatment planning.
            3. Evaluation methodology.

            Skills

            1. Individualizing treatment plans that balance strengths and resources with problems and deficits.
            2. Negotiating.
            3. Collaborating and contracting with the client in developing an action plan in positive, proactive terms.
            4. Establishing criteria to evaluate progress.

            Attitudes

            1. Sensitivity to gender and cultural issues.
            2. Recognition of the value of monitoring outcome.
            3. Willingness to negotiate.

            11. Inform client of confidentiality rights, program procedures that safeguard them, and the exceptions imposed by regulations.

            Knowledge

            1. Federal, State, and agency confidentiality regulations, requirements, and policies.
            2. Resources for legal consultation.
            3. Effective communication styles.

            Skills

            1. Communicating the roles of various interested parties and support systems.
            2. Explaining client rights and responsibilities and applicable regulations regarding confidentiality.
            3. Responding to questions and providing clarification as needed.
            4. Referring to appropriate legal authority.

            Attitudes

            1. Respect for client confidentiality rights.
            2. Commitment to professionalism.
            3. Recognition of the importance of professional collaboration within the bounds of confidentiality.

            12. Reassess the treatment plan at regular intervals and/or when indicated by changing circumstances.

            Knowledge

            1. How to evaluate treatment and stages of recovery.
            2. When and how to review and revise the treatment plan.

            Skills

            1. Modifying the treatment plan based on review of client progress and/or changing circumstances.
            2. Problem solving.
            3. Engaging, negotiating, and contracting.
            4. Eliciting client feedback on treatment experiences.

            Attitudes

            1. Recognition of the value of client input into treatment goals and process.
            2. Openness when critically examining one’s own work.
            3. Receptivity to client feedback.
            4. Willingness to learn from clinical supervision and modify practice appropriately.
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