A Concise Guide to Opioid Addiction for Counselors

A Concise Guide to Opioid Addiction for Counselors

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Additional Information:

"Drs. Alderson and Gladding bridge an essential gap between theory and practice in addictions and substance abuse counselling. The authors attend to the broader landscape of addictions counselling while competently exploring ethical imperatives and the unique experiences of culturally diverse individuals. This guide is a consummate addition to the professional libraries of all counselling practitioners."

—Robert Roughley, PhD
City University in Canada

This brief, evidence-based guide is ideal for busy mental health professionals helping clients with opioid use disorders (OUDs). It examines the devastating global impact caused by opioids and is replete with information and resources that can be immediately applied to addiction work. The authors' pragmatic, strengths-based approach to treatment is based on a collaborative counselor-client working alliance to achieve client readiness for change, moderation, and abstinence. Topics discussed include current research on risk and protective factors, OUD assessment and diagnosis, the ethical and legal issues particular to addiction work, medication-assisted treatment, physical and psychological interventions for pain management, and the necessity of interdisciplinary care.

In addition, Drs. Alderson and Gladding provide a number of counseling approaches and treatment options that consider work with women, youth, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, older adults, people with disabilities, individuals in the criminal justice system, and rural residents. Five useful appendices conclude the book, including a listing of 20 opioid drugs in descending order of potency; common ICD-10, ICD-10-CM, and ICD-11 codes; and a glossary of terms and abbreviations.