Substance Abuse Assessments Across the Lifespan

Substance abuse assessments have very different purposes for different populations. For instance, an assessment for treatment of victims will look different from a court-mandated assessment relating to criminal behavior. For another example, an assessment for an adolescent would likely emphasize peer influence more so than it would for an adult. These demographic factors significantly influence the assessment as it relates to treatment planning or other recommendations.

Use the module readings and the Argosy University online library resources to research types of substance abuse assessments for different demographics.

Select three substance abuse assessments for use in this assignment. Your choices should represent three different age populations such as the elderly, adults, adolescents, or children.

Review the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) patient placement criteria for the treatment of substance-related disorders at the following:

Mee-Lee, D. (2005). Overview of the ASAM patient placement criteria, second edition revised (ASAM PPC-2R). Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Retrieved from

https://www1.maine.gov/dhhs/oms/provider/pnmi/documents/ASAM-presentation-Dr-Lee.pdf

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2001). KAP KEYS Based on TIP 13: The role and current status of patient placement criteria in the treatment of substance use disorders. Retrieved from

http://integratedrecovery.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/TIP13-KAP.Keys_.pdf

Complete the following:

1. Describe the ASAM patient placement criteria for the treatment of substance-related disorders.

2. Describe the three selected types of substance abuse assessments that you might use. Be sure that your choices represent three different age populations such as the elderly, adults, adolescents, or children.

3. Compare and contrast the information being collected in each of the three assessments and describe the areas of concern. Ask, for example, does it include client presentation and functioning, current use and history, high-risk behavior, first exposure, consequences of addiction, culture, life skills, work, vocation, education, health, recreation, or spirituality? Present the comparison of the three types of substance abuse assessments in a table.

4. Explain special considerations, including ethical issues, which would apply to the different populations selected.

5. Evaluate the importance of having assessment tools for clients in each developmental life stage.