Refining Screening for Addiction Counseling Groups
This counseling group is organized as a weekly support group for individuals who are prone to different addiction variations, including but not limited to substance abuse, gambling addiction, and other addictive behaviors. The team will use a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approach during meetings, which will be held every Tuesday evening for 12 weeks.
Criteria for Selecting Members:
Adults ages 18 and above who are identified as having a primary diagnosis of substance use disorder (alcohol, opioids, stimulants, etc.).
People are already enrolled in the outpatient or intensive outpatient treatment program for addiction.
People who are determined to accomplish chance and permanent abstinence as their recovery objective.
Show your willingness, ability, and emotional stability through active participation in group conversation.
It is evaluated as being in a situation that would be good for talking about addiction/relapse in a group setting.
Individuals agree on confidentiality, attendance, and respectful behavior as a group.
Demographic Questions:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Address:
Contact information:
Marital status:
Employment status:
History of addiction treatment:
Current substance(s) of abuse:
Emergency contact information:
Length of time struggling with addiction:
Screening Questions:
Tell me what it was that led you to seek help for your addiction at this time.
Have you ever done any form of addiction recovery group or counseling before? Whether the experience was pleasant or not, I want to know your thoughts.
Visualize your life after addiction: what would it be like? What do you expect from your recovery process?
Has your addiction brought or is it bringing you some legal problems?
Are there other supportive ones besides the group, even though you like the group?
Are you able to connect and engage in small groups?
What kind of coping mechanisms do you employ when faced with urges or triggers to use drugs?
Can you act responsibly towards the group members and facilitators by receiving feedback and constructive criticism?
Do you have any questions or doubts regarding the effectiveness of group therapy for addressing substance abuse?
Do you have any mental health symptoms (such as which may require additional help and treatment), e.g., depression and anxiety, while trying to recover from addiction?
Scholarly Sources:
Kelly, J. F., Magill, M., and Stout, R. L. (2009). What is the process of going through alcohol dependence disorder and recovering from it? A systematic review of the literature that demonstrated mechanisms of behavior change in AA members. Addiction Research & Theory, 17(3), 236-259. This study identifies the mechanisms of behavior change in alcoholics anonymous groups, points which can be used for selecting members.
Donovan, D.M., Ingalsbe, M.H., Benbow, J., & Daley, D.C. (2013). 12-step interventions and mutual support programs for substance use disorders: introduction. Social Work in Public Health: A Moving Target, 28(3-4), 313-332. This source, experts in the 12-step and mutual support group interventions for addictions, provide guidelines for appropriate screening and membership.
Wendt, D. C., and Gone, J. P. (2018). Anonymity and abstinence: preservation of ancestral knowledge of ecology and sustainable sobriety by Navajos. The present study focuses on culturally adapted and practical approaches to recovery groups that address addiction, illustrating the significance of careful screening with good fit within the group context.
Ultimately, meticulous screening process planning is crucial to creating an influential addiction counseling group and team. We can screen members included in groups by including demographic questions and well-defined screening questions that show their commitment to recovery, their acceptance of feedback, and their compatibility with the group’s goals.
References
Magill, M., Tonigan, J. S., Kiluk, B., Ray, L., Walthers, J., & Carroll, K. (2020). The search for mechanisms of cognitive behavioral therapy for alcohol or other drug use disorders: A systematic review. Behavior research and therapy, 131, 103648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2020.103648
McAuliffe, W. A., & Gordon, R. A. (2021). A test of Lindesmith’s theory of addiction: The frequency of euphoria among long-term addicts. In Behavioral Theory in Sociology (pp. 239-298). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351319201-
