Clients in substance abuse programs tend to have an incredibly difficult time adjusting to the program. Shame, denial, withdrawal, and resistance add to the difficulty of adjusting to a substance abuse program as a client. It is the job of health care professionals and behavioral health staff to assist clients in overcoming their hurdles as they adjust to the process. Compassionate and patient staff can assist a client in successfully adjusting to a substance abuse program and reaching a point of recovery.
Instructions
1. Set and enforce ground rules. These ground rules should establish proper boundaries for members of the staff and the clients. Addicts have a difficult time self-regulating and commonly abuse boundaries. No unwelcome touching, no stealing, and no abuse may seem like straightforward rules for a healthy person, but they are foreign to an addict. Therefore, it is essential that the staff at the treatment center enforce these ground rules.
2. Create and enforce structure. Addicts have disorganized and chaotic lives. One of the best ways to assist a client in adjusting to a substance abuse program is to create a structure for the day. Create a set time that clients wake up, eat, and go to bed. Scheduled times for when clients engage in programmed activities such as individual counseling sessions, outings, and group therapy should be preplanned and made available to the clients in the form of a calendar. This will foster a level of safety and predictability that the client can count on.
3. Meet individually with the client early in the program. Addicts commonly feel as though they are not heard and grossly misunderstood. Show clients that is not the case in the substance abuse program by working individually with the clients and learning about who they are as unique individuals. Be genuinely interested in them as people, and they will begin to trust the staff and ease into the program.
4. Create and maintain a supportive environment. Clients need to know that they can bring concerns to staff anytime without fear of judgment or reprimand. By fostering a supportive environment among clients and staff, you will help clients establish a level of trust with the staff and adjust to the program. Trusting the staff will enable them to trust the process.
Tags: abuse program, substance abuse, substance abuse program, adjusting substance, adjusting substance abuse