Problem
To illustrate the concept of treatment settings, let us extend Case 3 and imagine Leigh, a 16-year-old marijuana and alcohol user who has run into trouble with her substance use. Her problems intensified one evening when she and her friends were taken into custody for questioning by police. Leigh was partying with some new friends in a wooded area close to the high school she attends. Police, responding to a complaint initiated by neighbors in the area, confronted the adolescents and found alcohol and marijuana. Officials were concerned about the underage drinking, illegal use of marijuana, and in particular Leigh's emotional state, which was hostile, disoriented, and apparently intoxicated.
Police contacted Leigh's mother and discussed the possibility of charging Leigh with possession of marijuana and disorderly conduct. After several unsuccessful attempts by police to persuade Leigh to seek immediate medical care, she was evaluated to be at risk to herself and was involuntarily admitted to medical detoxification. She spent several days in detoxification and getting "clear headed," and then she voluntarily agreed to attend a rehabilitation program. When she had 28 days of successful treatment, her counselors recommended an intensive outpatient program to continue her recovery.
This scenario illustrates that treatment settings are not stagnant environments but integrative opportunities to move clients toward recovery and health. The reverse is also possible. Leigh might have Leigh might have a relapse (or slip) and need a temporary, more restrictive setting to regain her hard-won progress.
Moving up and down this continuum of care provides a multitude of treatment services designed to fit the client's unique needs. The effectiveness of treatment settings comes from their flexibility, adaptability, and responsiveness to the client's current recovery needs.
Task
Read passage and write your thoughts on treatment planning or coping skills as you might present them to your client.