r/DrugCounselors

How does it work at facilities that have government contracts and has clients that are in prison and do not meet DSM criteria for active SUD yet being told that they do have SUD if we use their legal history as criteria and years old substance use issues? I feel like I'm on another planet. Was told I can't use in remission in a controlled setting as well as a specifier. Oh and that certain programs have different rules and that its fully compliant with the state and aligns with the DSM.. and I've asked info on where I can see any actual laws/policy that reflect this and nada, it's in their contract.. I'm sinking as a new LCDC-I that received what I thought was fantastic training for chemical dependency counseling at a local college and my practicum site as well. Now I'm feeling like something isn't right.

Does anyone know where I can get or enrol for a self funded substance misuse practitioner training? I have tried to look for some online, but cannot seem to find any. Any DANOS aligned courses would be great

Any pointers from people working or who have worked in the field would be amazing.

I'm a counselor at a facility that contracts with the DOC (Department of Corrections) and we get clients who are prisoners on furlough to complete rehab. Due to this contract, write ups for DOC clients get sent to the DOC for review. Since I started this job a few months ago, five clients have been sent back to prison due to write ups. While one of the clients was mine, the incident for which he was sent back occurred when I was off so I wasn't involved with the write up. Today I'm going to have to write up a client for the first time.

I'm justice oriented in my practice and a strong advocate for my clients - this includes avoiding DOC involvement at all costs. That said, this particular client is showing problematic behaviors that I simply cannot ignore, especially as he is involving other staff. I hate that I need to write this guy up. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

I feel bad that, if this behavior continues, it will result in him being sent back to prison. The clinical director has a history of incarceration himself and really gives a shit about the clients; I have a criminal record myself. Many of my coworkers are in recovery themselves. I know that as a clinical team, we will hold multiple interventions in an effort to not send him back so I'm not worried about us treating him unfairly. No one on the clinical team has a cop mentality.

I just hate this aspect of my job, and needed to unload somewhere. Thanks for reading.

Edit: thank you all for your kind words. I'm feeling less bad about this situation now (in part bc of all your lovely support!) because I learned this client has been engaging in staff splitting behavior all weekend long, across all three shifts - even after I had three conversations with him about said the behavior. Several other staff indicated they had similar conversations with him regarding policy he is attempting to skirt.

And yes, as several of you pointed out, when he is written up for this, it will be due to his choices and no one else.