As I was listening to the class I realised that the most valuable things in this class were the hands on experience of the professor. These included not only real life stories to paint a picture of where we were going but actual statements with clients as grist for our mill. My next thought was that I only wish that I had kept a separate notebook of these things to review once I moved into that dreamed of job in the field of addiction. Still, on an up note I may create this book while studying for the final.
I know this blog is to share my thoughts and opinions about the class but, as the "script" that is used while counseling is so helpful and vital to building a relationship I am going to just list a few of the jems that were shared tonight along with their importance.
- "In the past how long did you go without using?" (building confidence)
- "Do you feel emotional warmth when you enter your home" (change what you can)
- "It's OK to be here for awhile. We can take all the time you need! Everyone is different" (Stages of change)
- Decompression - When teens come home from treatment and realize that they are no longer in a safe environment. Now they have to deal with real people. So we try to get them in a program that matches as closely as possible their home environment.
- "Let me show you something, to see what you think." (Show them the stages of change and let them see if they can identify their stage)
- Great tip. List the services on the level of care cheat sheet where they fit in.
As always doing this blog is a great review that sets information in my brain. Let's just hope it sticks. I only wish I would have listened to the class with the perspective of documenting tools from a seasoned professional.
