A how-to guide for evidence-based Practice. New York, NY: Springer

Ruth Williams

Week 3 D

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At the time of our initial meeting PK, a 38-year-old male was living in hostel accommodation with his partner who was expecting their first child. The couple had first met when PK was dealing with illicit substances.

PK was convicted for a drug dealer and was a prolific offender, who had been in prison numerous times for various offenses linked with his drug usage.

PK. had a past history of heroin addiction and was being treated with a methadone prescription. He was later admitted onto a Drug Treatment and Testing Order program (D.T.T.O.) although he states that he was already clean by the time he started the program.

When we first started to work together PK, he was stabilized on a low dose of methadone. The couple was very stressed due to Social Services involvement with their unborn child. A person who has become dependent on drugs or alcohol is more likely to overcome addiction with therapy, and several types of therapy could be helpful in this process (Good therapy 2018). In this case, cognitive behavioral therapy was applied to assist the client in transforming thought processes and his personal views on the problems as well as formulating a plan to overcome obstacles with available resources (Wheeler, 2014, p.329).

PK had approached his sister to ask if she could help alleviate the pressure by applying for a temporary residency order of the unborn child. His sister and partner had initially agreed but after giving the matter some consideration had decided that it would be too stressful and had declined. As a result, the baby was put into short term foster care when she was firstborn. This led to PK’s relapse to drugs. He had managed to wean himself off his methadone prescription and become drug-free but the disappointment from his sister made him feel hopeless as they were not granted a permanent residency order, and their one-year-old daughter still in foster care. This is A client family being counseled that is not adequately progressing according to expected clinical outcomes.

PK and partner were given support to help them stay clear of offending and criminal behavior and remain drug-free. They were encouraged to attend regular appointments for outpatient treatment that can significantly improve his addiction if he followed the program for 90 days. PK was missing treatment appointments due to drugs and alcohol. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) reports that both residential and outpatient treatments lasting less than 90 days have limited effectiveness. The NIH recommends significantly longer treatment to produce long-term results (Addiction et al., 2020)

Stavrianopoulos, Faller, & Furrow, (2014), present a plan suggests that the behavior of an individual is determined by experiences of one’s past, which are stuck into the unconscious mind. To resolve the issue, therapists look at patterns or relevant events that play an essential role in the patient’s current difficulties. This therapy is been considered, but substance abuse and non-adherences to treatment plans yields not the expected clinical outcome.

A client family being counseled that is not adequately progressing according to expected clinical outcomes.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental

disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Good Therapy. (2018). Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).

Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/solution- focused-therapy

Stavrianopoulos, K., Faller, G., & Furrow, J. L. (2014). Emotionally Focused Family

Therapy: Facilitating Change Within a Family System. Journal of Couple and

Relationship Therapy, 13(1), 25–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332691.2014.865976

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse:

A how-to guide for evidence-based Practice. New York, NY: Springer

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