Treating Co-Occurring Disorders by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2022-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Length of Treatment

Treatment usually needs to be longer for individuals who are more impaired than for those who are less impaired. However, the actual length of time a client participates in group treatment is usually the result of the interplay between what a client needs, is willing to do, and can be mandated to do. Clients who are mandated into treatment by a court, family, or other authorities need to know how long their “sentence to treatment” will be. Knowing this and exactly everything else that is expected of them from the beginning gives these clients some sense of control over their lives. They will have the data they need to choose either to complete the “treatment sentence” or to face the consequences for not doing so. For less-impaired clients who have a substance use disorder, we recommend that the minimum length of treatment be six months; for individuals with co-occurring disorders with major impairments, we recommend one year.

For the nonmandated client, the length of treatment normally is the client's choice. However, what a client is willing to do can often be influenced by the therapist. It is the therapist's role and responsibility to inform the client exactly how long an effective length of treatment should take. Clients might not choose that length, but at least they have the information necessary to make an informed choice. Also, such information often influences clients to commit to a longer time in treatment than they originally might have. Because a therapy group's process is disrupted when a new client attends only one or two groups and then drops out, clients should agree initially to attend a minimum of six sessions. Clients who are unable to commit to this minimum requirement can be referred to a psychoeducation group instead. In general, after clients meet either their minimum session requirement or commitment, they are free to leave the group or stay as long as they like. Occasionally, clients become dependent on the group and are fearful of moving on. When clients use group attendance as an excuse for avoiding involvement in other necessary community activities, the therapist may choose to limit how long the client can stay in the group, while at the same time working with the client to connect with other community-based activities that are designed for lifetime membership, such as self-help groups or a psychosocial center.

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