Assessment of Substance Abuse Disorder and Available Services for Treatment

Running head: NURSING ASSIGNMENT
NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

NURSING ASSIGNMENT1
Assessment 1
Part 1
The case study reveals that alcohol and substance abuse ha a heavy impact on the life of a
person as it can be seen from Terry’s case. It had been found to be deeply affecting the body and
mind in many ways. A substance abuse assessment is an important step in establishing the needs
of a client regarding drug and alcohol abuse. A standardised questionnaire can be used for the
professional assessment of the alcohol and drug abuse. In Terry’s case it is known that Terry was
having a disturbed relationship due to his drug abuse, hence it is necessary to question about the
predisposing factors for the addiction. While assessing Terry, it is necessary to enquire about the
type of delusional thoughts that has caused suicidal ideation in the patient. Symptoms for the
substance abuse can be different for different patients.
Again some of the basic information can be augmented by dong some objective
measurement like the addiction severity index, the mental health screening form, symptoms
distress scale. A careful attention to the past episodes of alcohol consumption and abstinence
with regards to the symptoms of mental health disorder symptoms, diagnoses, impairments and
treatments that can illuminate the role of the substance abuse (Dack et al., 2013). During the
assessment, the counsellor might ask mental health “ups and downs” are like for the client. That
is what it is like for the client when things gets worse or what has happened in the past in details
and what about the recovery or how does the patient generally responses to that. The clinician
and the client together should try to comprehend the specific effects that the substance have had
on the mental health of the client, including the possible triggering of the psychiatric symptoms
by substance use.

NURSING ASSIGNMENT2
Assessment tool needed to ascertain further information
The Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use (TAPS) Tool is
a useful tool that contains a combined screening component (TAPS-1), followed by a brief
assessment (TAPS-2) for those patients who screen positive (McNeely et al, 2016). The tool is
useful for the screening and the brief assessment of the commonly used substance, eliminating
the requirement for multiple screening and lengthy assessment tools. The tool provide a two
stage brief assessment (McNeely et al., 2016). The tool can either be self-administered by the
patients or can be taken as an interview by health care professionals. The tool is normally used in
an electronic format. The presence of a screening component helps to know about the frequency
of the substance abuse in the past years. The tool would also be proven to be useful as it will
facilitate a brief assessment of past 90 day problem use to the client.
Further information about the significant events in Terry’s history pertinent to his
substance abuse
The initial step in the assessment process is to engage the patient in an empathetic and
welcoming manner and built a rapport for facilitating an open disclosure of information
regarding the metal health problems, substance use disorder. Some of the questions that should
be asked to Terry to inform about the treatment outcomes are- the age of first drink or use, about
his drinking partners, information about his peers, triggers that increases the chance of drinking,
family, trauma history, financial situation, housing status, education, strengths resources and the
employments, family history of alcoholism, substance abuse or substance use disorder (Muskett,
2014). It is again necessary to screen for any family history of the mental health problems
including the diagnosis, hospitalisation and other forms of treatment, the current symptoms, the