Substance abuse treatments are a series of interventions that seek to address substance use disorders (SUDs) and underlying conditions that feed into substance abuse behaviors. Treatment plans seek to lay out a comprehensive roadmap for individual concerns, treatment goals, and interventions. This plan may be updated over time to reflect the patient’s changing needs or shifts in the understanding and prescribed treatment of their condition.
Key Components of an SUD Treatment Plan
Not every treatment plan for a substance use disorder will be the same. Treatment plans will necessarily vary depending on factors such as the specific disorder, comorbid conditions, and various unique needs. However, there are some key components that are typically present in effective treatment plans. These include:
- Assessment: Providers will use various assessment tools to determine what their concerns and goals are.
- Diagnosis: Providers will diagnose the patient’s medical issues.
- Goal setting: The patient and their providers will work together to set short and long term goals for treatment and wellness.
- Detoxification: Providers will monitor the patient as they go through the withdrawal process to ensure they are safe and relatively comfortable.
- Medical intervention: Providers will prescribe medications to manage conditions.
- Therapeutic intervention: The patient will join individual or group therapy to treat underlying psychological concerns and provide the patient with healthy tools to maintain their sobriety and wellbeing.
- Social support: Providers will put the patient in touch with any social services that may be needed to provide support or assistance such as housing or financial assistance.
- Relapse prevention and monitoring: Relapse is a reality of SUD for many, and as such it is vital that a treatment plan anticipates that and helps the patient avoid, minimize, and manage relapse.
Successful treatment will be a lifelong process to ensure the patient keeps up with their goals and does not experience relapse. Additionally, treatment may need to be adjusted over time, as some treatments may be more appropriate than others for some age groups. For example, adolescents will often need different medication-assisted treatments than adults, as psychotropic drugs may affect their brains differently.
Evidence-based Interventions and Treatment Options for Substance Use Disorders
There are many different interventions for substance use disorder, but the interventions with evidence to back up their efficacy are limited. These include:
- Contingency management (CM)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT);
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT);
- Family therapy;
- Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT)
- 12-step facilitation therapy;
- Motivational interviewing (MI);
- SAPC Medication-assisted Therapy (MAT);
- Inpatient care;
- Outpatient care;
- Support groups.
While all of these options are evidence-based treatments, choosing the right one will largely be down to the preference of the patient, and may even involve trying a variety or combination of treatments to determine what is most effective. For example, non-religious patients may be uncomfortable with faith-based options like 12-step facilitation therapy and may prefer alternatives like Smart Recovery.
Treatment Goals for Substance Abuse
To some extent, goals for treatment will be something unique to the patient and will need to be developed and laid out by the individual and their medical providers. However, some typical treatment goals include:
- Maintaining abstinence;
- Managing relapse;
- Learning and developing healthy coping mechanisms;
- Treating underlying mental health concerns;
- Building healthy relationships;
- Pursuing life goals.
While some goals may be lifelong in nature, others may change overtime, and therefore it is important for the patient to regularly check in with their providers and reassess.
Substance Abuse Treatment Plan Template
The following sample SUD treatment plan can help providers outline the goals and stages for treatment.
List client goals
List short and long term goals for the patient’s mental and physical wellbeing.
Conduct a risk assessment
Assess for risks such as various mental health disorders and suicide, as well as relevant physical health statuses such as pregnancy.
Discuss resources
Discuss logistical resources such as financial support. For example, veterans may have unique resources to assist them through SUD recovery.
Therapeutic interventions
List plans for evidence-based therapy and ensure the patient has been referred to the correct providers. Refer them for a mental health evaluation if needed.
Prescribe medications
Discuss and prescribe useful medications such as those that address underlying health issues, those that address cravings, and those that address related issues such as sleep interference.
Schedule follow-up appointments
During follow up appointments, assess where the patient stands with their goals and discuss the efficacy of their treatment. Ask about any concerns, and adjust treatment as necessary.
Technology such as CRM and EHR software can further streamline the process of managing and streamlining patient care.
Relapse Prevention Strategies
An effective treatment plan should account for the realities of relapse that typically go hand in hand with SUD recovery. Strategies to prevent relapse include:
- Social support: Support groups and the development of healthy relationships can help patients create healthy social networks.
- Therapy: Therapists can help the patient identify triggers work through potential and ongoing relapses.
- Regular check-ins: Regular check-ins with doctors, therapists, and social support groups can help patients identify and manage stressful life scenarios early.
- Identification of triggers: By understanding triggers, the patient can get ahead of a potential relapse and use healthy coping mechanisms to fortify themselves against it.
- Practice of healthy coping mechanisms: Healthy coping mechanisms can help the patient manage their feelings in a healthy way that does not rely on the use of substances.
- Awareness of resources: When patients are aware of the resources available to them, they will know where they can go when they anticipate or are in the middle of a relapse.
- Development of healthy lifestyles: Creating a healthy life with healthy outlets is perhaps the most valuable way that someone can avoid reliance on substances.
It is also vital that patients are made aware of the reality of relapse and that relapse prevention efforts are integrated heavily into SUD treatment plans.