Fighting Addiction - Social Work Essay Sample

What social workers do

The social worker assesses the drug user’s substance use effectively and sensitively by having a conversation. He or she assesses the risk of substance use to the drug user such as psychosis, dehydration, and overdose. He should determine the drug user’s level of motivation for change using skilled communication and listen and works in collaboration with experts in substance use and social care and health professionals who take part in probation, housing, and safeguarding hubs (Goodman, 2013). They offer support and information to partners, family members, children or carers or refer them to a better service that will help them. They also take action of the risks identified with the drug user and decides which steps should be taken such as advice, education, or safeguarding action. They engage in the research agenda about drug use, develop links with the services of substance abuse and support the delivery or development of continuing professional development programs on drug and alcohol use as well as their problems.

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The people struggling with substance abuse who have changed their addiction to substance use by abstinence or reduction require assistance to maintain the change they have made (Pearson, Janz & Ali, 2013). As a social worker, one needs to support the change process by ensuring there is an appropriate care plan or support in pace to begin when the use of drugs stops. The plan should focus on the people struggling with substance abuse as well as their families and it offers practical support, there is a reflection of the person’s achievements and links to employment options. Lack of post-intervention support has a higher risk of a drug user reverting to substance use hence the importance of social workers in ensuring the process is completed. Social workers offer practical help on the maintenance plan to ensure it meets the needs of the drug users and their families. They work with the people struggling with substance abuse families to develop a relapse prevention and maintenance plan that includes the routines to replace substance use and plan for additional activities (Pyne, 2014). They carry out a continuous risk assessment in ensuring the drug users are supported if they increase their use of the substance and deciding if the minimization of substance use has had an effect on risks the drug user had previously. The social worker's role is to liaise, consult and work in partnership with addictions that include specialist treatment services and amending and reviewing the post-intervention plan periodically.

Drug addiction issues

Drug addiction is rampant in today’s society. There has been increasing the access of both the legal and illegal drugs thus making it easy to access them. Canada is one the nation’s globally experiencing controversial issues from substance use (Romach, Schoedel & Sellers, 2014). Alcohol is one of the drugs commonly used with tobacco. Alcohol has few restriction however while tobacco smoking is restricted to one’s home or designated smoking areas. Marijuana, an illegal drug has gained popularity in Canada, and there are laws underway to make it legal. It has been argued to have fewer effects than alcohol which is already legalized thus people state that there is no need to prohibit it.

Drugs have various effects on a user. A person damages the body and brain various ways; Substance abuse leads to stomach cancer, liver failure, kidney problems, divorce, financial constraints at home and memory lapse (Vaughn & Perron, 2014). Biological, environmental and development factors affect one’s addiction to drugs. Biological factor involves the genes of a drug addict, the environmental; focuses on one’s external causes. The developmental factor is the link of both environmental and biological factors in the growth of a person. Weight loss, lack of motivation and missing from work, home, and school are some of the signs one can consider when identifying a person who may be addicted to drugs.

Social workers take part in enabling drug users, their children, family, carers, and partners support and monitor the person struggling with substance abuse throughout the treatment schedule and the post-intervention period to ensure the drug user does not go back to substance use. They have motivated the people struggling with substance abuse in the process of changing their problematic drug use by offering them support (Wilson & Kolander, 2011). They have also engaged in discussions with the drug user and the family members as well as create and sustain changes in the people struggling with substance abuse substance use. Families, friends, and the government through the social workers should ensure that they help drug addicts out of their ill practices to make the society a better place.

References

Nasr, W., & Phillips, K. (2014). Current Issues in Mental Health in Canada: Directions in Federal Substance Abuse Policy.

Nasr, W., & Phillips, K. (2014). Current Issues in Mental Health in Canada: Directions in Federal Substance Abuse Policy.

Nasr, W., & Phillips, K. (2014). Current Issues in Mental Health in Canada: Directions in Federal Substance Abuse Policy.Bottom of Form

Goodman, A. (2013). Social Work with Drug, Alcohol and Substance Misusers.

Kuhar, M. J. (2012). The addicted brain: Why we abuse drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. Upper Saddle River, N.J: FT Press.

Leyton, M. (2016). Legalizing marijuana. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience: JPN, 41(2), 75.

Nasr, W., & Phillips, K. (2014). Current Issues in Mental Health in Canada: Directions in Federal Substance Abuse Policy.

Payne, M. (2014). Modern social work theory. Palgrave Macmillan.

Pearson, C., Janz, T., & Ali, J. (2013). Mental and substance use disorders in Canada. Statistics Canada.

Romach, M. K., Schoedel, K. A., & Sellers, E. M. (2014). Human abuse liability evaluation of CNS stimulant drugs. Neuropharmacology, 87, 81-90.

Vaughn, M. G., & Perron, B. E. (2013). Social work practice in the addictions. New York: Springer.

Wilson, R. W., & Kolander, C. A. (2011). Drug abuse prevention: A school and community partnership. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.