A mailed survey of 225 National Association of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselors members was conducted to examine trauma training, trauma practices, and secondary traumatic stress among substance abuse counselors. Results indicate that most substance abuse counselors are not being prepared for practice with traumatized populations in their formal academic training, although many obtained some trauma training through continuing education activities. There is a great deal of variation in terms of counselors' practices in the assessment and treatment of traumatic stress. Last, substance abuse counselors are highly likely to be secondarily exposed to traumatic events through their work with traumatized populations, and many experience at least some symptoms of secondary traumatic stress. The experience of secondary traumatic stress is believed to contribute to turnover and may reduce the quality and effectiveness of services. These findings highlight the need to attend to the issue of secondary traumatic stress among substance abuse counselors.
Contingency management (CM) has been found to be effective in increasing treatment retention in various outpatient substance user treatment populations; however, the costs of established CM protocols often exceed the financial resources of community-based, nonprofit treatment programs. The results of the present study provide initial evidence that a low-magnitude contingency management protocol can be effective in increasing both treatment attendance and completion rates in a sample of 54 urban, African-American, substance-using women on welfare, without creating undue financial or logistical burden on the treatment agency. The study's limitations and future research are noted.
HIV/AIDS has changed drastically since the introduction of life-saving drugs known as highly active antiretroviral treatment. These same drugs have created a schism between the haves and the have-nots in society. The demographics of the disease have also changed alongside treatment. This article explores the changing face of HIV/AIDS in the 21st century by using the work of political scientist Harold Lasswell. Lasswell has provided a theoretical framework in which to view an epidemic that is deeply affecting communities of color. This framework further accentuates the need for social workers to do more work in the area of HIV/AIDS within communities of color.
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