CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Case Management and Referrals 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client in intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) reports a relapse to alcohol use. The case manager's FIRST priority should be to:
- Immediately discharge the client for violating program rules
- Conduct a clinical reassessment to determine if a higher level of care is indicated (Correct answer)
- Reduce the client's treatment frequency as a consequence
- Notify all referral sources about the relapse without client consent
Correct answer: Conduct a clinical reassessment to determine if a higher level of care is indicated
Relapse is a clinical signal requiring reassessment of treatment needs; the priority is safety and determining whether the current level of care remains appropriate.
Question 2: When documenting a referral in a client's case management record, which information is MOST important to include?
- The counselor's personal opinion about the referral agency
- The reason for the referral, agency contacted, client's response, and follow-up plan (Correct answer)
- Only the name of the agency and date of the call
- A detailed description of the agency's treatment philosophy
Correct answer: The reason for the referral, agency contacted, client's response, and follow-up plan
Thorough referral documentation includes clinical rationale, contact details, client response, and follow-up steps to ensure continuity and accountability.
Question 3: A newly referred client states they were mandated to treatment by the court. The case manager should INITIALLY focus on:
- Informing the court of the client's lack of motivation
- Building therapeutic rapport and assessing the client's perspective on their substance use (Correct answer)
- Refusing to work with the client until they show genuine motivation
- Immediately beginning intensive substance use education
Correct answer: Building therapeutic rapport and assessing the client's perspective on their substance use
Building rapport and conducting a genuine assessment of the client's perspective is foundational, as mandated clients can achieve positive outcomes when engagement is prioritized.
Question 4: The term 'warm handoff' in case management refers to:
- Mailing a referral letter to the receiving provider
- Directly introducing the client to the receiving provider to ensure a smooth transition (Correct answer)
- Providing the client with a list of resources to contact on their own
- Closing a case after all treatment goals are achieved
Correct answer: Directly introducing the client to the receiving provider to ensure a smooth transition
A warm handoff involves a direct, facilitated introduction between the client and the receiving provider to reduce the risk of the client falling through the cracks.
Question 5: A client with substance use disorder reports a history of trauma. According to trauma-informed care principles, the case manager should:
- Avoid discussing trauma to prevent re-traumatization during the intake process
- Recognize the impact of trauma and ensure services are delivered in a safe, trustworthy manner (Correct answer)
- Refer the client exclusively to a trauma specialist and discontinue substance use services
- Document the trauma history but proceed with standard treatment without modifications
Correct answer: Recognize the impact of trauma and ensure services are delivered in a safe, trustworthy manner
Trauma-informed care requires recognizing trauma's pervasive impact and embedding safety, trustworthiness, and empowerment into all service delivery.
Question 6: A client's case management plan should be updated when:
- Only at the mandatory annual review date
- There is a significant change in the client's clinical status, needs, or goals (Correct answer)
- The counselor completes a training that introduces new treatment approaches
- The client requests a copy of their records
Correct answer: There is a significant change in the client's clinical status, needs, or goals
The treatment and case management plan should be revised whenever there is a significant change in the client's circumstances, progress, or clinical needs.
Question 7: Which community resource would be MOST appropriate to address a client's transportation barrier to attending outpatient treatment?
- Crisis stabilization unit
- Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services (Correct answer)
- Inpatient psychiatric hospitalization
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Correct answer: Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services
Medicaid NEMT services provide covered transportation for eligible clients to attend medically necessary appointments, directly addressing the transportation barrier.
CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Case Management and Referrals 4
A client in intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) reports a relapse to alcohol use.
The case manager's FIRST priority should be to: