CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Screening and Assessment Techniques 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The DAST-10 (Drug Abuse Screening Test) was adapted from which original instrument?
- CAGE questionnaire
- AUDIT
- MAST (Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test) (Correct answer)
- ASI
Correct answer: MAST (Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test)
Harvey Skinner developed the DAST-10 by adapting items from the MAST to screen for drug abuse rather than alcohol.
Question 2: A counselor is assessing a client's social support network. This information is most critical for which aspect of treatment planning?
- Determining diagnosis
- Identifying relapse risk and protective factors (Correct answer)
- Calculating severity scores on the ASI
- Deciding on pharmacotherapy options
Correct answer: Identifying relapse risk and protective factors
Social support is a key protective factor; its absence or the presence of substance-using peers is a major relapse risk that shapes the treatment plan.
Question 3: In substance use assessment, the term 'polysubstance use' refers to:
- Using the same substance multiple times per day
- Using two or more substances, which complicates assessment and treatment (Correct answer)
- A pattern of use limited to prescription medications
- A diagnosis exclusive to opioid and alcohol combinations
Correct answer: Using two or more substances, which complicates assessment and treatment
Polysubstance use involves concurrent or sequential use of multiple substances, requiring broader screening and more complex treatment planning.
Question 4: Which of the following is a key difference between a screening tool and a comprehensive assessment in substance use counseling?
- Screening is always done by physicians; assessment is done by counselors
- Screening identifies possible problems quickly; assessment provides detailed clinical information for diagnosis and treatment planning (Correct answer)
- Assessment is shorter and less formal than screening
- Screening requires laboratory tests; assessment does not
Correct answer: Screening identifies possible problems quickly; assessment provides detailed clinical information for diagnosis and treatment planning
Screening is a rapid process to identify individuals who may have a problem, while assessment is an in-depth evaluation that informs diagnosis and individualized treatment planning.
Question 5: A client discloses that they drink to cope with anxiety and have difficulty stopping once they start. According to DSM-5, these behaviors most likely represent which diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder?
- Tolerance and withdrawal
- Craving and unsuccessful efforts to cut down (Correct answer)
- Continued use despite social problems and role failure
- Hazardous use and physical hazard
Correct answer: Craving and unsuccessful efforts to cut down
Drinking to manage emotions (craving/cue-reactivity) and inability to stop once started (loss of control) align with DSM-5 AUD criteria related to craving and failed attempts to cut down.
Question 6: When using a structured interview format for substance use assessment, the primary advantage over unstructured interviews is:
- It builds rapport more effectively
- It allows more flexibility in questioning
- It ensures consistency, reliability, and completeness across clients (Correct answer)
- It is faster to administer
Correct answer: It ensures consistency, reliability, and completeness across clients
Structured interviews follow a standardized format, improving inter-rater reliability and ensuring all critical domains are consistently covered.
Question 7: Which assessment instrument measures treatment motivation specifically and is often used alongside the ASI to guide treatment matching?
- SOCRATES (Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale) (Correct answer)
- CAGE-AID
- AUDIT-C
- CIWA-Ar
Correct answer: SOCRATES (Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale)
SOCRATES quantifies a client's recognition of a problem, ambivalence, and readiness to take action, making it useful for treatment matching alongside severity measures like the ASI.
CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Screening and Assessment Techniques 4
The DAST-10 (Drug Abuse Screening Test) was adapted from which original instrument?