An Interactive Community About Addictions and Recoveries
What exactly is non-compliance?
The following is an entry I just posted to my NYU Social Worker blog. I'd love for some feedback from this community.
This afternoon during a case conference a discussion ensued as to what exactly is the role of an outpatient AOD treatment program. Of course I was the one to push the issue. There were a few clients who were being described as non-compliant with the program--not in terms of their AOD use but in terms of their attendance. In fact they'd all been testing drug free for months and one up to a year but as part of their parole/probation, they were ordered to treatment. Both clients had unexcused absences for more than 30 days on and off over a period of several months. I'm not saying these people were angels and working hard at recovery, in fact they could be the opposite, but is it our job to get them to "behave" or get them free from their addiction? It seems to me social workers are being asked to act as POs and COs not clinicians. Are AOD treatment providers obligated to change behavior? If these individuals had used during this period of time and missed as many days of the program as they had, we could refer them to a higher level of care, but if they test negative and do not attend as often as WE'd like them to, what is our obligation? And is our obligation to parole/probation or the client? We're taught to meet the client where they are at, what exactly does that look like with mandated clients? Just because they're mandated doesn't mean they won't change or get better, but what if they don't?
I'd love to have some feedback on this.
Also the below URL will take you to a medscape article on compliance. According to a 2003 World Health Organization (WHO) study 50% of patient's are non-compliant with medication and perhaps more in regard to behavioral change. It seems those of us in AOD treatment are being asked for better stats than those! Fair?
This afternoon during a case conference a discussion ensued as to what exactly is the role of an outpatient AOD treatment program. Of course I was the one to push the issue. There were a few clients who were being described as non-compliant with the program--not in terms of their AOD use but in terms of their attendance. In fact they'd all been testing drug free for months and one up to a year but as part of their parole/probation, they were ordered to treatment. Both clients had unexcused absences for more than 30 days on and off over a period of several months. I'm not saying these people were angels and working hard at recovery, in fact they could be the opposite, but is it our job to get them to "behave" or get them free from their addiction? It seems to me social workers are being asked to act as POs and COs not clinicians. Are AOD treatment providers obligated to change behavior? If these individuals had used during this period of time and missed as many days of the program as they had, we could refer them to a higher level of care, but if they test negative and do not attend as often as WE'd like them to, what is our obligation? And is our obligation to parole/probation or the client? We're taught to meet the client where they are at, what exactly does that look like with mandated clients? Just because they're mandated doesn't mean they won't change or get better, but what if they don't?
I'd love to have some feedback on this.
Also the below URL will take you to a medscape article on compliance. According to a 2003 World Health Organization (WHO) study 50% of patient's are non-compliant with medication and perhaps more in regard to behavioral change. It seems those of us in AOD treatment are being asked for better stats than those! Fair?
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