CADC Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CADC facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is the suicide risk for people receiving treatment for alcoholism? → Ten times as high as high among the general population
2. The Transtheoretical Model of behavior change was primarily developed by which researchers? → James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente
3. Which of the following is the MOST critical reason for a counselor to collaboratively involve the client in the treatment planning process? → To increase the client's motivation, engagement, and commitment to the recovery process.
4. Which stage of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) describes a person who is not yet considering change within the next six months? → Precontemplation
5. The primary clinical purpose of identifying early warning signs in a client's relapse prevention plan is: → To enable timely intervention before the situation escalates to a full relapse
6. A treatment plan should be considered a 'living document.' This means that the plan should be: → Regularly reviewed and modified based on the client's progress and changing needs.
7. Which of Yalom's therapeutic factors refers to group members helping each other and experiencing a sense of value by doing so? → Altruism
8. In Motivational Interviewing, 'change talk' refers to: → Client statements that favor movement toward change
9. What is 'process commentary' in group facilitation? → The facilitator drawing attention to group dynamics and patterns occurring in the room
10. During the working stage of group development, members typically: → Engage in deep self-disclosure and give meaningful feedback to each other
11. In group therapy, Yalom's therapeutic factor 'universality' refers to: → Members discovering that others share similar problems and feelings
12. What is the drug a mother can abuse during pregnancy that is the MOST harmful of the following? → Alcohol
13. The 'here and now' focus in group therapy is emphasized because it: → Allows the group to work with live interpersonal material as it unfolds in the room
14. The 'decisional balance' exercise in Motivational Interviewing is used to help clients: → Weigh the pros and cons of changing versus not changing
15. The primary goal of exploring ambivalence in Motivational Interviewing is to: → Help the client resolve mixed feelings and move toward change
16. When using a 'decision matrix' tool in relapse prevention, the counselor helps the client: → Compare the immediate and long-term consequences of using versus not using substances
17. What does a cutoff score mean when it comes to client screening? → The threshold above which a more thorough assessment is indicated
18. Reflective listening in Motivational Interviewing is best described as: → Making a statement that reflects the counselor's guess about what the client means
19. During the 'storming' stage of group development (Tuckman's model), the counselor's primary role is to: → Facilitate conflict management and reinforce group norms
20. What is the most common situation that depressants medications (such as alcohol, opiates, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines) are used to treat? → Stress
21. The FRAMES model used in brief interventions includes which of the following elements? → Feedback, Responsibility, Advice, Menu of options, Empathy, Self-efficacy
22. Which type of group in addiction treatment is specifically structured around 12-Step principles? → Mutual-help or self-help group
23. Which of the following BEST describes the primary purpose of screening in the context of substance use counseling? → To quickly identify the possible presence of a substance use problem.
24. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is clinically significant in relapse prevention because: → It can persist for months and sustain ongoing vulnerability to relapse
25. What factors are the main causes of adolescents' propensity for impulsivity and risk-taking? → Neurological immaturity
26. Irvin Yalom's approach to group therapy is primarily associated with which orientation? → Existential-humanistic and interpersonal therapy
27. When a group member consistently monopolizes conversation in a group session, the most appropriate facilitator response is to: → Gently redirect and invite other members to respond
28. Which of the following is a critical component of a collaborative suicide safety plan? → Identifying client-specific warning signs and internal coping strategies.
29. A comprehensive relapse prevention plan should include all of the following EXCEPT: → A guarantee that the client will never use substances again
30. A psychoeducational group in substance abuse treatment primarily aims to: → Provide information and teach skills related to recovery and relapse prevention