Screening and Assessment Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real CASAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Screening and Assessment Techniques flashcards as text
A counselor is assessing a client who minimizes their alcohol use and blames others for their problems. This defense mechanism is BEST addressed during assessment by:
Answer: Using motivational interviewing techniques to explore ambivalence
Motivational interviewing techniques create a non-confrontational environment that reduces defensiveness and helps clients explore their own ambivalence.
Which of the following is a key limitation of urine drug screening in a clinical assessment context?
Answer: It cannot distinguish between prescribed and illicit use of the same substance
Urine drug screens detect the presence of substances or metabolites but cannot determine whether a detected drug was prescribed and taken as directed or used illicitly.
The SASSI-3 (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory) is unique among screening tools because it:
Answer: Includes scales that identify substance use even when clients are defensive or deny use
The SASSI-3 includes subtle indirect scales that can identify substance use disorders even when clients deny or minimize use, making it valuable with defensive populations.
During an intake assessment, a client reports experiencing seizures when they stop drinking. This finding MOST urgently indicates:
Answer: A medically supervised detoxification setting
Alcohol withdrawal seizures signal severe physiological dependence, requiring medically supervised detox to prevent life-threatening withdrawal complications.
Which of the following best describes the purpose of using collateral information sources during a substance use assessment?
Answer: To verify and supplement the client's self-reported history
Collateral sources such as family members or prior treatment records supplement and help verify client self-report, improving assessment accuracy.
A counselor notices a client's AUDIT-C score has increased from 3 to 7 at a follow-up visit. This change MOST appropriately prompts the counselor to:
Answer: Conduct a full AUDIT and explore recent changes in drinking behavior
A significant increase in an AUDIT-C score warrants a full AUDIT administration and a clinical conversation to understand what has changed in the client's drinking pattern.
The concept of 'ecological validity' in addiction assessment refers to:
Answer: How well assessment findings reflect the client's real-world functioning and environment
Ecological validity refers to the degree to which assessment results accurately represent and predict the client's actual behavior and functioning in their real-life environment.