CFC CFC Substance Abuse & Addiction in Forensic Settings 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which screening tool is most commonly used in forensic settings to identify alcohol use disorders?
- AUDIT (Correct answer)
- PHQ-9
- PCL-5
- GAF
Correct answer: AUDIT
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is widely used in forensic and criminal justice settings to screen for alcohol use disorders.
Question 2: A forensic counselor working with a drug court client should prioritize which approach when a relapse occurs?
- Immediately recommend incarceration
- View relapse as part of recovery and adjust the treatment plan (Correct answer)
- Discharge the client from drug court
- Refer the client to a different counselor
Correct answer: View relapse as part of recovery and adjust the treatment plan
In drug court settings, relapse is understood as a component of the recovery process, and the counselor should use it as a clinical opportunity to refine the treatment plan.
Question 3: Which pharmacotherapy is FDA-approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder in incarcerated individuals?
- Disulfiram
- Naltrexone (extended-release injectable) (Correct answer)
- Bupropion
- Methadone only in outpatient clinics
Correct answer: Naltrexone (extended-release injectable)
Extended-release injectable naltrexone (Vivitrol) is FDA-approved for opioid use disorder and can be administered in correctional settings without the regulatory restrictions of methadone.
Question 4: The term 'co-occurring disorders' in forensic counseling refers to:
- Multiple criminal charges filed simultaneously
- A substance use disorder combined with a mental health disorder (Correct answer)
- Two or more probation violations occurring together
- Simultaneous enrollment in two treatment programs
Correct answer: A substance use disorder combined with a mental health disorder
Co-occurring disorders (also called dual diagnosis) describes the presence of both a substance use disorder and a psychiatric mental health disorder in the same individual.
Question 5: Which motivational technique is most appropriate when a forensic client is in the pre-contemplation stage of change?
- Assign homework to practice abstinence skills
- Enroll client immediately in intensive outpatient treatment
- Raise awareness about the consequences of substance use without confrontation (Correct answer)
- Develop a formal relapse prevention plan
Correct answer: Raise awareness about the consequences of substance use without confrontation
Clients in pre-contemplation are not yet considering change, so the counselor should build awareness and plant seeds of concern using reflective listening rather than action-oriented tasks.
Question 6: Under which legal doctrine can a forensic counselor be held liable for failing to warn authorities that a client plans to harm another person?
- Tarasoff doctrine (Correct answer)
- Brady doctrine
- Miranda doctrine
- McNaughton rule
Correct answer: Tarasoff doctrine
The Tarasoff duty-to-warn doctrine requires mental health and forensic counselors to take reasonable steps to protect an identifiable potential victim when a client makes a credible threat.
CFC CFC Substance Abuse & Addiction in Forensic Settings 1
Which screening tool is most commonly used in forensic settings to identify alcohol use disorders?