Chemical Dependency Counselor CCDC Exam Chemical Dependency Counselor Assessment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In case conceptualization, a counselor identifies that a client uses alcohol to cope with social anxiety. This represents which type of functional analysis?
- Identifying triggers, behaviors, and consequences (Correct answer)
- Diagnosing a co-occurring disorder
- Applying the disease model of addiction
- Implementing a contingency management plan
Correct answer: Identifying triggers, behaviors, and consequences
Functional analysis maps antecedents (triggers), behaviors (use), and consequences to understand the function substance use serves.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'dual diagnosis'?
- A client who has used two different substances simultaneously
- Co-occurrence of a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder (Correct answer)
- A client receiving two concurrent evidence-based treatments
- A second addiction developing after initial recovery
Correct answer: Co-occurrence of a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder
Dual diagnosis refers to the simultaneous presence of a substance use disorder and a psychiatric condition such as depression or PTSD.
Question 3: When a counselor notices a strong negative personal reaction toward a client, the ethical response is to:
- Transfer the client immediately without discussion
- Ignore the reaction and proceed with treatment as normal
- Seek clinical supervision to explore the countertransference (Correct answer)
- Disclose the reaction fully to the client during session
Correct answer: Seek clinical supervision to explore the countertransference
Seeking supervision to process countertransference protects both the therapeutic relationship and the quality of care.
Question 4: The ASAM Criteria are used primarily to:
- Diagnose substance use disorders according to DSM-5 standards
- Determine the appropriate level of care for a client (Correct answer)
- Assess withdrawal risk using a standardized scale
- Establish billing codes for SUD treatment services
Correct answer: Determine the appropriate level of care for a client
The ASAM Criteria provide a multidimensional framework for matching clients to the appropriate level of care from detox to outpatient.
Question 5: A client expresses that they want to stop using heroin but their spouse actively uses. Which counseling domain does this primarily address?
- Case management
- Client education
- Crisis intervention
- Individual counseling focused on environmental supports (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Individual counseling focused on environmental supports
The client's recovery environment is a critical barrier, making it a focus of individual counseling around social supports and risk factors.
Question 6: Which evidence-based practice is specifically designed to help clients identify and change thought patterns that support substance use?
- 12-Step Facilitation
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (Correct answer)
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy
- Contingency Management
Correct answer: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT targets maladaptive cognitions and behaviors directly linked to substance use through structured skill-building.
Question 7: A client discloses they have been sober for 90 days and is now attending fewer sessions. The counselor's best response is to:
- Immediately schedule additional mandatory sessions
- Explore the client's reasoning and collaboratively review the treatment plan (Correct answer)
- Discharge the client since they appear to be doing well
- Contact the client's family to discuss the change
Correct answer: Explore the client's reasoning and collaboratively review the treatment plan
Collaboratively reviewing the treatment plan respects client autonomy while ensuring continued support aligns with recovery goals.
Chemical Dependency Counselor CCDC Exam Chemical Dependency Counselor Assessment 3
In case conceptualization, a counselor identifies that a client uses alcohol to cope with social anxiety.
This represents which type of functional analysis?