How is the Harm Reduction Model taught in substance abuse counseling degree programs?
The ultimate goal of all drug and alcohol treatment is to get individuals to the point where they can fully abstain from the use of any chemical substance. A harm reduction model is often followed when it is recognized that an addiction is so severe and has been so long-term that immediate abstinence- going cold turkey- isn’t a realistic expectation. Methadone prescriptions are offered as a form of harm reduction, usually with the expectation that the addicted individual will eventually be able to detox from the methadone and live a life free of any chemical agents. As addiction counseling degree programs will explore a very painful subject. For people who are elderly or extremely advanced in their addiction, sadly there may not be a realistic hope for a full recovery through abstinence. This is known to be one of the more difficult things about substance abuse counselor careers. This is often based on the fact that these people have become so infirm as a result of age or physical negl
