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Assessment instruments used by addictions counselors.

Article Excerpt
The Association for Assessment in Counseling's Committee on Assessment and Training in Addictions Counseling conducted a survey of Master Addictions Counselors (MACs) certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors. The intent of the survey was to identify which standardized assessment instruments were most frequently used by MACs and perceived to be most important in their substance abuse practices. This article describes survey results and provides training and practice recommendations.

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Despite an abundant literature base reporting both the importance of assessment instruments within the counseling process and the multiple benefits of using assessment instruments to establish pertinent client-relevant treatment goals (Donovan, 1992; Doweiko, 1996; Evans, 1998; Juhnke, 1995; Lewis, Dana, & Blevins, 1988; Nelson & Neufeldt, 1996; Vacc, 1982; Vacc & Juhnke, 1997), no articles in the Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling have addressed the frequency with which addictions counselors use such instruments or the perception of importance addictions counselors place on specific standardized assessment instruments. The current study was designed to determine which standardized assessment instruments were (a) used most frequently by Master Addictions Counselors (MACs), and (b) perceived to be important to MACs when assessing alcohol and other drug (AOD) abusing clients. The results, as well as training and practice recommendations, are discussed in the following section.

Participants

Participants selected for this study were certified as Master Addictions Counselors by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). The MAC certification minimally requires a master's degree in counseling or related professional field and 3 years of post-master's addictions counseling experience. The mean participants' age was 48.6 years (SD = 7.94, range = 29-73 years). One hundred and seventy-five participants (50%) were male, 173 (49%) were female. Three hundred and twelve (89%) were European American, 12 (3%) were African American, 7 (2%) were Hispanic, 6 (2%) were Native American, 6 (2%) reported being "other," and 2 (1%) were Asian.

The majority of participants reported having master's or educational specialist's degrees (n = 276; 79%). Seventy-three participants (21%) had doctoral degrees; 1 participant did not report degree status. Eighty-eight (25%) participants had received their highest degree within the last 6 years, and 259 (74%) had received their highest degree 7 or more years prior to survey participation. Two hundred and seventy-two (78%) participants noted they had completed at least one basic testing and assessment course. Seventy participants (22%) had completed addictions-specific assessment training. In addition, 291 (83%) participants were licensed professional counselors.

Participants were...

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