Free Essay

Clinical Interview

In:

Submitted By mazzanja
Words 1700
Pages 7
Interview: Ava Solomon-Mazzanti, Ph.D, Palmetto Treatment Facility
Jennifer Mazzanti
Grand Canyon University

Introduction
Palmetto Recovery Center is located in Rayville, Louisiana and has been featured on the television program Intervention on the A&E network. The main facility is located twenty miles west of Monroe, Louisiana on seventy acres on Lake Lafouche. There are eight cabins, where men and women are housed separately, along with a physical fitness center, and a pavilion used for education and lectures. The main lodge houses offices and examination rooms. Palmetto has recreational facilities for tennis, volleyball, and fishing. All information about this facility and its programs were obtained from the facility’s web site and my interview with Ava Solomon-Mazzanti, Ph.D who is a therapist at Palmetto. This facility has a staff which includes five medical professionals and eleven clinical staff members. The program at this facility is based on the Twelve Step model of Alcoholics Anonymous which believes that addiction is a physical/mental malady that requires a spiritual solution. Addictions issues are addressed through therapy sessions, education, and the twelve step process. Along with drug and alcohol, special issues such as gambling and sexual addiction can be addressed as well. Palmetto accepts private insurance, third party carriers, and direct payment for services. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement are not accepted.
The program at Palmetto has been providing treatment services for eighteen years and over eight hundred people have gone through the inpatient program. Palmetto can accommodate eighty-five to ninety patients in the inpatient program and ten to fifteen patients in each of the outpatient programs. Progress through the program is done in four phases. Phase one is based on step one a (of the AA/NA twelve step program), Phase two is based on step two and step three, Phase three on step three and four, and Phase four on step four and five. During each Phase assignments are given to intensify the concept of the step being studied. Completion of steps four and five (Phase four) is mandatory for graduation from the program.
Evaluation and Program Information Palmetto treatment facility’s purpose, as stated in their brochure and on their web page, is twofold: 1.To provide treatment that is effective and cost efficient, 2. To provide treatment for people of all walks of life, including a special program for impaired healthcare professionals. Palmetto provides treatment for alcohol and drug addiction through residential, day residential, and intensive outpatient programs. The treatment approach at the Palmetto focuses on individual needs beginning with an accurate evaluation of patient’s symptoms and living situation. A medical examination is given to identify physical problems that may have resulted from substance abuse and to treat concurrent medical conditions. The next step in the evaluation process is a psychosocial and substance abuse examination in order to identify issues that must be addressed in treating the individual and their family. If indicated by a prior phase of the evaluation process, a psychiatric examination and psychological testing will be included in the evaluation process so that any concurrent psychiatric issues may be addressed. When all phases of the evaluation process are complete, an individual treatment plan is created for the patient based upon all information. The determination of a need for detoxification services is done during the evaluation process. If these services are needed, the majority of patients can be provided these services in at Palmetto, unless the individual is determined to be medically unstable. In cases of medical instability, the individual is referred to a local hospital remaining under the care of Palmetto. The treatment program at Palmetto utilizes group, individual, and family therapy sessions which facilitate constructive confrontation to face core issues of shame. In addition to therapy sessions, twelve step meetings are held daily and attendance is mandatory for patients. Medication is used in the treatment process if determined to be medically necessary by the attending physician. The environment at Palmetto encourages basic living skills, non addictive coping skills, recognition of character defects, and development of a not self-centered and spiritual approach to life. Each facet of the treatment program is designed to help the client learn what drives addiction and to manage their response to this drive. Self management is gained through education, cognitive restructuring, emotive therapy, and learning to be addiction free by relating to themselves and to others in a healthy way. Daily meeting are held each morning by the multi-disciplinary staff members to evaluate progress and to update treatment plans. The goal of treatment at this facility is to give every client the opportunity to develop coping skills for building a long term, abstinence-based, self-sustained recovery which takes place in three areas: Physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Treatment Programs Residential treatment, also know as inpatient treatment, is based upon the therapeutic community model. Clients in this program learn to work together as a drug free community with the goal of problem solving. Education and therapy are used in carefully planned weeks. Clients in the residential program have no predetermined length of stay; rather the four phase system is utilized. Each phase has specific assignments pertaining to the NA/AA steps which must be completed before advancing to the next phase, as well as behavioral, emotional, and spiritual changes. Ninety days is the recommended length of stay in the residential treatment program. The Day treatment program is for those individuals who have advanced to at least Phase three of their treatment program. These clients reside at the Palmetto facility from nine a. m. until five p. m., Monday through Friday. Weekends can be spent at home. These clients are still required to attend a twelve step meeting daily. Patients who have completed an inpatient or an outpatient treatment program may be eligible to reside in the facility’s Recovery Home program. Patients in this program must be referred by a chemical dependency professional or a sponsor from either Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous who can verify the patient’s participation in a twelve step group for at least thirty days. These residents must be employed or gain employment within two weeks of entry into the program. These individuals are also required to attend twelve step meetings. The intensive outpatient program is used as either a primary treatment program or a transitional treatment program following a residential treatment program. The outpatient program is based on a theory of addiction as a chronic, progressive, and potentially fatal disease. The length of participation in the program is based upon the individual’s needs and assessments from their counselor and physician but is generally six to eight weeks. The program addresses substance abuse and if needed co-occurring psychological disorders. The client participates three evenings a week to allow the maintaining of employment or education status. Clients live at home during the treatment program. The twelve step model is utilized in this program and education is provided on substance abuse and relapse prevention. Outpatient services are provided at facilities located in Monroe, Lafayette, and Alexandria, Louisiana. As with the residential program, ninety days is the recommended length of participation for clients. All patients are assessed using the same format as the residential program. The Professional Recovery Program focuses on the special needs of professionals, which may include (but is not limited to) healthcare professionals, attorneys, veterinarian. Through the use of meetings, this program is centered on care giving, work place and career issues, professional ethics, self image, and restoration of a balanced lifestyle. These meetings offer advice, support, and sober modeling from recovering individuals. Updates of progress are sent weekly to monitoring and licensing agencies, and to referral services. This program can boast a ninety percent success rate. Family counseling is integrated into all addiction intervention programs at Palmetto. With the goal of strengthening family relationships and empowerment for the client and their family, both are give the tools to resolve present and future problems cooperatively. Family is contacted within the first forty-eight hours of the patient being admitted to the program to discuss the individual’s therapy plan and treatment goals, as well as reducing confrontation and frustration with the patient’s behavior, and to increase family support for the individual not only while they are in the program, but as a lifelong process. The educational process for the family includes phone conferences throughout the patient’s stay, intensive weekends of five hours duration (which include education) that continue Monday with intense group therapy conducted by the patient’s therapist and homework assignments. Ava Solomon-Mazzanti Ph.D. is a licensed therapist at Palmetto recovery facility. She obtained a Master’s degree in Substance abuse counseling from University of Louisiana at Monroe. Her Doctorate degree in community counseling was obtained Mississippi State University. For the past thirteen years she has worked with dual diagnosis patients, the last eight of which were at Palmetto. Dr. Solomon-Mazzanti pursued this profession to help others to avoid the same mistakes she had made through the insight she has gained in her fifteen years of recovery. She considers seeing the transformation of the lives of others as the most satisfying aspect of her profession; the most frustrating aspect is the breaking through the denial and the codependency of family members. She would recommend Palmetto as a treatment facility because of the intensity of the program in following the Alcoholics Anonymous philosophy, the behavioral techniques used, the involvement of family, and challenge to the patients to become self-sufficient, accountable, and “sober”. Dr. Solomon-Mazzanti considers an individual’s return to relationships with people who are using drugs and or alcohol to be the biggest barrier to success. Compassion, empathy, and the ability to engage the individual and build up trust with the goal of being able to confront them effectively without being critical or insulting, are the attributes she considers needed for anyone considering pursuing this type of career.
Contact information: Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center 86 Palmetto Road, Rayville, Louisiana 71269 www.palmettocenter.com Email: info@palmettocenter.com 318-728-2970 or 1-800-203-6612 Ava Solomon-Mazzanti 318-366-3789 www.interventionamazzanti.webs.com

References
Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center (2011). Retrieved from: www.palmettocenter.com
Solomon-Mazzanti, A. (personal communication, November, 2011).

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Clinical Interview

...Clinical Interview Author Institution Purpose of the clinical Interview Typically, an initial clinical interview is the first step towards developing the initial DSM-IV-TR diagnosis and treatment plan for a mentally troubled person. This interview follows an unstructured format of clinical interviews. The unstructured interview format has often been criticized for its shortcoming but researchers (Craig, 2003; Miller, 2003) assert the importance of the initial interviews to psychiatrists as a critical tool in diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. The interview is a typical assessment procedure which involves collection and integration of a patient’s data. It remains the single most used tool among clinicians and practitioners due to its flexibility (Miller, 2003). The unstructured clinical interview is considered flexible because it does not follow any standardized format. This interview will therefore follow an unstructured format to recognize diagnostic clues. The interview will also use diagnostic questioning throughout the clinical assessment for purposes of making a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis. How will the purpose be achieved? The underlying challenge for every clinician is to interview for diagnosis is to sound more conversant with all possible symptoms and to avoid being sidetracked by unnecessary information. To achieve that purpose the clinician must be able to listen for diagnostic clues as well as watch out for symptoms and signs of DSM-IV-TR (APA,...

Words: 1075 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Clinical Interview Questions

...Clinical Interview Questions: Ten questions you would ask to learn more about a person’s problems, feelings, relationships, and background. The questions asked depend heavily on the nature of the client’s problem(s) (why they are there). Getting people to open up at any age can be a long and difficult process. Using a direct approach (to a point) is best because I believe many people who see a psychologist know why they are there. Many clients do not realize past events and childhood plays a large role in the way people are and can be to blame for many different problems in one’s life. Building a rapport with your client makes the client more comfortable so they will not hold back valuable information and in hopes help overcome life problems. Tell me about yourself- 1) Why are you here? (ex: my Mom/Husband made me...) 2) Why are you here now, instead of before this time in your life? 3) How long have your “symptoms” been happening- are they worsening? 4) What have you tried to do about your symptoms? (Drugs, alcohol…) 5) Thoughts of suicide/homicide or hurting yourself or others? 6) Do you have good relationships regarding, friends, co-workers, family, and possible spouse? 7) Do you take any medications prescribed to you? If so, what are they? 8) Tell me about your family/childhood, any abuse? (Physical, sexual, verbal) 9) Are you happy with your job/schooling? 10) What do you hope to make of these meetings with me? psy/270 week...

Words: 256 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Grantwriter Reflection Paper

...For a start, the purpose of this paper is to give the reader an appreciation of how the interview with a Grantwriter started and how it transitioned into a detailed conversation as validated in the audio recording. While on the subject of audio recording and confidentiality, it was requested by the interviewee that the voluntary information shared be used only as a learning instrument for the sole purposes of only the interviewer (Student – Ben Escobal) and the grading professor of this document (Dr. Hoefer). In addition, I will be sharing my thoughts/opinions as it is applicable to this assignment from the gathered beneficial information I acquired by actively listening to the interviewee passionately communicate her past and current experiences....

Words: 905 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Heather Sumrall Observation Paper

...BEHAVIOR OBSERVATION: Mrs. Heather Sumrall was well dressed, Married 34, Caucasian female who was present for interview and testing in a timely manner. She presented herself and forthright manner with no indication of misrepresenting her history or psychological complaints. Mrs. Sumrall was alert and oriented. Her speech was clear, logical and goal directed. Her mood was bright with congruent affect. She seemed to have good awareness and motivation to make positive changes in her life for weight management. PERSONAL HISTORY: Mrs. Heather Sumrall is the older of two children born to her biological parents. She was raised in a rural area at the middle-income level. Her parents separated when she was 6 to 7 years of age. Her father left her mother...

Words: 1109 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Yup Yup

...development used a population of 144 1 to 2-yearold children. 75% of the families agreed to participate. These families came from a variety of different backgrounds. As a result, there were a total of 124 participants who participated in the process of research. The participants were recruited from the waiting lists for public child care in different areas of Gothenburg. b. b. The data collected for this study was done most at the University of Gothenburg. At both age 25 to 29, participants were contacted by telephone to schedule an interview at the University. At age 25, 12 participants were interviewed at their homes and 2 in hotel lobbies. At age 29, 6participants were interviewed at another Swedish University, 5 were interviewed in her workplace, and 6 participants who were unable to meet were interviewed over skype or the telephone. c. c. They used different forms of interview such as the “background interview”. The background interview consists...

Words: 1358 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Social Work Reflective Essay

...however, able to interview my internship supervisor who is the youth services program coordinator at Mansfield Youth Services. Even though Pat is a clinical psychologist who works with at-risk youth instead of military youth, I do aspire to be a youth services program coordinator, so she was the perfect choice....

Words: 925 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Qi Plan 1

...This paper will cover the Data Display, Measurement and Reporting of patient education. Part 1: Data Collection Tools Explain data needed to monitor improvements. A baseline of the understanding of the subject educated on should be obtained to have a point of view of the success the patient has obtained. The time in which the patient takes to convey the understanding of information is monitor to know that the goal is being met. Explain at least three data collection tools you can use to collect performance information. * Questionnaires is a great tool for question and other prompts in gathering information from patient. The response will allow for a measurement of understand of material and direction (Bilinski, 2004). * Interviews of patients can have open ended question in which the patient feels comfortable enough to share some information that...

Words: 1302 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Thematic Analysis Transcript

...All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed Verbatim for thematic analysis. Three members of the research (HM, CW and CS) team independently read and re-read each transcript in order to achieve as broad an understanding of the content as possible. A thematic analysis was conducted using open coding and then axial coding and, in keeping with Grounded Theory, no pre-specified hypotheses were established. As the concepts arose, the three researchers, in the margins of each transcript, independently coded them. Among the various key concepts uncovered in the transcripts were: “time,” “conflict,” “concern,” “prioritization,” “defer,” “evidence-based,” “impacts,” “benefits,” “prevention visit,” Non-prevention visit,” “time consuming,” “ easy...

Words: 1430 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Life Interview Research Paper

...Life Interview is he was very close to my grandpa. My grandpa and he grew up together in the same place. My grandpa and he shared similar kind of childhood. Unfortunately, I lost my grandpa two years ago, so I wanted to interview him and listen his memories which will help me to remember my grandpa. This would be interesting and I will get to know more about him and my grandpa childhood life. L.K is a 78-year-old Asian male living with his family in Irving, Texas. He was born in Nepal and immigrate to the United States in 2010. L.K. has one brother and two sisters. He was the oldest son in the family. He was from a small village in Nepal and was a farmer. He never went to school due to the poor family background. L.K. started working on the farm since he was small. He has two sons and one daughter. L.K. wife died five years ago due to stroke. Now he is living with his youngest son in Dallas.  L.K mention his childhood was not that happy compared to other people. His childhood was very short, as the responsibility of the family came to him at an early age. Since he was the oldest son in the family, all the responsibility was on his shoulder. He had to take care of his...

Words: 1809 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

How to Pass the Interview

...TE AM FL Y FEARLESS INTERVIEWING How to Win the Job by Communicating with Confidence Marky Stein McGraw-Hill New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2003 by Marky Stein. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 0-07-141572-6 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-140884-3. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at george_hoare@mcgraw-hill.com or (212) 904-4069. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“McGraw-Hill”) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this...

Words: 39907 - Pages: 160

Free Essay

Online Interviewing

...2014). There are several benefits to the use of online interviewing. Online interviewing allows for the extension of clinical resources beyond geographical or physical boundaries. Like our online courses, online interviewing also allows for flexibility in scheduling. Because interview sessions are conducted online, I also feel that online interviewing has the potential to reduce stigma that others may feel as a result of having to go to a counseling office. I personally have mixed emotions about the use of online interviewing. As mentioned above, I feel that the greatest benefit of online interviewing is the versatility of where and when it can be used. Essentially, anyone who has access to computer and internet has the possibility of engaging in counseling. However, I feel that there are a lot of risks to using online counseling. There are obvious concerns such as security, knowing who you are talking to, or what to do in an emergency situation. However, I feel that more subtle nuances found in face to face interviewing are lost as well. For example, I am the kind of person who overanalyzes what I write or say. I tend to erase and retype information often. In asynchronous online relationships, this would allow me the opportunity to edit the information that I shared based on how I wanted it to be perceived. Although I could obviously lie in a clinical interview as well, a counselor may be more likely to notice signs of discomfort or avoidance behaviors, and it would be more difficult...

Words: 425 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Women

...Sample Interview Questions with Suggested Ways of Answering Q. Tell me about yourself. A. This is the dreaded, classic, open-ended interview question and likely to be among the first. It's your chance to introduce your qualifications, good work habits, etc. Keep it mostly work and career related. Q. Why do you want to leave your current job? (Why did you leave your last job?) A. Be careful with this. Avoid trashing other employers and making statements like, "I need more money." Instead, make generic statements such as, "It's a career move." Q. What are your strengths? A. Point out your positive attributes related to the job. Q. What are your weaknesses? A. Everybody has weaknesses, but don't spend too much time on this one and keep it work related. Along with a minor weakness or two, try to point out a couple of weaknesses that the interviewer might see as strengths, such as sometimes being a little too meticulous about the quality of your work. (Avoid saying "I work too hard." It's a predictable, common answer.) For every weakness, offer a strength that compensates for it. Q. Which adjectives would you use to describe yourself? A. Answer with positive, work-oriented adjectives, such as conscientious, hard-working, honest and courteous, plus a brief description or example of why each fits you well. Q. What do you know about our company? A. To answer this one, research the company before you interview. Q. Why do you want to work for us? A. Same as above. Research the company...

Words: 896 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Culture Research

...Table of content Research Background 1 Culture Research 1 1. Consumer Culture: Nail Preference Culture 1 2. When and where were the observations/interviews done? 1 3. Consumer List 2 4. Consumer theory Analysis 2 5. Observation Outline and Question List for Interview. 7 6. Who is the target of this culture? (Both demographic and psychographic profile of the individuals) 7 7. Group Members and their contribution to the project 8 Appendix I 9 Nail Preference Culture of Female Consumers Research Background Since marketers successfully promote the slogan “It is women’s nature to be beauty”, it seems also well-explained a phenomenon why in current market female consumer exists huge growth potential to marketers to pay attention to it. In this research project, we are trying to explore the nail preference culture of female consumers and understand their potential behavior motivations. In order to get practical information from this group of consumers, we interviewed some consumers in Nail D’Amour nail salon store as well as its nail specialist. In addition, we used value – Utilitarian Value/Hedonic Value, Motivation – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and Decision Making Process Model these three theories to explain behavior and motivations of these consumers. According to the interviewing results, we found that this group of consumers love doing nail is mainly due to its Hedonic value which satisfies consumers’ emotional demands to make...

Words: 3400 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Interview Tips

...Job Interview Answer: What is Your Greatest Weakness? When you're asked what your greatest weakness is, try to turn a negative into a positive. For example, a sense of urgency to get projects completed or wanting to triple-check every item in a spreadsheet can be turned into a strength i.e. you are a candidate who will make sure that the project is done on time and your work will be close to perfect. Note that the term "weakness" isn't used in the sample answers - you always want to focus on the positive when interviewing. * When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule. * Being organized wasn't my strongest point, but I implemented a time management system that really helped my organization skills. * I like to make sure that my work is perfect, so I tend to perhaps spend a little too much time checking it. However, I've come to a good balance by setting up a system to ensure everything is done correctly the first time. * I used to wait until the last minute to set appointments for the coming week, but I realized that scheduling in advance makes much more sense. * I would say that I can be too much of a perfectionist in my work. Sometimes, I spend more time than necessary on a task, or take on tasks personally that could easily be delegated to someone else. Although I've never missed a deadline, it is still an effort for me to know when to move on to the next task...

Words: 1707 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Interviewing

...talent of winning people over in the first impression isn’t necessarily a natural gift. Just like anything thing in life, the more you practice, the better you get. The better you get, the benefits will become more and more apparent. Interviewing for a job is the most important part of the hiring process. Once you have succeeded in getting the interview, you have the opportunity to sell yourself and give them exactly what they are looking for in an employee. This is your time to shine and make sure that they know you are the one that they want. Whether it’s interviewing for a social club or organization, or for the job of your dreams, the skills you possess will carry you to success. There are simple techniques that are very important in the interviewing process. Eye contact is essential when you are communicating with anyone. Before meeting with the potential employer, do your research. Make sure you know about the company and what your position requires. This way you are able to have a vision of what is expected before meeting face to face. Knowing how to communicate effectively is the most important part of the interview. Non-verbal communication is much...

Words: 763 - Pages: 4