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The Social Models
Resources
• For this assignment, imagine you are a family therapist working in an addictive behavior treatment program. Select one of the case studies to represent your “client,” who is seeking help from your program. You can use one that you used in the previous assignments, or you can choose to use a different one.
Assignment Instructions
Complete the following sections for this assignment:
• Introduction —In this section of the paper:
• Identify the client from the case study and briefly summarize the client’s demographic characteristics and addictive behavior history that are relevant to the social models of addiction. This section sets the stage for the next sections.
• Applications of Social Models —In this section:
• Apply your understanding of one or more of the social models of addiction (such as family systems and mutual-help groups) to your client. Do client demographics and history suggest that your client would benefit from a social model of addiction? Based on your interpretation, what social model treatment strategies might you recommend for this client?
• Sociocultural Factors and the Social Models— In this section:
• Describe how sociocultural factors (family structure, family roles, family systems, peer influence, community support) affect the client’s addictive behavior from the perspective of the social models. Does the media present social models of addiction with the same support shown to the medical, pharmaceutical, and recovery industries?
• Describe sociocultural factors that may contribute to the addictive behavior as well as factors that may be helpful in overcoming the addiction from the perspective of the social models of addiction.
• Sociocultural Factors and Professional Development —Finally, in this section:
• Describe how awareness of sociocultural factors affects your professional development. How have your professional beliefs been affected by media portrayals of the disease model? Do you believe race, education, economic status, or neighborhood quality affect one’s chances of becoming addicted? Do you believe family structure, family roles, family systems, peer pressure, and community support affect one’s chances of becoming addicted, or recovering from addiction? How might the adoption of a specific model of addiction (disease, psychological, social) affect your chances for employment as an addiction professional? Provide examples to support your best critical thinking.
Assignment Requirements
• Length : The paper should be 3–4 pages, excluding the title page and resources page.
• References : Throughout your paper, apply relevant research findings from scholarly literature using in-text citations to support your reasoning. Include references for each of your citations in a separate reference page at the end of your paper.
CASE STUDY
DEMOGRAPHICS AND COMORBIDITY
28–year–old single Caucasian female, never married, chronic history of physical and sexual abuse by men, diagnosed with Post–Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS
Unemployed, lives in a poorly maintained government–subsidized housing project. Receives disability payments for mental health issues. Graduated high school with good grades but never pursued further education. No contact with parents or siblings, who live out of state. No religious affiliation.
ADDICTION HISTORY
Began drinking alcohol in high school with peers, alcohol use increased when abuse from boyfriends began, eventually tried crack cocaine and began a vicious cycle of crack use and further exploitation and abuse by men when under the influence or seeking drugs.
TREATMENT HISTORY
No previous treatment history for addictive behavior.
REASON FOR SEEKING TREATMENT
Ended up in emergency room of local hospital after being beaten and sexually abused when attempting to trade sex for crack. Referred to treatment by hospital social worker.
