While social media certainly has its benefits as it relations to socialization and support within the addiction community, it also presents a dilemma to counselors and those who work in the treatment industry. With such a new medium, there is very little precedent as to the legal and ethical concerns around social media and active communication and dialogue with clients. In the age of “tell all” status updates those who are closest to an addict may be tempted to look into their lives, keeping abreast of the issues they face. However counselors and other employees also open their lives to their clients, which may create a blurred relationship – not to mention the potential for misunderstandings in the client counselor relationship and self-disclosure issues.

Ultimately it remains to be seen about how social media can and will affect the client counselor relationship. Until that point, it is up to the best judgment of each and every counselor as to how they wish to or not to use social media and the Internet in their treatment plan.

At every turn we are thrown for a loop, experiencing new challenges that require creativity and thought to get past. Clients cooperate, others don’t – there are just too many factors to account for everything. And that is what makes a counselor so important – the ability to modify course when the situation requires it.

Ultimately, we have to let go of the notion that there is a best or perfect treatment plan for everyone. This requires a certain self-knowledge and even selflessness in knowing that we cannot possibly know everything all the time. Sometimes we may not even be the right counselor for our client and we have to defer to someone else’s skills or abilities. What’s best is the treatment plan that allows us, as professionals, to offer the client what we believe to be the most effective way to treat a very complicated chronic disease. This is not just a concept we learn in class as we work towards becoming a licensed professional – rather this concept of doing what’s best for the client is something that must live at the very core of our work and thoughts.

Following a principled and client-focused treatment plan will help our clients and let us enjoy our very important job.

1. Gather information about the different certifications and what they can do for you. Certifications such as the Certified Behavioral Health Technician can offer techs a path toward a management role at a treatment center. The CBHT course is relatively short and has the fewest requirements of any of the certifications we offer. CAP, CAS and CAC certifications require longer courses and more strict qualification criteria.
2. Get work experience. Every certification requires some degree of direct work experience in the industry and its better to get that experience now than cram it in later. Work experience can range from 1000 hours for a CBHT to 6000 hours for a CAP student with a bachelor’s degree.
3. Understand certification guidelines in your state. Not all states and not all courses are the same. Be sure you understand how much of your coursework can be taken online and how many hours you need to complete the training. Further, if you are planning to move, make sure the certification you are pursuing is reciprocal in your destination state.
4. If you now have your license, congratulations! Make sure you earn continuing education credits. You will have to maintain your license with a certain number of credits every year. Each certification board is different, so make sure you know your board’s requirements.

In a rewarding field such as addiction counseling, a great deal of dedication is necessary. Using the resources you have around you including your state’s board, your employer and an addiction counselor school like the Academy for Addiction Professionals is the very best way to get started on your new career path.

Here The Academy for Addiction Professionals, we are very proud to have harnessed the latest in technology to offer our prospective students the ability to take classes online. As our Academy has grown by leaps and bounds, we have supplemented our Monday and Wednesday classes with Tuesday and Thursday classes to allow for a fast-track to certification and to reduce our class size.

After some research, we also determined that offering online classes will not only help certain classroom students learn the material at their own pace, but can also help those from out of the area and even out-of-state. Distance students can take the coursework for their Florida or home-state addiction professional certification.

For those in other states, who are interested in taking a course at The Academy, we suggest they contact their local certification board to understand the requirements of their state’s certification. This will make their experience with The Academy much more fruitful. Some states allow the entire certification to be taken online, while other states may limit the number of credits that can be taken through the Internet. Each state has some rules and regulations, so be sure to check before taking one of our classes.

No matter which course you take, know that we offer comprehensive classes to give you the knowledge that you need to effectively take your certification exam. We look forward to welcoming you to the Academy for Addiction Professionals family of successful students and will see you online soon!

We are very proud to announce the addition of Tuesday and Thursday classes to our original roster of Monday and Wednesday classes for classroom-based learning toward certification. With the exceptional growth that the Academy for Addiction Professionals has experienced over the past several years, we have found the need to expand the second course track in order to fulfill our commitment to keeping class sizes small enough that each student receives the attention they need. Further, adding a second set of two classes per week allows our students to fast track their coursework on their way to becoming an addiction professional.

While traditionally our course lasted 14 months as a part-time curriculum, with the addition of these new classes, students can get their coursework completed in as little as seven months.

We look forward to seeing you at our new classes and should you wish to accelerate your coursework please contact Shira to learn more about taking both Monday and Wednesday and Tuesday and Thursday classes.

By Dr. Muhammad Feteiha, Bariatric Surgeon

If you are obese or morbidly obese you may be wondering if you are a food addict. Addiction to food has become more common, especially with people’s hectic lifestyles and the availability of cheap, large portioned food in restaurants. Increases in high fat and high sugar foods in our grocery stores and restaurants have only worsened the problem. Food addiction is a serious problem that must be treated much in the same way as other addictions including drugs, alcohol or gambling. Addiction can be, at very least, disruptive both physically and emotionally and in certain cases can cause long-term physical and emotional damage.

To understand if you have a food addiction, have a look at the list below. If you have several of the following characteristics, you may be a food addict:

-          Hiding or eating by oneself out of shame.

-          A physical compulsion to eat even when not very hungry.

-          Feeling an unrivaled sense of pleasure when eating.

-          Over-eating despite negative consequences that may occur as a result.

-          Stealing food

What to do about food addiction?

If you are both obese and a food addict, the most effective ways to improve or resolve the problem is by taking a two-pronged approach. If diet and exercise are not sufficient to improve your obesity then speaking to a medical weight loss program or weight loss surgeon may be an excellent first step in improving the physical effects of obesity. However weight loss alone will not cure the underlying psychological effects of food addiction. In fact, when the amount of food that you consume is reduced you may feel a void which can easily be filled by other addictive substances. In order to ensure that food addiction does not progress, addicts should seek professional help at a licensed addiction recovery and rehabilitation center. Addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of the disease can effectively manage food addiction over the long-term.

To learn more, speak to a weight loss specialist and/or bariatric surgeon as well as a mental health counselor in order to understand your options in fighting this very dangerous and growing disease.

Reviewed by Alton Smith, The Academy for Addiction Professionals

About Dr. Muhammad Feteiha

Dr. Muhammad Feteiha is a weight loss and general surgeon at Advanced Surgical Associates, a leading surgical practice in Northern New Jersey.

The Academy for Addiction Professionals and Destination Hope are very proud to introduce a night of comedy with Mark Lundholm on Saturday February 18, 2012.

Mark has performed in every state, overseas and on Comedy Central, NBC, CBS, Showtime and A&E. His life’s work is as funny as it is inspirational and he regularly performs and speaks to diverse groups including Fortune 500 companies and heads of state as well as recovering addicts and convicted felons. His one-man off-Broadway show: Addiction was an instant hit. For 2012, Mark will have introduced a new DVD and book and his new endeavors aren’t slowing down any time soon. We are sure that you will enjoy this night of fun with the staff of Destination Hope and the Academy for Addiction Professionals

Please RSVP to our event by February 18th. You can buy your tickets at the door on the day of the show or purchase them at the following link https://miniacipac.com/marklundholm_miniaci. Tickets are $25. You can also contact us to get your tickets by phone.

The performance will take place at the Miniaci Theatre at Nova Southeastern, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

We look forward to seeing you there!!

Boundaries in addiction treatment are an essential part of the client counselor relationship. In fact, they protect both the client and the counselor and they remain intact even during the inevitable ups and downs of addiction counseling. Boundaries are important because they:

• Reduce the chance of the exploitation (intentional or unintentional) of a client
• Create a definitive role for both the client and the counselor
• Create a framework of rules under which counseling can continue
• Offer a role-model for the client

Boundaries are set at the very beginning of treatment and it is the counselor’s responsibility to make sure they are adhered to. Boundaries need to work in the best interests of the client and can be negotiated – sometimes based on cultural and/or personal preferences or differences.

While it may seem unfair that the counselor is ultimately responsible for maintaining boundaries, it is clear why this is. A) The counselor is the professional, B) the client may not understand the need and importance of having boundaries and C) there is a power imbalance between counselor and client. In other words the counselor is often perceived as being dominant party.

Blurred and broken boundaries can come with significant ramifications that include disciplinary action in an ethical and legal sense. The counselor can incur significant punishment for crossing the line. However not all boundaries are black and white nor defined very easily. Often, counselors have to make a split second decision on what to say or do. Some examples of blurred boundaries include:

• Self-disclosure
• Offering or accepting gifts
• Dual relationships
• Becoming friends
• Physical contact

Ultimately, it is part of a counselor’s job to fully understand the depth of their relationship with a client. This is what we do and our jobs depend on our ability to make the best decisions for ourselves and our clients in mind.

Tests are stressful and we’re often asked how to do well on an upcoming quiz or exam. After all, our students take tests both during class and once they complete our classes. They continue on to take tests administered by the various certification boards around the country. Is there a secret to taking tests? Not really. Rather, the importance is in how you prepare. And it’s mostly common sense that in most cases would come easily to us. But the stress of the looming exam gets in the way. Those who believe they are bad test takers may take some comfort in knowing that taking a test the right way, may overcome that fear of failure.

Over the Course of the Year:

• It goes without saying that excellent preparation starts in class. Learning the information in parts, during class, is far easier than cramming the night before the test. Plus it gives you some time to ask questions of your peers and instructors.
• Study groups are similarly useful in helping students prepare for tests.
• Memorization is necessary, but understanding the root of the concept will maker you a better test taker and a better addiction professional. If for some reason a concept doesn’t seem to make sense, ask your instructor before you take the test.

Just Before the Test

• Take a study course to encapsulate all the information you’ve learned over the course of a year. It will help jog your memory.
• Don’t stay up all night studying and cramming. A good night’s sleep is a key to good test taking.
• Create a checklist of items to bring to the exam.
• Eat a good solid breakfast before the test.

During the Test

• Come prepared with your items – no need for panic when you realize you forgot your eraser.
• Keep calm. Nerves can cause mistakes. Breathing deeply and relying on your preparedness will slow your heart rate.
• Read each question slowly, or even read it twice.
• Start with the easy questions first. Answering the questions you know may calm the nerves and give you confidence on harder questions.
• Use the process of elimination to help find the answer. Even if you have to guess, guessing between 2 or 3 answers gives you a better chance than guessing between 4 or 5.
• Double check your answers.
• If you really don’t know the answer, go with your gut.
• Answer every question. If you’re not penalized for a guess, who knows, you may get it right!
• Keep an eye on the clock. You never want to go back to the questions you had to skip with only a few minutes to go.
• Don’t worry about everyone else. You can be the first or last to finish. As long as you have done the best you can.
• If you must change an answer, do so only after being sure your first answer was wrong. And be sure to erase the old answer completely.

With good preparation, we know you’ll ace that test. Good luck!

The difficulty in treating HIV and AIDS in drug abusers lies partly in the fact that many of these abusers are not actively seeking treatment in licensed facilities that can treat the co-occurring disorders. Oftentimes, even medically trained physicians are not able to properly diagnose a substance abuse problem. This allows the addiction to continue undetected.

Further, proximity to care and willingness to receive treatment is a major hurdle in treating HIV and AIDS. Because most drug abusers who have contracted HIV are Injected Drug Users, they tend to be found in areas with less access to treatment facilities and hospitalization services. Traditionally, outreach to these groups has been very difficult and communities and treatment centers must figure out how to reach these people effectively to effect significant change.

A great deal of difficulty in treatment can stem from a lack of understanding as well. Counselors may not have a full grasp of the treatment of co-occurring disorders and may not know the best practices of treatment for patients with HIV or AIDS. Further, counselors and drug addicts may not be able to communicate effectively because of disparate backgrounds, language barriers, ethnic tensions, lifestyle differences and sexual orientation issues. Group and individual therapy is even more effective when targeted to the client’s particular co-occurring diseases.

Both HIV and drug addiction are treatable and both diseases can be slowed, meaning that there is hope for those who are both HIV positive and abusing drugs. Treatment must be comprehensive and unique based on individual circumstances. Medication and regular hospital support will be very important. Traditional treatment for drug abuse and addiction, including group therapy and individual therapy as well as the environment in which they are treated will also play a large role in the recovery.

Finally, addressing spiritual issues through support programs as well as management of anger, stress and emotional issues will be an important part of any treatment program’s success.

The bottom line is that treatment of one life-altering disease is complex, let alone two. Treating these two epidemic diseases requires specialized care and hard work.