Health Psychology Committee Report
A substance abuse counselor coordinates the use of recovery programs and structured programs for substance abuse, in conjunction with social worker. He/she also collaborates with local schools to tame substance abuse in its early stages. A substance abuse counselor will contribute to improvement in overall patient health by getting the patient off drugs and/or giving hope to the patient and the family. An inpatient-only psychologist provides treatment for chronic pain and utilizes various methods to facilitate adjustment and coping skills with patients suffering a chronic or terminal illness. An inpatient-only psychologist will contribute to improvement in overall patient health by helping the patient and his/her family to cope with the illness. Nezu et al (2003) observed that, ‘Disease can have profound effect on family members.’ A child psychologist provides psychological preparation methods for children prior to medical procedures and an adult psychologist provides psychological preparation methods for adults prior to medical procedures and surgery. A child psychologist and an adult psychologist will contribute to improvement in overall patient health by preparing the patient adequately for a medical procedure. Another job title for a health psychologist is a rehabilitation psychologist who helps adults and children with handicaps caused by birth trauma or other trauma such as accidents to improve their functioning. A rehabilitation psychologist will contribute to improvement in overall patient health by giving hope and helping the patient to relate to the family and the world better. It is important to note that practically all psychologists do the diagnosis of stress disorders and aiding the patient in stress-relief interventions. The decision-making criteria is that reasonable work and patient load has to be kept in mind, meaning even if one psychologist may be qualified to handle different things, it is better for him/her to concentrate on a few patients only. This has the added advantage of making sure that the care given to a patient is 100%.
Responsibilities and services that each of the five psychologists provide for patients
A substance abuse counselor assists individuals and their families to cope well with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Boring (2008) stated that, ‘Another concept of central importance to health psychology is social support, which is generally assumed to have positive benefits.’ These counselors will provide both individual and group counseling at settings such as rehabilitation institutes, healthcare facilities, correctional institutes, community organizations and social agencies among other places. A substance abuse counselor will help a patient live more effectively with their addictions by overcoming urges and identifying harmful behaviors.
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