Addiction Professionals as Social Justice Advocates

Addiction Professionals as Social Justice Advocates

Part 1

Understanding the concepts of worldview and locus of control is very important to a
counselor in decision making and establishing a positive relationship and helping their clients. It
is important to keep the information at the forefront when addressing the issues and concerns in
counseling. It is also important to understand a client’s worldview and cultural identity as this
will enable the building of a positive therapeutic relationship, and help in therapeutic
intervention (Kress & Paylo, 2016). Counselors who assess their worldview are able to compare
them with their clients’ worldview and are able to build trust, and thus a positive relationship
with their clients using the information.
The results of the self-assessment test that I undertook, shows that I tend to have internal
locus. It shows that I take responsibility of most of what happens in my life, and that I take
proactive steps to improve personal relationships, academics, and professional standing. The
challenge with the internal locus is that one usually worries a lot and blames oneself for
situations that are above their control (Decker, et al., 2016). It can lead to elevated stress levels,
and can cause problems with physical and mental well-being.
Part 2

Addiction professionals have an important role in advocating for and promoting social
justice (Sue & Sue, 2016). They should advocate for measures to promote evidence-based care to
all individuals including those from minority ethnic groups. Social justice is important in
addiction professionals’ roles in bettering the lives of individuals, families and communities in

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the society (Bikenmaier, 2013). For a society’s welfare, there should be equal access and
opportunities, fair distribution of resources and empowering of individuals and communities with
the right to determine their own lives.
Social justice counseling aims at producing conditions that allow for equal access and
opportunities to all groups of people (Ratts, et al., 2016). It also aims at eliminating the
disparities in education, health care and employment, and thus helps in improving the quality of
life for the affected people. It also encourages mental health professionals to consider micro and
macro levels in the assessment, diagnosis and the treatment of their clients.
There are some considerations that need to be taken into account when tackling the issues
faced by the refugees, both locally and internationally. These include: housing, employment,
education, healthcare, and their security. Muslims tend to live more as a community rather than
as individually. Immigrant refugees have to be taught on how to live as single family units rather
than as communities. Immigrant Muslim refugees may also find a challenge in finding a job that
suits their skills and abilities. In addition, they may find it difficult to work with strangers,
especially those of the opposite sex.
Immigrant refugees also need education, both for the children and the adults. Adult
refugees have more challenges accessing education and this should be taken into consideration.
They have a more difficult time adapting compared to the younger group.

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References

Birkenmaier, J. (2013). On becoming a social justice practitioner. In Practicing social justice
(pp. 46-59). Routledge.
Decker, K. M., Manis, A. A., & Paylo, M. J. (2016). Infusing social justice advocacy into
counselor education: Strategies and recommendations. The Journal of Counselor
Preparation and Supervision,
Kress, V. E., & Paylo, M. J. (2015). Treating those with mental disorders. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson.
Ratts, M. J., Singh, A. A., Nassar‐McMillan, S., Butler, S. K., & McCullough, J. R. (2016).
Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies: Guidelines for the counseling
profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28-48.
Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory
and practice (7th ed.).