In 2010, Dean became a private provider of Drug and Alcohol assessment and counseling services, as sole counselor, or in team treatment with GPs or other service providers.

 

Whilst qualified and experienced as assessor and counselor, services are not eligible for Medicare rebate at this time. Clients may prefer to receive a referral from a GP to Community Health Services (which are usually free, or at low cost) or to Psychologists, Social Workers, Psychiatric Nurses etc., who are either fully funded, eligible (if registered) to bulk bill, or receive a Medicare rebate.

 

Working with Children Cert# 03451036-01

The DACA service is client-focused, meaning that the service is flexible and responsive to clients' situations and circumstances. Whilst living in Harcourt, Central Victoria (between Bendigo and Castlemaine), Dean is prepared to travel to meet with people in their homes or other mutually convenient locations, and at times to suit those who work or have other commitments.

 

The service prides itself on short waiting times, with initial contact made quickly, and initial session set up within a few working days. The service is contactable 24 hours. Whilst the service necessarily charges a fee (as it is a private practice), the fees can be discussed and agreed to, at or before the first session, to prevent embarrassment, and to enable client to make other arrangements if agreement cannot be reached. There may be an agreed charge for long distance travel, to compensate for time and expenses incurred.

 

Confidentiality is guaranteed, with any information passed on being agreed to, in advance, by the client.

The time required for initial assessment may vary required from one to two hours, depending on complexity of issues and underlying problems, and whether or not family members are included in the process.

 

The Assessment is Scales-based, using proven self-report questionnaires and other objective measures of alcohol dependency severity etc. Scales used include (but are not limited to):

 

AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tool)

SADD (Short Alcohol Dependency Data)

RFU (Reasons For Use)

HADS (Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale)

DASS (Depression, Anxiety & Stress Scale)

RTC (Readiness To Change) scale

 

Assessment is also made of drinking pattern and volume of consumption, and whether or not residential or other form of monitored withdrawal is required. A Drinker’s Diary is also available to measure and graph a client’s continuing drinking pattern.

 

In addition, assessment is made of the applicability and selection of relapse prevention medications, providing information to the client, with recommendation for prescribing being provided to client’s GP, if desired.

 

To enquire further, or to book an assessment, please click the CONTACT ME tab below.

The DACA service is solution-focused. Counselling content is based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and MI (Motivational Interviewing) principles, with Compliance Therapy where alcohol pharmacotherapies are in use.

 

The client’s own goal (be that abstinence or control of drinking) becomes the treatment goal. Where the client changes the goal in the course of treatment, the treatment goal also changes accordingly.

 

Counselling sessions are open-ended and flexible, and may include significant others if client so desires. Number of sessions is also open-ended, with average number (including assessment) being about 6 sessions of (say) 60 minutes. The actual content of sessions depends on the findings of the assessment, and the goal/s of the client.

 

Reports on assessment and treatment are able to be written, for an agreed fee, where required, or requested by the client.