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When you say drug and alcohol unit, what do you mean exactly? Are we talking medical detox only? Yikes. Or are we talking general rehab?

If you are literally doing nothing but medical detox and then the patient moves on to treatment elsewhere, then beware the burnout. ETOH and Opiate detox patients in the throes of detox are some of the most unpleasant people to be around I can think of (and I work in a maximum security prison!). This is generally offset by getting to work with them long-term and seeing the benefits of sobriety and clarity in the long run, so hopefully you'll get to see that aspect, too.

If we're talking just general rehab, then it won't be so bad. The experience you get will also depend on whether or not your clients are voluntary, and if so what level of volunteerism there is there (for example a "voluntary" methadone program can feel very involuntary to an opiate addict).

You will definitely get myriad opportunities to hone your motivational interviewing skills. It can be frustrating at first as you learn the meaning of success in working with this population. Sobriety is hard work and takes time. Sometimes seeing your client shoot up four times a day instead of six after a month's work is the best improvement you've seen in any client all month, and you have to learn to motivate yourself with these little steps.

Anywhoo . . . I used to work at a methadone clinic. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Edit: Just saw that you've not yet been in an MSW program. If you can spare the cash, I recommend picking up Miller and Rollnick's book. It'll give you the foundation you need to start practicing and understanding motivational interviewing, and if the program you get into focuses at all on direct practice then you're probably going to end up needing it anyway.

I want to second the recommendation for Brene Brown - I love her, my clients love her, I really can't recommend her enough. I'd also like to throw Healing The Shame That Binds You into the ring as it's addiction specific. John Bradshaw has some videos that my clients love.

> The client suddenly falls off the face of the earth after doing well for so long

My supervisor assures me that this is "normal" for our area, but like you I haven't really been satisfied with that approach. I always try to educate my clients that relapse isn't indicative of failure - I treat it like a flare in symptoms and discuss with clients that it can be a learning opportunity because it gives them the chance to go back and figure out a different way of behaving. I absolutely hate counting days sober (feels like an industrial factory sign that says "x days since an injury at this work site") as the client often feels like they need to reset the counter to zero after a relapse. I advocate for the approach that we are always learning, and that a relapse doesn't mean you've forgotten any of the new things you've learned. When my clients do return after relapse, I give tons of positive feedback for returning to the office.

I was in a similar place a couple of years ago. Had been a high school teacher, then a programmer. Was looking to switch to social work, but didn't exactly know what social work even was. I bought this book and found it very helpful -- just social workers in a variety of fields, describing a typical day for them:

https://smile.amazon.com/Days-Lives-Social-Workers-Professionals/dp/192910930X/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1540490741&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=days+in+the+lives+of+social+workers&psc=1

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Best of luck to you! I'm now in my second year of a three-year MSW program and definitely enjoying the classes and my field placement.

Yes, they won't just remove a child, and will explore every avenue beforehand. They may just ensure she is well supported. If the mother has these traits she is likely to have had a traumatic early childhood, as NPD and BPD are now strongly linked to developmental trauma and emotional neglect. In other words, she needs some strong coaching in parenting. The child's emotional safety should be prioritised. You are obviously a source of support for him. have a look at some useful books, this is the best one: http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Walking-Eggshells-Borderline-Personality/dp/1572246901

Here is an article that gives a general overview of trauma-informed care. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk and The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog by Bruce Perry are essential reading. They are relatively cheap and well-known.

I know very little about EMDR, so I can't really speak for its efficacy. As far as trauma-certifications go, I would urge caution. There are a lot of certification programs out there that promise access to a lot of knowledge and skills, and they offer a shiny little certificate with your name on it upon completion. However, in my experience the knowledge and skills they impart are nothing that you couldn't learn yourself with a combination of dedicated self-study and careful oversight by a competent supervisor. Also, these certifications sound impressive, but they aren't always recognized as anything special by the field at large. So they won't help you get a job, get a promotion, get a raise, or anything else but an impressive-looking piece of paper.

My recommendation is to be more assertive in your interest with your supervisor about learning trauma-informed theory and practice. If they cannot offer you the supervision you feel you need, ask them if there is someone in your organization that can. Identify resources that you can study that will help you find concrete ways to implement trauma-informed strategies into your work, and discuss this during supervision.

I used the pocket prep app and purchased the full version (I think $25 but really nice way of brushing up on some specific information that could equate to recall type questions). I also used the book linked at the end of this and read through it twice - probably overkill. Like most people always do I would highly suggest the ASWB prep exam and read through the question justifications once your completed once or twice.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0826172016/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm going to be applying as an army social worker over the next couple months. It's pretty difficult to get as they are very selective so we'll see what happens. The job I have right now is excellent though so not in a huge rush but eventually would like to get back in the federal government and work with military as I am a vet.

Days in the Lives of Social Workers

> Spend a day with social workers in 58 different settings, and learn about the many career paths available to you. Did you ever wish you could tag along with a professional in your chosen field, just for a day, observing his or her every move? DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS allows you to take a firsthand, close-up look at the real-life days of 58 professional social workers as they share their stories. Join them on their journeys, and learn about the rewards and challenges they face.
>
> This book is an essential guide for anyone who wants an inside look at the social work profession. Whether you are a social work graduate student or undergraduate student, an experienced professional wishing to make a change in career direction, or just thinking about going into the field, you will learn valuable lessons from the experiences described in DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS.
>
> The 4th edition includes four new chapters, a new appendix on social media and mobile apps, and features a foreword by Elizabeth J. Clark, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers.

There's a third edition book out now, and there are a few significant changes in the model. http://www.amazon.com/Motivational-Interviewing-Third-Edition-Applications/dp/1609182278

If you like to hold a book, this is probably the first one you should get. However, there are tons of great free resources for MI training on the internet as well.

Here are a few manual-type easy reads:

http://www.psychmap.org/uploads/Motivational%20Interviewing%20brief%20guide.pdf

http://www.motivationalinterviewing.info/resources/CTI_MI_Pocket_guide.pdf

http://www.motivationalinterview.org/Documents/LearnersManualforMotivationalInterviewing.pdf

this is about coding (how well an interviewer is using MI) but there are some good examples here: http://www.motivationalinterview.org/Documents/miti3_1.pdf

. The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner: Includes DSM-5 Updates



I love these series. They have a children and adolescents, progress notes and homework guides. I highly recommend them

Texts and Reference Books

Days in the Lives of Social Workers

DSM-5

Child Development, Third Edition: A Practitioner's Guide

Racial and Ethnic Groups

Social Work Documentation: A Guide to Strengthening Your Case Recording

Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond

[Thoughts and Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life]
(https://www.amazon.com/Thoughts-Feelings-Harbinger-Self-Help-Workbook/dp/1608822087/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3ZW7PRW5TK2PB0MDR9R3)

Interpersonal Process in Therapy: An Integrative Model

[The Clinical Assessment Workbook: Balancing Strengths and Differential Diagnosis]
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0534578438/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_38?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ARCO1HGQTQFT8)

Helping Abused and Traumatized Children

Essential Research Methods for Social Work

Navigating Human Service Organizations

Privilege: A Reader

Play Therapy with Children in Crisis

The Color of Hope: People of Color Mental Health Narratives

The School Counseling and School Social Work Treatment Planner

Streets of Hope : The Fall and Rise of an Urban Neighborhood

Deviant Behavior

Social Work with Older Adults

The Aging Networks: A Guide to Programs and Services

[Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society: Bridging Research and Practice]
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415884810/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy

Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change

Ethnicity and Family Therapy

Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Perspectives on Development and the Life Course

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

Generalist Social Work Practice: An Empowering Approach

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents

DBT Skills Manual

DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets

Social Welfare: A History of the American Response to Need

Novels

[A People’s History of the United States]
(https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-History-United-States/dp/0062397346/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511070674&sr=1-1&keywords=howard+zinn&dpID=51pps1C9%252BGL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch)


The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Life For Me Ain't Been No Crystal Stair

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Tuesdays with Morrie

The Death Class <- This one is based off of a course I took at my undergrad university

The Quiet Room

Girl, Interrupted

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

Flowers for Algernon

Of Mice and Men

A Child Called It

Go Ask Alice

Under the Udala Trees

Prozac Nation

It's Kind of a Funny Story

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Yellow Wallpaper

The Bell Jar

The Outsiders

To Kill a Mockingbird

https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Walking-Eggshells-Borderline-Personality/dp/1572246901
I would recommend this book. I know it is not a clinical or a professional book but it is good. It is well written and gives insight to how it is to live with somebody with BPD.

Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others

Boyfriend bought me The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime that I have been trying to finish between coursework and readings for months. Really good!

There are some AMAZING resources here, so I'll just throw in a few others:

The Body Remembers

The Body Keeps the Score)

Enrique's Journey

Crossing Over

The Devil's Highway

Random Family

Lost Children of Wilder

Helping People Change by Miller & Rollnick is a great text for learning MI.

Check out the book Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others
https://www.amazon.com/dp/157675944X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QnurDbTKT84SM

It’s a must have in this field.

Just picked this up after my prof passed it around in class. It's a terrific resource.

https://www.amazon.com/Social-Work-Treatment-Interlocking-Theoretical/dp/019023959X/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=social+work+theories&qid=1570660012&sr=8-5

I use this and find it helpful

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Adult-Psychotherapy-Treatment-Planner/dp/111806786X/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=treatment+plans+and+interventions+for+depression+and+anxiety&qid=1564866269&s=gateway&sprefix=treatment+pla&sr=8-2

I use this for my new case manager job, since we are assigned laptops. It's roomy and looks nice without being too expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KPCL15Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Upvote for you, Im a veteran in the exact same situation, though Im doing BS in psych. LEO career goals sort of disappeared due to competition and getting older. I hope to start MSW or related helping profession grad school next year.

I would suggest this book if you are going to do research,
and this one for general writing. Both come in handy for APA formatting, especially the first one.

I used this book: https://www.amazon.com/Social-Work-ASWB-Clinical-Guide/dp/0826172016/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468955898&sr=8-1&keywords=lcsw+exam

I read through that twice, took the practice test included with the book, and then took the official ASWB practice exam.

Trauma Stewardship!

I can't recommend this book enough for those of us exposed to vicarious trauma.