ABSTRACT

This chapter describes potential benefits resulting from the systems oriented assessment process, which includes concurrent querying of clients and their significant others. It discusses how to use information provided via "an intervention" to confront clients' drinking and drugging behaviors and to use a joint client-significant other strengths analysis session to promote symbiotic change via strength-based assessment and goals. The chapter also discusses how to use systems assessment to demonstrate significant other solidarity and promote significant others' preidentified responses to future client alcohol and other drag (AOD) abuse. It shows that six specific phases of the significant other interviews. The significant other interview is comprised of sveral separate phases. The phases are empower clients, orient clients and their significant others to the significant other assessment process, jointly identify the client's strengths and attributes, gather pertinent data related to the client's AOD-related behaviors and confront inaccurate or nonreported AOD-related behaviours and respond to the client's nostinterview needs.