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Addiction Counseling Glossary

100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026

PCSS PCSS

Professional Technical IVT

Providers Clinical Support System offering training and mentorship for healthcare providers treating opioid use disorders.

Showing 73–96 of 100

residential treatment facility

Intermediate Technical IVT

24-hour structured living environment providing intensive addiction treatment services with on-site medical and clinical...

Technical Term Full entry →

SAMHSA

Intermediate Technical IVT

Federal agency responsible for advancing behavioral health services and reducing substance use disorders nationwide.

Abbreviation Full entry →

SAMISS

Professional Technical IVT

Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Symptoms Screener; a brief tool for detecting co-occurring disorders.

Assessment Tool Full entry →

SBIRT

Intermediate Technical IVT

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment - systematic approach for identifying and addressing substance...

Technical Term Full entry →

SMART Recovery

Intermediate Technical IVT

Self-Management and Recovery Training - evidence-based mutual aid program using cognitive-behavioral tools and self-empo...

Technical Term Full entry →

stages of change model

Intermediate Technical IVT

A theoretical framework describing the five stages individuals progress through when modifying addictive behaviors: prec...

Technical Term Full entry →

step-down care

Intermediate Technical IVT

Graduated reduction in treatment intensity as patients progress through different levels of care.

Technical Term Full entry →

stepped care

Intermediate Technical IVT

A treatment delivery model providing the least intensive intervention first, with progression to more intensive levels b...

Technical Term Full entry →

substance use disorder

Intermediate Technical IVT

Clinical term replacing 'addiction' or 'substance abuse' in formal documentation and treatment plans.

SUD
Technical Term Full entry →

SUDS

Intermediate Technical IVT

Subjective Units of Distress Scale, a self-report measure where clients rate their current level of distress or craving...

Technical Term Full entry →

TAU

Professional Technical IVT

Treatment As Usual, a research term describing standard care practices used as a comparison condition in clinical studie...

Technical Term Full entry →

therapeutic alliance

Intermediate Technical IVT

The collaborative relationship between counselor and client characterized by mutual trust, respect, and shared treatment...

Technical Term Full entry →

therapeutic community

Advanced Technical IVT

Structured residential treatment model where clients participate in their own recovery and help treat others through com...

TC
Technical Term Full entry →

therapeutic confrontation

Professional Technical IVT

A clinical technique that directly challenges client denial, minimization, or inconsistencies in a supportive manner.

Therapeutic Technique Full entry →

therapeutic dosing window

Professional Technical IVT

The range of medication dosage that provides optimal therapeutic benefit while minimizing adverse effects in addiction t...

Technical Term Full entry →

therapeutic jurisprudence

Advanced Formal IVT

A legal philosophy examining how laws and legal processes can be designed to promote psychological and physical well-bei...

Legal Term Full entry →

therapeutic milieu

Professional Technical IVT

Structured treatment environment designed to promote healing through community interaction and peer support.

Technical Term Full entry →

TLFB

Professional Technical IVT

Timeline Follow-Back; a retrospective interview method for assessing substance use patterns over a specific time period.

Assessment Tool Full entry →

tolerance

Intermediate Technical IVT

Physiological adaptation requiring increased substance amounts to achieve the same effect, distinct from psychological d...

Technical Term Full entry →

trauma-informed care

Intermediate Technical IVT

Treatment approach that recognizes and responds to the widespread impact of trauma in individuals seeking addiction serv...

Technical Term Full entry →

treatment readiness

Intermediate Technical IVT

An individual's psychological and practical preparedness to engage in addiction treatment and make necessary behavioral...

Technical Term Full entry →

Twelve Step Facilitation

Intermediate Technical IVT

Evidence-based treatment approach that connects clients with twelve-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous.

TSF
Technical Term Full entry →

UPPS-P

Professional Technical IVT

A multidimensional assessment tool measuring five personality pathways to impulsive behavior relevant to substance use.

Assessment Tool Full entry →

URICA

Professional Technical IVT

University of Rhode Island Change Assessment scale, a validated instrument measuring readiness to change across stages o...

Technical Term Full entry →
Showing 73–96 of 100

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