The Intake Session. The first step to recovery.

The intake session is a very important stage during the addiction treatment. It is the first step to recovery, and it can determine the patient’s level of adherence.

Where are you?

During the intake interview, the doctor gets to determine the course of the therapy by analyzing the patient’s characteristics, such as personal life (education, family, physical health, finance, work and social life), issues (reason for registration, treatment history, life story), and goals (where do you want to be, personal aspirations). This analysis will give the therapist a good overview of the initial situation. In addition to this, the healthcare provider will receive an indication of what treatment the patient needs and an estimation of how long the recovery will take. In other words, the intake interview gives the physician the necessary information to create a tailored program for the respective patient.

What brings you here?

Once the therapist has an initial picture of the personal life of the patient, the professional can start exploring the person’s problems in depth; why is the subject seeking for help? The purpose of this is to find the reason for the patient’s registration, the cause of addiction and inform the patient about the risks and consequences of substance abuse. These issues may include health problems, financial trouble, a deterioration in family and social relations and even cause other mental health issues such as depression, anxiety or paranoia.

Where do you want to be?

Furthermore, an individual’s goals are examined: Where does this person want to be and what does he/she want to achieve? The objective is to make the patient visualize his/her life without consuming substances, picture all possibilities and opportunities of a healthier way of life.

After discussing all these concerns, the professional can now draw the path of the healing process from where the person currently is, to where he/she wants to be.

In conclusion, the intake interview is a crucial phase in therapy, it is not only an examination of the patient’s current situation, but also determines the relation between patient and clinician. This directly affects the level of motivation and engagement of the individual. So, if the clinician is not capable to connect with the patient, there is a higher chance of non-adherence to the treatment. In some cases, a good doctor-patient relationship can be the difference between a successful and a failed rehabilitation.

Why Karify?

With Karify, you can have a quick and efficient profile of the patient before the intake interview, saving valuable time and fostering patient engagement. Read more about our intake module here.