• By including past and present substance use in the biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment, the social worker is able to
identify how the use of substances might be impacting the client’s physical, psychological, social, and spiritual functioning. Direct client interviews, collateral interviews, and record review may all be useful tools for assessing substance use. The following areas should be included –Historical use: The age at which the client began using substances should be included as well as what types of substances
were initially used and if the type of substance changed over time. If there are any times during which the client did not use substances, this should be explored to identify reasons for stopping use and determining length of sobriety