Source of referral and current health care providers

Clients may have various sources of referral to treatment. For example, they may be referred by their GP, family or friends, or corrective services. In general, the most common form of referral is self-referral [432].

In addition to identifying the source of referral, it is important to identify all care and treatment providers currently involved in the person’s care (e.g., counsellors, psychiatrists, prescribers, GP, probation/community offender service officers, case workers, social workers). Consistent with a coordinated approach to client care, the AOD worker should, with the client’s permission, liaise with these providers regarding the person’s treatment to ensure care coordination and continuity of care (see Chapter B5).