In an attempt to "improve addiction services'' throughout the Island, the National Drug Commission (NDC) conducted a two-day seminar last week.

And Susan Cross, the Executive director of the Alcohol and Drug Referral Centre in Ontario, Canada, was brought in as the keynote speaker.

The "Role of Assessment in Addiction Treatment'' seminar -- an educational and practical training course designed for addiction counsellors and other professionals working in the prison system, employee assistance programmes, education and social services -- took place at the Bermuda College.

During the workshop, Mrs. Cross emphasised the importance of being able to fully identify a drug addict's problems and how to carry out comprehensive assessments to effectively treat that person.

"People who have an addiction problem often don't realise it, although other people in their lives do,'' said Mrs. Cross. "This is why it is important to identify the problem for both the counsellor and addict's sake.'' She added that complete assessments were a critical part of overcoming addiction as they allowed counsellors to "pick out the relevant pieces'' of an addict's life, thus paving the way for efficient treatment.

"Counsellors must take a deep look at the way they currently assess their clients in order to apply the proper treatment plan,'' Mrs. Cross said.