Challenge Your Exam Readiness With Our Free ADC Practice Questions

Evidence-based practice emphasizes standardized, validated screening tools early in the workflow to determine risk, triage level of care, and whether a full assessment is indicated. For alcohol, the AUDIT or its brief version, the AUDIT-C, has strong psychometric support across settings. Using a validated measure before committing to diagnosis reduces bias, improves sensitivity/specificity for hazardous drinking, and helps structure a clinically efficient pathway (e.g., brief intervention vs. full diagnostic assessment). Motivational interviewing (MI) is a highly effective counseling style (Option B), but MI typically follows initial screening to match the intensity of intervention to risk level. Lab testing (Option C) can be clinically useful but is not the first-line universal screening step and is neither necessary nor sufficient to establish alcohol use disorder. Psychoeducation (Option D) is a helpful component of treatment and relapse prevention, but it is not a screening method and should not precede a risk stratification process. Therefore, administering a validated screening tool such as the AUDIT-C is the most appropriate initial action consistent with evidence-based screening protocols.