During which process do the counselor and client agree upon immediate and long-term goals?

The process in which the counselor and client agree upon immediate and long-term goals is treatment planning. This phase is critical because it involves collaboratively setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives that guide the therapeutic process and interventions to be employed. During treatment planning, the counselor takes into account the client's unique situation, needs, and aspirations, ensuring that the established goals are aligned with the client's recovery journey.

This phase typically occurs after the assessment and orientation stages, where information is gathered about the client’s issues and needs, and the client is introduced to the counseling process. While assessment involves collecting data to understand the client's problems and orientation helps to explain the treatment process and framework, it is the treatment planning stage where those insights are translated into actionable goals. Meanwhile, screening is focused on identifying whether a client has a substance use disorder and does not delve into goal setting at this level.