Substance Abuse Counseling

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

SAC 255 : Counseling in the Community and Case Management

This course is designed to assist the students to gain the skills related to substance abuse counseling within the community. The focus will be on working with different client populations, providing crisis intervention, and behavior management, as well as record-keeping, documentation, and understanding how to resolve dilemmas involving professional values and ethics. (Ethics: 2.5 hrs of the required 10 hours for CADAC). Prerequisite(s): PSY 255 and PSY 287. Three lecture hours per week.

Credits

3
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Demonstrate knowledge regarding the roles, functions, and professional identity of community counselors. 2. Identify the structures and operations of professional organizations, training standards, and ethical standards pertaining to the practice of community counseling. 3. Analyze client characteristics and the implications of sociocultural, demographic, and lifestyle diversity relevant to community counseling in order to appropriately refer clients to treatment services. 4. Apply theories and techniques of community needs assessment to design, implement, and evaluate community counseling interventions, programs and systems. 5. Demonstrate effective use of community intervention, consultation, education, outreach and program development. 6. Identify strategies for client advocacy in public policy and government related issues. 7. Demonstrate skills for group work within a variety of community settings.

SAC 260 : Introduction to Substance Abuse Counseling

This course explores key concepts utilized in substance abuse treatment. Various skills to help the student assess the severity of addiction and develop an initial treatment plan will be introduced. Treatment settings and interventions from different theoretical perspectives commonly used with chemically dependent clients are explored. Issues of comorbidity and diversity with substance abuse are explored. (Ethics: 2.5 hrs of the required 10 hours for CADAC) Prerequisite(s): PSY 287 and PSY 255. Three lecture hours per week.

Credits

3
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Evaluate an addiction situation and accurately diagnose. 2. Engage and counsel a client who has an addiction problem. 3. Evaluate differentiated advocacy strategies for clients and families with a range of addictions. 4. Demonstrate appropriate use of advocacy strategies for clients and families with substance abuse disorders. 5. Synthesize and integrate peer reviewed articles related to the efficacy of different treatment modalities.

SAC 265 : Family Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment

This course will provide an overview of the role of alcoholism/chemical dependency in the family system and the various intervention and treatment approaches used in assisting families troubled by substance use and misuse. The course covers a variety of family assessment and intervention models as well as an analysis of relevant and critical issues to consider when working with families during the treatment, intervention, and/or rehabilitation processes. The course will focus on developing specialized skills and techniques for working with families in an attempt to foster family cohesion to confront challenges and to provide students with a context and a philosophy for facilitating families as they move through time. Specific attention is given to the family life cycle and the effect of risk factors, such as disability, chronic illness or substance use disorders on the family. Prerequisite(s): PSY 281; pre- or co-requisite PSY 255. Three lecture hours per week.

Credits

3
Upon completion of this course it is expected that the student will be able to: 1. Apply knowledge regarding the roles of family and ethnicity in addiction process. 2. Analyze the structure and develop a working knowledge of motivational interviewing to help clients engage in treatment. 3. Identify client ethnic group and the implications of sociocultural, demographic, and lifestyle diversity relevant to engaging in counseling. 4. Analyze theories and techniques of needs assessment to design, implement, and evaluate family counseling interventions, programs and systems. 5. Identify general principles of intervention, consultation, education, outreach, and program development with diverse family systems. 6. Apply skills for group work with a variety of families in various community settings.

SAC 290 : Substance Abuse Counseling Practicum I

This two credit course was designed as an intensive learning experience aimed at bridging the gap between the academic knowledge imparted through the core courses and the hands-on experience of the field practicum. Participants meet with advisor to secure an appropriate placement needed for accruing hands-on experience hours. Students will engage in the use of role play in the classroom as a means of supervision and to enhance clinical skills. Students are required to accumulate 50 hours of the necessary 300 hours of experience needed at their designated placement. Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 and PSY 281. 0.6 lecture hours per week. (Ethics: 2.5 hours of the required 10 hours needed for CADAC).

Credits

2
Upon completion of the course students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the clients with whom they prefer to work 2. Identify their strengths and weaknesses that may have an effect on their practicum 3. Secure a placement for practicum 4. Form rapport with clients 5. Identify problems in the field and demonstrate effective use of supervision through class/team discussions 6. Develop skills needed to complete intakes, assessments and treatment plan goals for the client.

SAC 291 : Substance Abuse Counseling Practicum II

The course provides opportunities to integrate coursework with primary goals for a Substance Abuse Counselor through client service in an approved placement. The course is designed for students to learn from and grow through each other's experiences, as well as individual experiences. Openness to learning, sharing experiences, thoughts and feelings, and joining peers in giving and receiving feedback will be required. Prerequisite(s): SAC 290. Three lecture hours per week. (Ethics: 2.5 hrs.)

Credits

3
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Demonstrate effective counseling skills and techniques (develop and maintain therapeutic relationships: accurately listen to clients; express genuine, accurate empathy; facilitate client change; facilitate client self-awareness, self-responsibility and personal growth) 2. Develop the necessary self-awareness (e.g., personal issues, attitudes and behaviors based on such factors as race/ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation) to be effective as a beginning counselor 3. Maintain adequate clinical counseling records as identifies by the agency of placement 4. Demonstrate sensitivity to diversity issues (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation) that impact clients and counseling relationships 5. Demonstrate effective use of supervision (understand the supervisory process; give constructive feedback to peers and receive feedback from peers, supervisor, and instructor) 6. Maintain appropriate ethics, boundaries and professionalism while at agency site