Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor, Certificate
Program Description
The twenty-four credit-hour Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (ASAC) certificate provides students with theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of alcohol and substance abuse counseling. The course sequence includes the following:
- Knowledge of Substance Abuse: Assessment, Evaluation and Treatment Planning;
- Neurochemistry of Addiction: Pharmacology, Substance Abuse Counseling Theory;
- Individual and Group Counseling;
- Substance Abuse Counseling: Special Populations, Case Management and Educational Outreach; and
- Professional and Ethical Responsibilities.
The course sequence reflects a range of knowledge, skills, and professional techniques related to chemical dependence counseling. The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling certificate is approved as a fully Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) 350-Hour Certificate Program by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
Program Goals
- In order to understand the fundamentals of alcohol and substance abuse, the students will:
- Define and describe the most common treatment, intervention, and prevention programs.
- Define addiction.
- Evaluate psychotherapeutic theories and techniques.
- Describe the biology of addiction and the effects of drugs of abuse on the body.
- Demonstrate familiarity with key drugs of abused and treatment.
- In order to develop skills in alcohol and substance abuse counseling, the students will:
- Describe and apply the basic theories and principles of alcoholism and substance abuse counseling.
- Develop and demonstrate interpersonal communication skills appropriate for counseling.
- Demonstrate familiarity with issues pertinent to substance abusers, such as anger management, personality and addiction, depression and suicide, aggression, and motivation.
- Describe and evaluate theories of vocational counseling.
- Analyze and apply theories and practices relevant to group counseling sessions.
- Describe the issues and challenges of working with the elderly, women, and children.
- Demonstrate sensitivity to the counseling needs of special populations, including adolescent abusers, the mentally ill, gender and sexual orientation, and those with communicable diseases, especially HIV/AIDS.
- In order to understand the issues involved in assessment, clinical evaluation, treatment planning, case management, and family and community education, the students will:
- Describe procedures for the screening, evaluation, and intake of patients.
- Evaluate and use the tools used to assess and diagnose chemical dependency.
- Recognize and describe the stages of recovery.
- Create an appropriate treatment plan.
- Describe the overall function of the case manager.
- Explain the role of cultural diversity in treatment scenarios.
- Define and describe the addicted family systems theory.
- In order to describe and explain the professional and ethical responsibilities involved with substance abuse counseling, the students will:
- Articulate the relevance of ethical standards and behavior in counseling situations.
- Describe the methods used to maintain accurate and secure health records.
- Explain and apply professional, state, and federal guidelines for ethical behavior.
Credit Distribution and Course Sequence
First Semester | Hours | |
---|---|---|
HHS 201 | Knowledge of Substance Abuse | 3 |
HHS 203 | Neurochemistry of Addiction: Pharmacology | 3 |
Hours | 6 | |
Second Semester | ||
HHS 202 | Assessment, Evaluation and Treatment Planning | 3 |
HHS 204 | Substance Abuse Counseling Theory | 3 |
Hours | 6 | |
Third Semester | ||
HHS 205 | Individual and Group Counseling | 3 |
HHS 206 | Substance Abuse Counseling: Special Populations | 3 |
Hours | 6 | |
Fourth Semester | ||
HHS 207 | Case Management and Educational Outreach | 3 |
HHS 208 | Professional and Ethical Responsibilities | 3 |
Hours | 6 | |
Total Hours | 24 |