"Reflective Professionals Building Learning Communities"

COURSE TITLE

COUN 425 Alcohol & Drug Counseling

Course Information
Fall Semester 2004 – 3 credit hours
Location: CLS 3020
Time: Monday, 4:00 pm to 6:50 pm

Instructor Information
Ken Currier, Ph.D., CRC
Office Location: CLS 4097
Office Hours: Open door policy. Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Office Telephone: (773) 442-5576 Home Telephone: (773) 588-1829
Email: ken.currier@comcast.net ( preferred); K-Currier@neiu.edu

Course Description
The knowledge base required for certification in alcohol and/or drug counseling in Illinois is covered. The approach to addictions is through the alcoholism model and includes such areas as medical complications, symptoms, assessment, definitions, denial, relapse, special populations, treatment, education, and counseling attitudes and skills unique to addiction counseling. Major drug categories are reviewed from the standpoint of physiological effects and treatment.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing, COUN-401 and COUN-403

Required Text

Miller, W.R., & Rollnick, S. (2002). Motivational interviewing (2nd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.

Required articles

O’Brien, C.P. (1995). Pharmacological aspects of addiction. Retrieved August 18, 2004 from http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/recovery/pros/subabuse.html [Posted on Blackboard site or email instructor for electronic copy]

Drugs of Abuse from the National Institute of Drug Abuse at National Institute on Drug Abuse: Information on Drugs of Abuse e.g. Club Drugs, Marijuana, Acid, etc. http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/


Supplemental Resources

Hester, R.K., & Miller, W.R. (2003). Handbook of alcoholism treatment approaches: Effective alternatives. (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Beck, A.T., Wright, F.D., Newman, C.F., & Liese, B.S. (1993). Cognitive therapy of substance abuse. New York: The Guilford Press.
Benshoff, J.J., & Janikowski, T.P. (2000). The rehabilitation model of substance abuse counseling. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Ellis, A., McInerney, J.F., DiGiuseppe, R., & Yeager, R.J. (1988). Rational-Emotive therapy with alcoholics and substance abusers. New York: Pergamon Press.
Hester, R.K., & Miller, W.R. (1995). Handbook of alcoholism treatment approaches (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Ringwald, C.D. (2002). The soul of recovery: Uncovering the spiritual dimension in the treatment of addictions. New York: Oxford University Press.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Report to Congress on Co-Occurring Disorders, Available at http://www.samhsa.gov/reports/congress2002/index.html

Websites

 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS http://www.aa.org
 AUDIO RECORDINGS; TESTIMONY AND INFORMATION http://listen.to/recovery and http://www.xa-speakers.org/
 BROWN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ALCOHOL AND ADDICTIONS STUDY http://www.caas.brown.edu
 CENTER FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT http://csat.samhsa.gov/
 NATIONAL ADDICTION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER (NATTC) http://www.nattc.org
 GREAT LAKES ADDICTION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER http://www.uic.edu/depts/matec/glattc/
 ILLINOIS ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE ASSOCIATION http://www.iadda.org/
 NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS http://www.na.org/
 NATIONAL CENTER ON ADDICTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY http://www.casacolumbia.org/
 National Addiction Technology Transfer Center http://www.nattc.org
 NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG INFORMATION http://www.health.org/
 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
 National Institute on Drug Abuse http://www.nida.nih.gov
 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration http://www.samhsa.gov
 National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence http://www.ncadd.org








Course Learning Objectives

1. The student will obtain knowledge of conceptual models of alcoholism and drug abuse and their implications for treatment and prevention.
2. The student will become familiar with a variety of substance abuse treatment models especially the use of motivational interviewing and working with the resistant client.
3. The student will gain a basic understanding of the pharmacological bases and issues associated with addiction.
4. The student will obtain a fundamental understanding of the functional, biological, developmental, and environmental factors surrounding addiction and substance abuse.
5. The student will gain a working knowledge of the process of alcohol and drug abuse counseling
6. The student will gain knowledge of special issues and circumstances in alcohol and drug counseling such as crisis intervention, specific cultural issues, professional ethics and health-related issues such as AIDS, STDs, and chronic conditions associated with alcoholism and other drug abuse.
7. The student will gain knowledge and understanding of family issues in addiction and the importance of treatment participation of significant others.
8. The student will gain skill and knowledge in alcohol and drug abuse treatment through group processes.
9. The student will understand the implications of dual diagnosis (substance abuse/mental illness; substance abuse/developmental disability) in the assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation processes.
10. The student will understand the importance of vocational issues in the recovery process and able to identify and implement vocational interventions in the alcohol and drug counseling process.
11. The student will be familiar with the various treatment modalities including self-help groups, psychotherapies (cognitive, Reality Therapy, REBT), and both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs.

Course Evaluation Criteria

2 exams @ 100 pts each 200 pts.
AA/NA/AODA Meeting Report (form provided) 100 pts.
Group Presentation (individually scored) 100 pts.
Total 400 pts.

Grading Scale

90-100 % or 360-400 pts = A
80-89% or 320-359 pts = B
70-79% or 280-319 pts = C
60-69% or 240-279 pts. = D
<60% or 239 pts or less = F


Course Requirements and Expectations

 Students are expected to have read the reading assignments prior to the class meeting.
 Attendance is vital to successful completion of the course. Missing 3 or more classes will be result in final grade reduction.
 Group presentation members are expected to participate in the planning, preparation and presentation and will be evaluated individually NOT by group.
 All written assignments are to follow the procedures, format, and style outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition).
 This is a web-assisted course. All students need an email account and access to the World Wide Web and competency in using Blackboard instructional software. If this presents a challenge to any student, please see the professor following class.
 Finally, and most importantly, students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner respecting the rights and privacy of all other members. Personal issues may arise within the context of course interactions, practice sessions, or self-disclosure situations – all students are to respect and keep confidential any personal information that may be discussed, disclosed or otherwise known to participants of this course.

Ethical Conduct and Confidentiality

All students enrolled in coursework through the Department of Counselor Education are obligated to comply with all laws and ethical codes of conduct as outlined by the various professional organizations governing professional counseling practice. These would include client confidentiality, the duty to warn, dual relationships and other codes appropriate to a safe and comfortable environment for our clients. Any person found in violation of codes of conduct or found engaging in unprofessional behaviors or dispositions inconsistent with these goals and practices is subject to expulsion from coursework, the counseling program, the university, and to any other appropriate disciplinary actions as determined by the course instructor, the Department Chair, other university administrative personnel or local authorities.

Student Accommodations

Northeastern Illinois University will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students need to contact the Director of the Access Center, Dr. Victoria Amey-Flippen, or the professor as early in the semester as possible to ensure that classroom and academic accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. All communication between students, the Access Center, and the professor will be strictly confidential.

Relationship of Course to The Teachers College

Professional programs are designed to reflect the current knowledge base and effective practices. Curricular coherence is strengthened through faculty study and dialogues on purpose, course content, and intended candidate learning outcomes.



This course seeks to develop counselors in training as measured by the following outcomes:

Knowledge. Candidates will exhibit knowledge of:
1. The general assessment resources and their role and function in treatment planning and evaluation.
2. The essential concepts of appraisal in counseling.
3. The philosophical, historical, social, and theoretical foundations of counseling.
4. The theories of human physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development, methods and techniques in appraising such within the counseling context.
5. The characteristics and equitable treatment of diverse clients or learners within the counseling process.
6. The appropriate technology and how it may be used to enhance counseling and learning.
7. The techniques to integrate advanced professional studies with essential concepts from the candidates’ general- and counseling-studies.
8. The legal and ethical issues of counseling within the candidates’ work environment [school, mental health, rehabilitation, college/university settings].
Skills. Candidates will be able to:
1. Integrate and use concepts from their general and professional studies in their professional counseling environment.
2. Demonstrate professional performance that reflects current theory, research, and practice.
3. Implement non-biased techniques for meeting the needs of diverse students and clients.
4. Use and support effective communication techniques in order to develop positive helping relationships.
5. Employ appropriate assessment techniques in order to measure the development, learning, vocational development, and mental health of students and clients.
6. Apply a variety of counseling assessment strategies and techniques to promote student and client development, critical thinking, and problem solving.
7. Make use of appropriate technology in their counseling environment.
Disposition. Candidates will demonstrate a:
1. Commitment to professionalism and ethical standards.
2. Desire to analyze concepts and clinical practices, to experiment, and to evaluate and/or initiate innovative practices within acceptable professional and ethical standards and guidelines.
3. Dedication to life-long learning by participating in professional organizations and keeping current with research in their field.
4. Belief in having realistic but high expectations of all students and clients in the counseling process.
5. Respect for cultural and individual differences by providing equitable personal growth opportunities for all.
6. Desire to communicate with family and community members to make them partners in the counseling process.
7. Commitment to collaboration with other professionals to improve the overall development of students and clients.


Course Sequence


Date Topic Reading Assignments or Activities
Monday, August 30 Orientation, Introductions,
Pharmacology of Addiction, DSM-IV criteria for Abuse & Dependence O’Brien (1995)
Monday, September 6 No Class – Labor Day
Monday, Sept 13 Drugs of Abuse Group Presentations I
Monday, Sept 20 Drugs of Abuse Group Presentations II
Monday, Sept 27 Addiction Fundamentals; Assessment Hester & Miller Chapt 3 & 4
Oct. 4 Motivation for Change 1,2,3
11 Motivational Interviewing 4,5,6
18 MIdterm
25 7,8,9
Nov 1 10,11,12
8 18, 19, 20
15 20.21,22
22 Conjoint, Family 23 Virginia Satir
29 Dual Dx /Groups 24 & 25
Dec 6 Final Exam






TECHNOLOGY

This is a Web-assisted course. Students should have access to email and the Internet to maximize the benefits available. See instructor if this is a challenge. The instructor uses Microsoft Office products for word processing and presentations (WORD and PowerPoint). High-speed Internet access (broadband) is ideal and dial-up connections are slow and problematic with downloading large documents. The computer labs on the NEIU campus have high-speed (broadband) connections.

Blackboard is a web-based instructional software that allows instructors to teach online or to supplement site-based instruction. Course notes, scanned articles, handouts, and other printed materials will be posted on the Blackboard site for COUN 425-Alcohol & Drug Counseling. The instructor will attempt to post weekly class notes (outline version of PowerPoint presentations) prior to class meetings so that students may print off class notes prior to attending the class. This is NOT met to replace class attendance and is offered as a supplement to facilitate processing of information. Missing three or more class meetings is problematic and may have significant adverse effects on the student’s final grade per university policy.

Access to Blackboard:

1. Go Online using an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer
2. Go to: http://www.neiu.edu
3. Click on: Information Resources link
4. Click on: Northeastern’s Blackboard Bb

From NEIU’s Blackboard Bb. Click on: Create an Account Fill in all appropriate boxes. You have control of your username and password. A suggestion: keep username and password consistent with other university information resources or Internet sites – it is much easier to keep track and remember.
Exit or return to Internet Explorer or other browser
Return to Blackboard window (Steps 1-4)

From NEIU’s Blackboard Bb main page:
Click on: Course Catalog
Click on: College of Education
Click on: Counselor Education
Click on: Frameworks for Counselors (SUMMER 04)
Click on: Enroll (icon at far right) – you should be enrolled automatically if you are still logged in. If not, you may need to re-enter the site and login.
Fill in your username and password that you established above

TO ACCESS BLACKBOARD REGULARLY AND OBTAIN DOCUMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, EXTERNAL LINKS, ETC.:

Enter course Blackboard website
From course website: Click on: Course Documents
Here you will find the posted documents for the course. By double clicking on the item, your computer should automatically open up the document in Word or other appropriate format. Note: some items may be posted in .pdf format (portable document format). Adobe Acrobat software is used to open these type of documents. You may obtain Adobe Acrobat Reader software, free, online at http://www.adobe.com . This free software only enables you to read and print .pdf documents, NOT create them (you need additional, costly software). Adobe Acrobat Reader has its own toolbar from which to print, save, etc. These tools will be located below those of your main computer or browser toolbar. You may also go to the course Blackboard site and click on Announcements then click on the View All tab to access Adobe Reader link and instructions to download such. Other elements of the Blackboard site may be utilized such as Course Information (syllabus), Discussion Board, Announcements, and Links but your main resource will be Course Documents.

For Discussion questions on Discussion Board:
From the menu on the left side of the course webpage, click on: Discussion Board
Read the instructions for the topic assignment at hand. Select the discussion topic at hand by double clicking on that heading. A window will open up with all the discussion postings listed by student’s name. (It could be blank if you are the first one). On the top left of the window you will see and icon: “Add Thread”. Click on that icon. A window will pop up similar to email. Fill in the boxes and type in your response(s); when you are done click on: “submit”. Read the other postings by clicking on the underlined topic not the student name. By clicking on the student name, you will be able to send a personal email to that person only. You may reply to other’s posting by clicking on “reply” and your comment will be shared with the class.

You should explore all aspects of Blackboard and discover all the benefits of having this technology available to you including: communicating individually with other classmates, access to resource materials such as writing guides and links to online websites, and the ability to post and send materials, comments, and documents.