Online Substance Abuse Assistant Curriculum and Classes
Our curriculum is developed specifically for the distance education learner by instructional designers who specialize in how to develop content for adults and well-qualified subject matter experts to ensure quality content. In addition, USCI works with a program advisory council of non-USCI employees who work in the field to review content annually to ensure students receive content that is up-to-date, relevant, and accurate.
Program Goal:
To prepare students for an entry-level position working under the supervision of a substance abuse counselor, doing daily tasks in administration and substance abuse counseling.
The coursework trains students to:
Explain the history and development of psychology.
Explain basic psychological concepts and how they apply to addiction treatment.
Identify common personality traits and psychological disorders.
Discuss the models of addiction, and the history of substance abuse prevention.
Assess commonly abused substances, and the effects of substance tolerance and withdrawal.
Describe various theoretical approaches, treatment models and prevention programs, and apply them to real-world scenarios.
Assess the risk factors that contribute to relapse, and differentiate between lapse and relapse.
Describe the effects of addiction and substance abuse on children, adolescents and the family.
Assess the biological, psychological and physiological differences between men and women, and how these impact addictions.
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Program Curriculum Breakdown
Your Online Substance Abuse Assistant Classes are broken down into 2 units:
Next, students will learn the various treatment methods for addictions. First, students will discover how to perform a motivational interview. Then, students will examine various approaches to psychotherapy and treatment objectives, strategies and techniques. After examining the ethical and legal issues pertaining to group counseling, as well as how to manage diversity in this type of setting, students will learn the 12-Step process, examining both the advantages and disadvantages of this type of treatment. Finally, students examine maintenance goals and how to prevent a relapse.
In the final part of this course, students will examine the impact of substance abuse on the family, couples and children. Prevention programs that target children and adolescents will be discussed, as well as intervention for college students and mass-media campaigns focused on young adults. Students will explore programs for military personnel, veterans and their families, and prevention programs for older adults. Finally, students will examine how sex and gender identity can complicate treatment considerations but are essential to understand.
