Drug and Alcohol Counseling - Level 1 

Drug and Alcohol Counseling – Level 1

160 Hours/12 Months/Instructor Support

Course Overview:

Have you ever thought about a career in addiction counseling? Do you feel passionate about helping people reclaim lives that have been deteriorated by drugs or alcohol? Addiction counseling professionals treat individuals who are in need of substance abuse counseling as well as offer peace of mind to the families of persons who are in need of drug addiction counseling. This drug and alcohol distance learning course will effectively teach you basic drug and alcohol abuse counseling techniques. Our distance learning methods are proven and can provide you with a thorough introduction to the many facets of addiction counseling.

People who struggle with addictions rely on the help of professionals trained in drug addiction counseling to help them get through their difficult time. With our distance learning course, you can learn drug and alcohol abuse counseling techniques that could teach you how to help people identify and manage their addictions. If you are looking for a meaningful career in substance abuse counseling, this course can help you get started.

Course Outline:

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 1
Detecting Addiction

• Addiction: The Definitions
• The Difference Between Abuse and Dependence
• Assessing the Addiction Risk
• Exploring Methods and Models of Treatment
• Fears and Obstacles to Recovery
• How Substance Abuse Works
• Understanding the Substances
• Behavioral Addiction
• Compulsive Gambling
• Sex and Pornography Addiction
• Computer Games and the Internet
• Food Addiction
• Work Addiction
• Partying and Party Drugs
• The Risks of Experimentation and Addiction
• The Cost of Addiction to Families
  

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 2
Taking the First Steps

• Recognizing Addiction
• Genetics: Addiction Across Generations
• How a Body Gets Addicted
• Perceiving Addiction in a Loved One
• Understanding the Role of the Client
• Avoiding Hopelessness
• Matching Characteristics to Treatment Options
• Deciding When to Start
• Successful Quitting
• Becoming Aware of Triggers
• Increasing Motivation to Change
• Factors the Affect the Ability to Quit
  

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 3
Examining Treatment Approaches

• Treatment Choices
• Different Viewpoints on Addiction
• The Moral dimension
• The Disease Perspective
• The Pharmacological Perspective
• Combining Treatment Options
• Interventions: Breaking Through Denial and Fear
• Outpatient Treatment
• Residential or Inpatient Treatment
• Understanding Detoxification
• Medications that May Help through Detoxification
• Methadone Treatment
• Twelve Step Programs
• Self-Help Groups and Support Groups
• Alternative Treatments
• Acupuncture in the Treatment Model
• Ibogaine Treatment
• Nutritional Therapy
• Meditation in Treatment
• Teen Treatment Options
  

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 4
Life in Recovery

• Overcoming Barriers to Recovery
• Building Skills for Recovery
• One Step at a Time
• Building Resilience
• Handling Everyday Fears
• Taking Action and the Commitment to Change
• Why Relapse Happens
• Learning from Relapse
• Dealing with Relationships During Recovery
• Dealing with Family Problems
• Dealing with Work Problems
• Dealing with Financial Problems
• Supporting Family and Friends
• Helping with Follow Through
• Supporting change Over the Long-Term
• Sustaining Optimism
  

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 5
Counseling: The Initial Hours

• How to Greet Patients
• How to Handle Family Members
• Beginning the Therapeutic Alliance
• The Initial Assessment
• The Intoxicated Patient
• How Patients React in Detoxification
• The Biopsychosocial Interview
• Diagnosis and Disposition
• The Treatment Plan
• How to Build a Treatment Plan
• The Problem List
• Goals and Objectives
• Treatment Plan Review
• How to Write Progress Notes
  

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 6
Counseling and Treatment

• Individual Treatment Process
• The Therapeutic Alliance
• Transference and Countertransference
• Behavior Therapy
• Cognitive Therapy
• Interpersonal Therapy
• How Patients Use Feelings Inappropriately
• How Patients Learn Relationship Skills
• Benefits of Group Therapy
• Preparation for the Group
• The Honesty Group
• The Euphoric Recall Group
• The Reading Group
• The Relapse Prevention Group
• The Spirituality Group
• The Childhood Group
• The Men's Group / Women's Group
• The Community Group
• The Personal Inventory Group
• Creating and Using Contracts
  

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 7
The AA 12 Step

• Step One: Powerless and Unmanageable
• Step Two: Belief in a Higher Power
• Step Three: Turn it Over to God
• Step Four: Fearless Moral Inventory
• Step Five: Sharing the Moral Inventory
• Educational Lectures Series
• Lecture Series: The Disease
• Lecture Series: Defense Mechanisms
• Lecture Series: The Great Lie & the Truth
• Lecture Series: Normal Development
• Lecture Series: Physical Addiction and Recovery
• Lecture Series: Alcoholics Anonymous
• Lecture Series: Understanding Feelings
  

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 8
Dual Diagnosis and Family Therapy

• Psychiatric / Psychological Assessment
• Depressed Patient
• Angry Patient
• Homicidal Patient
• Personality Disorders
• Antisocial Personality
• Borderline Patient
• Narcissistic Patient
• Anxious Patient
• Psychotic Patient
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
• Patient with Low Intellectual Functioning
• The Elderly Patient
• Early childhood Trauma
• Pathological Gambler
• Adolescent Treatment
• The Family Program
• How to Treat Family Members
  

Drug and Alcohol Counseling Module 9
The Clinical Staff and Being a Good Counselor

• The Physician
• Psychologist & Psychiatrist
• Nursing Staff
• Clinical Director and Supervisor
• Chemical Dependency Counselor
• The Rehabilitation Technician
• Activities Coordinator
• Team Building
• Staff-Patient Problems
• Discharge Summary and Aftercare
• Outpatient Discharge Criteria
• Understanding the Drugs
• Being a Good Counselor
• Characteristics of a Good Counselor
• Code of Ethics
  

System Requirements:

Internet Access

• Broadband or high-speed internet access is required. Broadband includes DSL, cable, and wireless connections..
• Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Moodle pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.

Hardware

• Windows hardware configurations and processors are acceptable.
• Mac computers MUST have Microsoft Window Operating Systems over Bootcamp (Bootcamp is a free download from Apple's website).
• 1 GB RAM recommended
• Software
• Operating Systems
• Windows XP or Vista and Mac OS X 10 and higher with Windows
• Web Browsers
• Google Chrome
• Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8
• Safari, Internet Explorer & FireFox are not currently recommended as they cannot display certain Moodle editing menus for both students and instructors
  Media Plug-ins (These may be required depending on your course media-click on the links below to download the latest versions)
• Adobe Flash Player
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Apple Quicktime
• Windows Media Player
• Real Player
• PowerPoint Viewer (use this if you don't have PowerPoint)
  

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses are always under improvement for your benefit.**