SW 6740 - Substance Use Practice I: Evidence-based Principles and Therapeutic Alliance

This course is designed to provide students with principles and skills in developing a therapeutic alliance as a foundation for implementing evidence-based treatment programs such as MI and CBT, which are the focus of Practice II. In Advanced Practice I, students learn to recognize and assess substance use disorders (SUD) using a biopsychosocial perspective. They also learn to understand client behaviors associated with SUDs building on their knowledge from other courses of developmental issues, human behavior, and diversity in the social environment. Students learn basic principles of understanding co-occurring mental health disorders in the context of SUD including medications that can be effective with this population. Students develop fundamental practice skills for working with individuals, families, and groups informed by the values and ethics that apply to the treatment of SUDs in social work practice.