SW 3731 - Counseling Practice I

This course introduces students to the knowledge and skills substance use disorder counselors will need to practice professionally. Students will learn about William Miller’s Phases of treatment and gain an understanding of and practice skills in screening, assessment and case conceptualization. Students will explore and be introduced to 6 main elements: 1) the American Society of Addictive Medicine’s bio-psycho-social six-dimensional assessment criteria, 2) the DSM 5 diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders, 3)the Transtheoretical Model of Change (Prochaska & DiClemente), the stages of change and other motivational enhancement strategies for working with ambivalence, 4) the importance of the therapeutic alliance, 5) matching client ‘s needs to appropriate interventions, 6) Treatment planning, documentation and record keeping in the context of assessment and service delivery.