PSYC 773: Assessment and Treatment of Addictive Disorders in Rural Settings
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology and PSYC 641 or equivalent, or admission into the Psy.D. program, or permission of instructor
Credit Hours: (3)
This course focuses on recognizing, identifying, assessing, and diagnosing abused substances as well as compulsive/impulsive behaviors in the rural community. Students will be introduced to the prevailing theories around addiction as well as frequent treatment modalities. Experiential activities, hosted in the community, will be integrated throughout the course. Students will be encouraged to consult and integrate the current scientific literature on abuse and misuse of substance and validated treatment for substance abuse in treatment planning. The curriculum for the course is infused with a strengths-based, diversity oriented, social justice perspective that encourages students to identify barriers to treatment for individuals of marginalized or disenfranchised populations.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
This course sequence may include the following topics:
1. Models and theories of addiction
a. Disease model
b. Moral model
c. Trail model
d. Integrated model
2. Models and theories of treatment
a. Disease/medical model
b. AA/NA/CA/SA medical model
c. Harm reduction model
d. Integrated model
3. Diagnosis of addictive disorders
a. ASI
b. DSN-IV-TR
4. External forces effecting addiction
a. Social
b. Political
c. Economic
d. Risk and resiliency factors
5. Specific drugs and their forces
a. Hallucinogens
b. Opioids
c. Depressants
d. Stimulants
e. Prescription drugs/NOS
f. Addictive behaviors
6. Treatment planning
a. Stages of change and treatment planning
b. Evidence based practice considerations
c. Formulation of interventions
d. Group / Individual therapy methods
7. Interventions
a. Adapting treatment strategies to a range of treatment settings and modalities
b. Continuum of care
c. Relapse prevention
d. Discharge planning
8. Examination of resources in rural areas
a. Family
b. Social
c. Community resources
9. Treatment implications for marginalized/minimized populations
a. Adolescents
b. Women
c. GLBT
d. People of color
e. Overall social justice considerations
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
This course will provide students with a foundation in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of addictive disorders faced by practitioners in the rural community. The course will include a significant amount of reading and writing along with experiential activities, a final exam, and group discussion. It will primarily be conducted as a seminar with an emphasis on student participation.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
By the end of this course the successful student will demonstrate the following skills:
A. The ability to identify a variety of models and theories of addiction and other problems related to substance use
B. The ability to identify the social, political, economic, community (e.g., rural), and cultural contexts within which addiction and substance abuse exist, including risk and resiliency factors that characterize individuals and groups and their living environments
C. The ability to use the established diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders, and identify treatment settings, modalities and placement criteria with in the continuum of care
D. The ability to utilize treatment strategies and modalities appropriate for individual level of cultural/language literacy, acculturation or assimilation
E. The ability to use state recognized assessment instruments and interview strategies that identify client needs and address, age, gender and cultural issues
F. The ability to formulate a comprehensive treatment plan with clearly stated goals and objectives for each identified need
G. The ability to formulate treatment strategies that build on client strengths and competencies and enhance self-efficacy
H. Knowledge of community resources that address the varying needs of clients signigicant other effected by substance use
I. The ability to determine the treatment needs of families, couples, and significant others effected by substance use
J. The ability to recognize the signs, symptoms and effects of the drugs most often abused
Assessment Measures
Students will be assessed using several measures, which may include grades on written assignments, for participation in group discussion and experiential activities, and performance on the final exam.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
December 2007
March 1999