Techniques in Addiction Counseling – ADCN 505

Course Description

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

Students must have curricular experiences and demonstrate their knowledge in helping relationships. The ability to synthesize and apply an understanding of the theories and techniques to one’s personal and professional life is critical in counselor development. In fact, this course may be one of the most important courses in the program as it addresses the essence of counseling. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the basic knowledge, communication skills, and values necessary to invite others to share their life stories and experiences, explore blocks to change, and engage in a reflective decision making process in order to implement strategies for change. From a Christian perspective, this course helps students develop skills to effectively love their neighbor as themselves and to convey Christ’s love implicitly or explicitly (when ethically appropriate) to their clients.

This course also encourages self-awareness and self-exploration so that students can gain an understanding of how their own personal experiences, preferences, feelings, values, and worldview influences their practice as a counselor. Such insights cultivate personal, professional, and spiritual growth. A key feature of this course is the opportunity to practice these essential counseling skills in a safe, controlled environment. Over the course of the term students will be able to practice their skills. Extensive uses of media will help the student learn the essential skills involved in building an effective helping relationship.

Note

This is the 8-week online version of ADCN 505 Techniques in Addiction Counseling course. It is intended for those students who already have experience working in the filed of addiction with direct client contact which includes the use of basic counseling skills and some type of formal feedback regarding those skills (e.g., supervision). Students are encouraged to take the intensive version of the course, especially if they do not have such experience.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist Assignment

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

Advising Acknowledgement Quiz

Discussions - Written (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt. Each thread must be 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 200 words.

Video Discussions (4)

For this collaborative discussion, the student will create a video rather than a written initial post and will reply to their peers using a video.  The replies will provide peer feedback using the peer observation form as a guide for feedback. The student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt, with video recorded responses to the appropriate material. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply via video to a minimum of 2 other classmates’ threads.

Quizzes (7)

Each quiz is based on practice exercises within MyLab Counseling. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain multiple-choice, true/false and/or short answer questions, and have a 30-minute time limit.

Self-Evaluation Quizzes (3)

The student will complete 3 self-evaluations quizzes during the course, considering his or her ratings of particular skills covered in this course.

Final Self-Evaluation: Assessing Core Counseling Skills Development Assignment

The student will complete 1 final self-evaluation during the course, considering his or her ratings of particular skills covered in this course.

Session Evaluation Assignment

The student will complete a session evaluation during the course, viewing and evaluating a professional on the skills covered in this course.