Biological Aspects of Addiction and Recovery – SUBS 606

Course Description

Substance abuse and addictive behaviors have effects on the brain and the rest of the human body. This course focuses on biological aspects of addiction including brain anatomy, neurotransmitters and other brain chemicals, predisposing biological factors, and physiological effects. These biological aspects are reviewed for each of the primary classifications of drugs of abuse and key addictive behaviors. Biological aspects of medical approaches to treatment and recovery are also considered.

Rationale

Skillful helping of those who struggle with substance abuse and addictive behavior (SAAB) requires counselors to understand the biological factors involved. Because the brain and other organ systems in the body are affected by SAAB, appropriate referral to other health care professionals for additional care beyond counseling is often needed. This course is intended for the student who is or soon will be counseling individuals, couples, and families struggling with substance abuse or other addictive behaviors.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings, video presentations, and additional materials

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. This is not the traditional Class Introduction. The student will develop a clear, informative, and appealing video introduction responding to the prompts found in the assignment instructions. The student's video can be creative and reflect his/her personality. The student can use any familiar software to accomplish this task.

Discussion: Video Summary

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will select one process addiction video from the assigned Module: Week (do not select the Inhalant video) to watch. After viewing, the student will write a summary of the video. In response to prompts in each discussion, the student must synthesize pertinent material and write a substantive research-based thread and reply.

The thread must be approximately 2 pages in length and will address 3 main areas of discussion in response to a provided prompt: summary of the process addiction, what the student learned about the process addiction, and how the student will integrate the information from the video about the specific process addiction into counseling. The thread will be submitted in the assigned module: week and one reply to a classmate's thread will be submitted with a critical response of ¾ - 1 page in the same module: week.

All threads must be written with clarity and conciseness, without spelling, grammar, word choice errors, and adhere to meaning-making thread guidelines and rubric expectations.  Current APA form guidelines should be followed. Specific instructions are provided in the assignment instructions. (CLOs: A-C)

Discussion: Advocacy

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. As professionals, we are called to advocate for our profession. This discussion focuses on organizations, advocacy needs and trends, and how counselors can get involved professionally to promote change and progress addressing needs for addictions and co-occurring disorders at various levels (e.g., international, national, state, regional and local). Professional counseling organizations and an addiction focused advocacy issues will be reviewed and discussed.

Each research-based thread must be approximately 300 words in length. The thread will be submitted in the assigned module: week and one reply to a classmate's thread will be submitted with a research-based response of 250 words in the same module: week.

All threads must be written with clarity and conciseness, without spelling, grammar, word choice errors, and adhere to meaning-making thread guidelines and rubric expectations. Current APA form guidelines should be followed. Specific instructions are provided in the assignment instructions. (CLOs: A, C-E, G)

Peer-Review Discussions: Critical Reflection (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Discussions provide opportunities to integrate insights and skills gleaned from the assigned readings, lectures, web resources, and the Scriptures as the student narrates movement through a process for growing in favor with God and others. Learning to accurately communicate beliefs, attitudes, and emotions about important issues is a crucial part of personal and professional development, particularly when others do not see issues the same way.

Due to the nature of these connected, collaborative, research-based discussions, the content-building discussions will have a “paper-like feel” (i.e., more is expected than in a typical discussion-based thread). Required texts and lectures are to be noticeably and consistently used to ground assertions. In response to prompts in each discussion, the student must synthesize pertinent material and write a substantive research-based thread and reply.

Each thread must be 2 ½ -2 ¾ pages in length and will address 3 main areas of discussion in response to a provided prompt: critical analysis and evaluation, synthesis and application, and a challenge response. The discussion will require reflective introspection into a personal area stated in the prompt. The thread will be submitted in the assigned module: week and one 1-page critical reply to a classmate's thread will be submitted in the following module: week.

All threads must be written with clarity and conciseness, without spelling, grammar, word choice errors, and adhere to meaning-making thread guidelines and rubric expectations.  Current APA form guidelines should be followed. Specific instructions are provided in the assignment instructions. (CLOs: A-G)

Each Critical Reflection assignment will be submitted as a Discussion, as instructed above, and as an assignment to be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. Each Critical Reflection assignment must be  2 ½ -2 ¾ pages in length and will address 3 main areas of discussion in response to a provided prompt: critical analysis and evaluation, synthesis and application, and a challenge response.

The paper written for the Discussion: Video Summary will be submitted here to be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. The paper must be approximately 2 pages in length and will address 3 main areas of discussion in response to a provided prompt: summary of the process addiction, what the student learned about the process addiction, and how the student will integrate the information from the video about the specific process addiction into counseling. 

Quiz: SAC Subscription

This quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module: week. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 1 multiple-choice question, and will have no time limit. (CLOs: A)

Each module: week requires active learning to develop understanding of the course content and objectives, skills and knowledge as a counselor, and integration of a Christian worldview through readings and videos. The content presented and knowledge acquired from active learning will be translated into the course assignments. Reading and viewing the videos is crucial to student learning in this course and the student will complete a self-report quiz each week of the module: week Learn Tasks.

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module: week. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 1 true/false question, and will have no time limit. (CLOs: A)