Psychology

PSY 530 Internship in Addiction Studies      3 SH

This course provides two hours of academic credit. Students will be placed by the faculty in a field placement at a health service agency that includes treatment and prevention services for substance use disorders (SUDs) as either a primary or secondary focus. Our partner agencies emphasize inter-professional team-based care, and follow evidence-based practices currently endorsed by national organizations (NIH, SAMHSA, ASAM) in the addictions field. Internship sites will work cooperatively with WCSU Psychology to provide an internship experience which meets the goals and objectives necessary to adequately prepare an LADC-in-training for licensure, as outlined by the licensure granting agency (CT Dept of Public Health) that includes a minimum of ten (10) hours of clinical training in each of the following core counseling functions: screening, intake, orientation, assessment, treatment planning, counseling, case management, crisis intervention, client education, referral, report and record keeping, and consultation.  Internship agency partners will provide an on-site supervisor who is a licensed mental health professional with appropriate clinical and supervisory experience in the addiction field. Agency partners are preferred who are working toward or have instituted the integration of SUD and primary care, and provide students experience with medication-assisted treatment.

Clinical supervision by the PSY 530 instructor occurs on a weekly basis in a small group setting and includes preparation in SUD assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Instructors will be licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADCs) or clinical psychologists with requisite addiction expertise. Professional ethics will also be a focus of supervision, including issues of privacy and confidentiality, ethics. law, consultation, continuing education and self-evaluation, required record-keeping, diversity in practice, the importance of using evidence-based language, level of care criteria, using appropriate DSM diagnostic terminology, among other relevant topics. Students will complete 150 internship hours by the end of this course.

This course is a part of a 2 course sequence that must be completed over two consecutive academic terms. PSY 530 will typically be offered once per academic year  in the Spring (no sooner than a student’s second full semester) and should be immediately followed by PSY 531 (1 SH), typically offered in the full 15-week Summer term, as a continuation of the internship started in this class. Students complete a total of 300 internship hours (required for licensure by CT DPH) over a continuous six-month period by the end of PSY 530 and PSY 531. Initial enrollment and eligibility to continue internship is governed by the program’s Policy on Gatekeeping and Assessment of Professional Functioning and Behavior. Students do not self-enroll, they are enrolled by the Graduate Coordinator.

This course provides 1 hour of academic credit and is a continuation of internship started in the semester immediately preceding (PSY 530) in which students were placed by the faculty in a field placement at a health service agency that includes treatment and prevention services for substance use disorders (SUDs) as either a primary or secondary focus. Our partner agencies emphasize inter-professional team-based care, and follow evidence-based practices currently endorsed by national organizations (NIH, SAMHSA, ASAM) in the addictions field. Internship sites will work cooperatively with WCSU Psychology to provide an internship experience which meets the goals and objectives necessary to adequately prepare an LADC-in-training for licensure, as outlined by the licensure granting agency (CT Dept of Public Health) that includes a minimum of ten (10) hours of clinical training in each of the following core counseling functions: screening, intake, orientation, assessment, treatment planning, counseling, case management, crisis intervention, client education, referral, report and record keeping, and consultation. Internship agency partners will provide an on-site supervisor who is a licensed mental health professional with appropriate clinical and supervisory experience in the addiction field. Agency partners are preferred who are working toward or have instituted the integration of SUD and primary care, and provide students experience with medication-assisted treatment.

Clinical supervision by the PSY 531 instructor occurs on a weekly basis in a small group setting and includes preparation in SUD assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Instructors will be licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADCs) or clinical psychologists with requisite addiction expertise. Professional ethics will also be a focus of supervision, including issues of privacy and confidentiality, ethics. law, consultation, continuing education and self-evaluation, required record-keeping, diversity in practice, the importance of using evidence-based language, level of care criteria, using appropriate DSM diagnostic terminology, among other relevant topics. Students will complete 150 internship hours by the end of this course.

This course is a part of a 2 course sequence to be completed over two consecutive academic terms. PSY 530 will typically be offered once per academic year in the Spring (no sooner than a student’s second full semester) and should immediately be followed by this course PSY 531 (1 SH), typically offered in the full 15-week Summer term. In total students complete a total of 300 internship hours (required for licensure by CT DPH) over a continuous six-month period by the end of PSY 530 and PSY 531. Initial enrollment and eligibility to continue internship is governed by the program’s Policy on Gatekeeping and Assessment of Professional Functioning and Behavior. Students do not self-enroll, they are enrolled by the Graduate Coordinator.

PSY 581 Development and Evaluation of SUD Intervention Programs        3 SH
This course provides three hours of academic credit in substance use disorder program development and evaluation. Program development requires knowledge of evidence-based and culturally congruent interventions and the ability to implement interventions in a cost-effective manner. New programs may be needed to address new and emerging trends in addiction treatment and prevention. Program evaluation gathers credible evidence (data) about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of intervention programs. Results of evaluation help us to make judgements about the substance use program, improve its effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about future program development. In this course, students will learn to generate outcome evaluation questions; identify and measure appropriate indicators of these outcomes using information from records, interviews, questionnaires and focus groups; and summarize and interpret these findings for appropriate audiences. The primary goal of evaluation research is improving the quality of care given to clients. Offered every summer.

PSY 582 Professional Development and Ethics      3 SH

The objective of the course is to prepare substance use counselors to engage in professional and ethical practice in the field. It will also focus on identifying common hurdles and barriers to professional and ethical practice and provide students with practical guidelines to address these barriers and intervene. Offered every fall semester.

PSY 583 Theories of Psychotherapy      3 SH

In this course, the most influential theories for the treatment of substance use disorders will be studied and evaluated. Theories will be considered in historical context and will also be evaluated in context with current research findings. Counseling issues with women, ethnic minorities, adolescents, and LGBTQ clients will be identified. Students will be asked to identify appropriate interventions for specific clients. Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to implement treatment plans in individual and group counseling.