WCSU Graduate Catalog 2023-2024

Psychology

PSY 530 Internship in Addiction Studies    3 SH

This course provides three hours of academic credit. Students will complete 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 and team-based care. 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. Internship agency partners will provide an on-site supervisor with appropriate clinical and supervisory experience. 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 (MAT). 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. Professional ethics will also be a focus of supervision, including issues of privacy and confidentiality, dual relationships, supervision and consultation, continuing education and self-evaluation, required record-keeping, diversity in practice, and the importance of language use and stigma, among other relevant topics. A goal of the course is to prepare alcohol and drug counselors to engage in professional and ethical practice in the field.

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.

PSY 584 Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders: Diagnosis and Interventions  3 SH

The objective of this course is to prepare substance use disorders counselors for identifying and treating substance use and comorbid mental disorders. It will also focus on the etiology and prevention of substance use and other mental disorders. It will provide instruction in group psychotherapies and team approaches for treating these disorders. Students will study harm-reduction interventions and develop an understanding of the roles of professional therapists and self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Offered every spring semester.

PSY 585 Current Topics in Substance Use Disorders Assessment and Treatment  3 SH

The objective of the course is to have students plan and identify pathways to staying up to date on relevant clinical, research, and community based information that will inform their long-term practice of addiction counseling. Specific topics addressed will include current changes in addictive substance use, changes in community based patterns of drug use, interaction with the medical field and with medical comorbidities, and the use of technology in clinical practice. The course will also focus on identifying pathways and tools to staying up to date on current topics in the field of addiction. Students will examine their roles as trained addiction professionals in the community through providing educational efforts, staying informed on legislative topics that are related to understanding and treating addiction, and through promoting the science of addiction. Offered every summer.

PSY 590 Master’s Project 3 SH

This course provides the opportunity for graduate students to research, design and implement their own intervention in the field of addiction prevention, education, or treatment. The project can be designed in any area of practice and must be fully implemented by the end of the course. Projects must be evidence-based and meet current best practice standards. Instruction and training in community outreach is provided. The course content is open-ended and dependent on the topical interests of the students, the needs of the community, and the guidance of the course instructor. Class meetings serve as a forum for members of the group to discuss and critically evaluate the methodological, research, and ethical issues raised in each other’s projects. Offered every spring semester.

PSY 592 Substance Use Counseling: Assessment and Counseling 4 SH

This course provides four hours of academic credit, and is divided into four equal parts. The first two parts concern the assessment of substance abuse, treatment planning, and professional ethics.  This will include reviews of the prevalence and etiology of substance abuse, the assessment of substance abuse by interviews and psychometric instruments, individual differences among substance abusers, comorbidity, the determination of the level of care necessary for substance abusers, and assessments of patient’s readiness to change.  The third and fourth parts will focus on practice considerations resulting from differences in gender, ethnicity, age, LGBT, and health status. Offered every fall semester.

PSY 593 Substance Use Counseling: Psychopharmacology    4 SH

This course provides four hours of academic credit. The objective of the course is to have students obtain a working knowledge of the psychopharmacology of addictive substances as well as of medications for both addiction and co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. Students will study the biological processes involved in tolerance and withdrawal from major categories of addictive substances and protocols for detoxification from psychoactive substances. The pharmacology of medication assisted treatments for addiction will be a major focus, including being able to identify the biological mechanisms through which they work, understand the potential risks and side effects, and understand prescribing concerns specific to individuals with use of multiple substances and/or comorbid psychiatric or medical conditions. The course will also focus on identifying pathways to effective interdisciplinary practice around medication management of symptoms and to knowledge of how to become consumers of relevant, current topics in medication management of symptoms. Important issues to consider in the psychopharmacology of SUD interventions will include a focus on HIV/AID treatments and interactions. The necessity of multicultural awareness in counseling with clients in recovery from SUD will be emphasized throughout.

PSY 594 Substance Use Counseling: Counseling Techniques    4 SH

In this course, the most influential psychotherapeutic interventions for the treatment of substance use disorders will be studied and evaluated. Professional ethics and guidelines for practice will be reviewed.  The counselor’s role in supporting the 12-step fellowships of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and in preventing and managing relapse will be analyzed.  Counseling issues with women, ethnic minorities, adolescents, and LGBT clients will be identified.  Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to implement treatment plans in individual and group counseling. Offered every fall semester.

PSY 595 Substance Use Counseling: Applied individual and Group Counseling    4 SH

In this course, specific strategies and interventions for counseling and psychotherapy with substance abusers will be studied. There will be an emphasis on interventions that have universal applications in counseling and psychotherapy.  Sensitization to multicultural practices in counseling and psychotherapy will be emphasized.  The Stages of Change in counseling and psychotherapy and ambivalence about change will be studied.  Ethical guidelines for professional practice will be analyzed. Offered every spring semester.

 

Prerequisites for all PSY graduate courses: Graduate standing in the Master of Science in Addiction Studies program or permission of the instructor.