Addiction Studies

This seminar explores the skills and abilities necessary for those seeking the credential of Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) in the state of Pennsylvania. Counseling methodologies will be reviewed as well as agency settings in which substance abuse counseling takes place. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

This course provides an introduction to the physiological mechanism underlying the effects of alcohol and other drugs on the brain, the individual and society. Topics covered include basic pharmacology, placebo and an overview of the nervous system. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

This class will focus on methods that counselors can use to assist clients in the final stages of treatment and to make post-treatment plans to maintain sobriety. Participants will also learn to recognize the early signs of relapse and address these issues with intervention techniques. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

This seminar investigates treatment considerations in diverse populations based upon ethnic, cultural and racial differences. The importance of these differences will be explored in terms of substance abuse and substance abuse treatment. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

This course is designed to introduce the most common mental health disorders. This includes a review of the relevant signs, symptoms and diagnostic criteria. Students will see how substance related problems as well as barriers to maintaining sobriety interplay with the mental health diagnosis. Participants will practice various techniques that apply to both mental health and substance related disorders, seeing how to best address client's complex needs. Responding to suicidality will also be emphasized. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

This seminar will walk the counselor from the initial meeting with the client to their involvement in an ongoing counseling relationship. The essential ingredients for counselor skill-building will be explored as well as practiced in this core seminar. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

This course will provide an operational model for identifying, problem solving, and resolving relevant ethical issues confronting the substance abuse treatment staff member. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

Being able to work with groups in counseling is a critical skill. Topics covered in this class include observational methods in groups, supportive vs. self-awareness group therapy, an overview of group therapy approaches and how to lead a therapy group. Through this core class, students are able to develop their overall skills in group counseling. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

Documentation skills are a critical component in the field of substance abuse counseling. This seminar reviews the essential elements of record-keeping as it relates to effective treatment and further defines the standards by which agencies are reviewed for compliance in this regard. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

The therapeutic relationship is not an ordinary social exchange. Instead, the key differentials are ultimately aligned around issues of power and control. This workshop explores the use of clinical self while establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries thus assuring that the client benefits maximally in the therapeutic exchange while the counselor maintains a healthy psychic distance as a means of assuring objectivity and avoiding burn out. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

This topics course is offered under the Addiction Studies Discipline. Creativity is an important source of connection to our emotions, our experiences and our body. Many people in early recovery have a multitude of experiences they need to process and a need to develop helpful coping strategies for challenging emotions. Through voice, movement, art and symbology these practices are meant to assist the individual in truly centering oneself in the body and mind, and to help process repressed and traumatic material which may make the difference between struggling through or striving in recovery. This will be a highly experiential training so come prepared to sing, dance and play! (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

Due to the demanding nature of the job of working with substance abusers, burnout is a real & damaging possibility for counselors.  This course will explore techniques for maintaining a sense of well-being even amidst the chaos that is often a part of our daily routine.  This seminar is a must for those of us who sometimes feel overwhelmed by the ongoing pressures of dealing with dependent personalities. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT)is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Research shows that when treating substance-use disorders, a combination of medication and behavioral therapies is most successful. MAT is clinically driven with a focus on individualized patient care. (Course to be sunset by June 1, 2024)

The curriculum for this in-person course is designed by the PCB to meet the education requirements for certification in this specialty area in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania only. The Villanova instructors teaching in the program are approved trainers through the PCB.

PCB Course materials are provided in hard copy.