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Human Services: Addiction Studies

Award Type: Certificate of Achievement

The Human Services: Addiction Studies program is for students preparing for or advancing their careers in the growing field of drug and alcohol dependency treatment, prevention and education. This program is accredited by the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Educators (CAADE) and provides the educational components necessary to become a Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist through CAADE or the California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC).

The graduate of the Certificate of Achievement in Human Services: Addiction Studies will:

  • Possess knowledge and skills that will enable them to competently and ethically carry out the duties and responsibilities of jobs as addiction counselors or other positions in the addiction treatment and recovery field. The knowledge and skills that they will possess fall under the following four rubrics: (1) Interpersonal Helping Skills; (2) Ethics and Boundaries; (3) Documentation; and (4) Professional Certification Preparation.
  • Interpersonal Helping Skills: Graduates will possess interpersonal skills required to engage empathically with clients who have substance use problems, develop safe and trusting relationships with them, assess their strengths and problems, and recommend appropriate interventions and/or referrals. They will demonstrate the ability to manifest the core conditions of helping relationships, including empathy, non-possessive warmth, genuineness and congruence. They will recognize the importance of the family and societal contexts in which their clients live and utilize this information in providing helping services. They will be skillful in both individual and group counseling contexts.
  • Ethics and Boundaries: Graduates will be familiar with a professional association’s code of ethics and demonstrate the ability to behave in accord with it. They will be able to define appropriate professional relationship boundaries and detect when these boundaries are crossed or violated. They will be able to maintain client confidentiality and know the conditions under which confidentiality must be broached. They will demonstrate an understanding of the principles of culturally competent practice.
  • Documentation: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to create and maintain appropriate client documentation, including intake notes, service or treatment plans, progress notes, discharge notes and other documentation such as informed consent and release of information forms.
  • Professional Certification Preparation: Graduates will possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes recommended in Technical Assistance Publication 21 (TAP 21, Addiction Counseling Competencies), published by the U.S. Department of health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. They will be prepared to successfully pass a written examination leading to certification as an addiction counselor, and they will have completed at least 250 supervised work hours in the addiction treatment field in partial fulfillment of the supervised work experience requirement for certification.

Program Requirements

A total of 42 units is required for the certificate.

Required core courses (39 units)

Course Number Course Title Units
HUSV 101 Introduction to Human Services: Becoming a Helping Professional 3.0
HUSV 102 Case Management Skills 3.0
HUSV 103 Basic Counseling Skills 3.0
HUSV 104 Group Dynamics 3.0
HUSV 106 Family Systems, Addiction & Trauma 3.0
HUSV 107 Serving Culturally Diverse Clients 3.0
HUSV 110 Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Addiction 3.0
or
SOC 106 Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Addiction 3.0
or
PSY 106 Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Addiction 3.0
HUSV 111 Addiction Treatment and Recovery 3.0
HUSV 130 Addiction Studies Practicum 4.0
HUSV 131 Addiction Studies Practicum Seminar 2.0
HUSV 132 Drugs, the Brain and the Body 3.0
or
PSY 132 Drugs, the Brain and the Body 3.0
HUSV 135 Ethics for Human Services Professionals 3.0
HUSV 142 Co-Occurring Disorders: Engagement 3.0

Plus a minimum of 3 units selected from the following:

Course Number Course Title Units
FCS 131 Life Management 3.0
HUSV 145 Effective Writing for Human Services 3.0

Recommended electives:

Course Number Course Title Units
FSN 112 Behavioral Nutrition 3.0
HUSV 108 Crisis Intervention Skills 3.0
HUSV 113 Women and Addiction 3.0