NVCC COLLEGE-WIDE COURSE CONTENT SUMMARY
HMS 251 - SUBSTANCE ABUSE I (3 CR.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Provides knowledge, skills, and insight for working in drug and alcohol abuse programs.  Emphasizes personal growth and client growth measures in helping relationships.  Stresses various methods of individual and group techniques for helping the substance abuser.  Lecture 3 hours per week.

GENERAL COURSE PURPOSE

To investigate substance abuse and its relationship to total quality of life and introduce students to new terms, to diagnoses, and to treatment approaches. Additionally, this course is intended as the introductory course preparing the student for the Virginia State Certified Substance Abuse Counselor examination.

ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES

English, reading, and writing.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The student will be able, by means of written, oral, and/or practical applications to identify and describe/discuss

    1. The history of alcohol and its use, including political/legislative efforts.
    2. Divergent philosophies pertaining to use of alcohol and other drugs.
    3. The physiological, psychological, and pharmacological implications of consumption of mood altering chemicals.
    4. Specific criteria used in diagnosing chemical abuse/dependency.
    5. The concept of chemical dependency as a disease, and form an independent opinion of same.
    6. Research efforts in the field of genetic determinants to chemical dependency.
    7. Problems unique to minorities and chemical abuse/dependency.
    8. Similarities and differences in male and female chemical abuse/dependency.
    9. Different treatment modalities currently available to the chemically dependent person.
    10. Cross Addiction/Dual Addiction - the "Back Door" to Alcoholism.
    11. The Concept of Dual Diagnosis.
MAJOR TOPICS TO BE INCLUDED
    1. Alcohol the chemical
    2. Myths of substance abuse
    3. Predisposing factors to alcoholism
    4. Stages of addiction
    5. History of substance abuse
    6. Interpersonal skills for getting the addict into treatment
    7. Intervention - the concept and the application
    8. Relapse
    9. Working in groups
    10. Introduction to twelve-step methodology
EXTRA TOPICS (OPTIONAL)
    1. Nutrition
    2. Nervous systems and basic addiction process
Revised 1/95
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