Bachelor of Science
in
Addiction Counseling
Prepare to help improve the welfare of those who find their lives jeopardized by various forms of addiction. Your studies will include a range of topics within Addiction Counseling including addiction, alcohol and other drugs (AOD), alcoholism, chemical dependency, substance use disorders, harm reduction, co-occurring disorders, or dual-diagnosis. In the Addiction Counseling program at Ottawa University, you will develop critical-thinking skills and study the factors that influence the delivery of addiction counseling and substance use disorder services, as well as how to assist individuals in obtaining long-term recovery.
The Addiction Counseling program is led by Dr. Kirk Bowden, President-Elect of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals. Dr. Bowden holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Northcentral University and serves on the editorial boards of Advances in Addiction and Recovery, the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, and Substance Abuse, the professional journal of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA).
This program is available in an online format and is designed to meet the state board of behavioral health licensing/certification and USDOE requirements in a majority of U.S. states. Because these requirements vary by state, students should confer with their state's licensure or certification authority to assure that this degree program meets the requirements.
Career Opportunities in Addiction Counseling
Upon completion of your addiction counselor education, you can be qualified for a variety of careers, including working for and
- Addiction counseling agencies
- Residential treatment facilities
- Hospitals — state, local and private
- Outpatient mental health and addiction treatment centers
- State and local government agencies
- Military addiction and substance use counselors
- Jail and prison addiction counselors
- Parole and probation officers
For more information about earning your B.S. degree online in addiction counseling at Ottawa University,
contact us today.
For curriculum and course descriptions, please download a program overview.
For detailed curriculum and more please visit the University Catalog entry for this program.
Addiction Counseling Major Courses
Introduction to Substance Use Disorders and Addiction Counseling | ADC 30000
Examines substance use disorders and process addictions inclusive of compulsive sexual behaviors, eating disorders, and pathological gambling.
Human Development and Addiction | ADC 30003
Examines theories and research of human growth and development. Focus on developmental diagnostic and assessment tools, strategies, and their application to addiction counseling.
Theories of Personality and Addiction | ADC 40000
Examines psychoanalytic, behaviorist, cognitive and humanistic theories of personality development. Emphasizes their application within addiction counseling.
Psychopharmacology and Addiction | ADC 40003
Examine psychoactive and addictive properties of the major drug classification. Also examines psychopharmacology treatment interventions and their application to addiction counseling.
Psychopathological and Co-Occurring Disorders | ADC 40006
Study of biological, psychological and sociocultural influences contributing to abnormal behavior patterns, includes substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. Focuses on intake, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and case management of various psychopathological and co-occurring disorders.
Clinical Addiction Counseling Issues | ADC 40009
Examines the processes of client screening, intake, assessment, treatment planning, crisis interventions, case management reports, record keeping, and client education in addiction counseling.
Multi-Cultural Competencies in Addiction Counseling | ADC 40012
Study of multicultural issues to include integration, discrimination, prejudice, the social dynamics of conflict, and assimilation. Includes a focus on their application to addiction counseling.
Professional Responsibility: Legal and Ethical Issues of Addiction Counseling | ADC 40015
Examines addiction counseling professional responsibilities, legal standards, and ethics issues.
Special Issues in Addiction Counseling | ADC 40018
Examines prevention and harm reduction in addiction counseling. Includes a focus on IV and sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS/HIV and Hepatitis C.
Families and Addiction | ADC 40021
Examines addiction and substance misuse in the family system. Emphasizes client education, prevention, as well as individual and family system approaches to intervention. Includes a focus on issues specific to women.
Group Counseling in Addiction | ADC 40024
Examines addiction counseling skills required to perform therapeutic group sessions. Focuses on types of groups, client placement, group development, stages of treatment, client confidentiality, client education, and the client referral process.
Seminar in Addiction Counseling | ADC 49000
Capstone course that guides students in development of an integrative e-portfolio project that demonstrates personal achievement of learning outcomes in the addiction counseling major. Culminates in a major professional portfolio project, guided by licensure standards and includes investigating and discussing a major issue or issues within the field and presented in seminar form in class.
OR
Clinical Licensing/Certification Concentration Track Option
Students in this track must also complete Praticums I and II.
Practicum/Internship I | ADC 40027
150 hours of clinical addiction counseling work experience in a supervised setting. Fifty percent of the practicum hours must be completed in direct client contact. The practicum is designed to develop addiction counseling skills through practical application in an addiction counseling setting. Students work under the direct supervision of an approved onsite supervisor and a faculty supervisor. Capstone assignments throughout Practicum I and II guide students in the development of an integrative e-portfolio project that demonstrates personal achievement of the learning outcomes in the addiction counseling major. Enrollment requires advisor approval.
Practicum/Internship II | ADC 40030
150 hours of clinical addiction counseling work experience in a supervised setting. Fifty percent of the practicum hours must be completed in direct client contact. The practicum is designed to develop addiction counseling skills through practical application in an addiction counseling setting. Students work under the direct supervision of an approved onsite supervisor and a faculty supervisor. Capstone assignments throughout Practicum I and II guide students in the development of an integrative e-portfolio project that demonstrates personal achievement of the learning outcomes in the addiction counseling major. Enrollment requires advisor approval.
Note: Practicum/Intership III and IV may be needed for students residing in states that require more than 300 clock hours of practicum.
Practicum/Internship III | ADC 40033
150 hours of clinical addiction counseling work experience in a supervised setting. Fifty percent of the practicum hours must be completed in direct client contact. The practicum is designed to develop addiction counseling skills through practical application in an addiction counseling setting. Students work under the direct supervision of an approved onsite supervisor and a faculty supervisor. Enrollment is for students residing in states that require more than 300 clock hours of practicum.
Practicum/Internship IV | ADC 40036
150 hours of clinical addiction counseling work experience in a supervised setting. Fifty percent of the practicum hours must be completed in direct client contact. The practicum is designed to develop addiction counseling skills through practical application in an addiction counseling setting. Students work under the direct supervision of an approved onsite supervisor and a faculty supervisor. Enrollment is for students residing in states that require more than 300 clock hours of practicum.
For detailed curriculum and more please visit the Course Catalog entryfor this program.