Course Description :

Advanced information on the theory and treatment of substance abuse and addiction with both secular and biblical concepts of substance abuse, recovery, and the impact upon family systems and society. Appropriate integration of the sets of materials will focus on the 12-step method of recovery and methods of relapse prevention.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog. Please consult Liberty University for details on the requirements for this course.

Rationale :

Skillful participation in the helping professions requires a thorough understanding of substance abuse, addiction, and the recovery process. This course is intended for the student who is or soon will be counseling individuals, couples, and families that struggle with substance abuse or other addictive behaviors.

Measurable Learning Outcomes :

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. 1. Analyze the development/current trends of addiction counseling as a profession and as a ministry in the body of Christ.
   2. Compare and contrast various models of addiction that include biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual components.
   3. Justify the importance of neurobiological factors in the etiology, maintenance, and recovery from substance use and other addictive disorders.
   4. Critically evaluate various models of treatment for substance use disorders and other addictive behaviors.
   5. Analyze the effects of substance use disorders and other addictions on marriages and families.
   6. Evaluate 12-step and other models of recovery according to evidence-based standards in the behavioral sciences.
   7. Integrate relapse prevention principles and methods into a comprehensive approach to recovery.

Course Assignment :

Textbook readings and lecture presentations :

Course Requirements Checklist :

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.

Discussion Board Forums (6) :

Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences.

• Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each forum.
• Each thread must be at least 250 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge.
• In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 1 other classmate’s thread.
• Each reply must be at least 150 words.
• Each thread must incorporate at least 2 citations from at least 1 source in the current APA format.
• Each reply must cite 1 source in the current APA format.
• Acceptable sources include the course textbooks, course presentations, the Bible, and peer-reviewed journal articles that may pertain to the course material (CLOs A, B, C, D, E, F, & G).

Support Group Paper :

Support Group Selection Form :

The student will identify a support group that he/she will attend at least 3 times throughout the course and submit the provided Support Group Selection Form.

Support Group Attendance Form :

The student will print a copy of the Support Group Attendance Form and request the support group leader’s signature for each session he/she attends.

Support Group Paper :

The student will write a 5–6-page research-based paper in the current APA format that analyzes and summarizes the sessions he/she attended. The paper must include 3–5 references, 3 of which must be from peer-reviewed journal articles, in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. This paper will be submitted via SafeAssign (CLOs D, E, F, & G).

Exams (4) :

Each exam will cover the Reading & Study material for the module/week in which it is assigned as well as the previous module/week. Each exam will be open-book/open-notes, contain 50 multiple-choice and true/false questions, and have a 1-hour and 15-minute time limit.