Majors at ECC: Allied Health Division

imageMENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANT - ALCOHOL COUNSELING

Program Description

Substance abuse in this nation takes many forms, which interfere with the health, social, psychological and economic functioning of the user. There are reported cases of adolescent abuse of drugs, family addiction, and various minority populations suffer various forms of drug abuse. Women have increasingly been involved in substance abuse, and the general population of our nation, by age and by region, have used and abused drugs. Increasing numbers of individuals with substance disorders also experience concurrent mental health disturbances. Increasing demands are being placed on alcoholism/substance counselors to work with more dysfunctional clients, under an increasing health care industry faced with financial constraints. This program is designed to prepare students for careers as alcoholism/substance abuse counselors, as well as provide a career ladder for those individuals already in the field. This course of study can be on a part-time evening or full-time day and evening sequence.

While in this program, the student will learn diagnostic, evaluation, individual, group, intervention and family counseling techniques. Students will serve internships with trained working professionals at various public and private inpatient and outpatient facilities throughout Western New York. The program will provide the learner with techniques and strategies for determining the best available treatment for the chemical abuser, their family and those affected by this destructive behavioral pattern. The alcoholism/substance abuse program will fulfill all the education/training clock hour requirements for the New York State OASAS credential for alcoholism/substance abuse counselor (CASAC). Completion of the two (2) internship courses as part of the curriculum would be partial fulfillment toward the one(1) year allowance for non-paid experience toward credentialing.

Graduates of the program are qualified for entry-level substance abuse counseling positions and related duties as prevention/education specialists in schools, employee assistance counselors in industry or business and private facilities promoting substance abuse awareness programs and/or direct service provision.

Graduates of the program will have been introduced to total quality management and continuous quality improvement concepts, principles and practices as they are applied to addictions treatment, inpatient and outpatient care and case management protocols.

Degree: Associate in Science
Hegis: 5216
Curriculum Code: 0541
Total Degree Credits: 60.0
Campus Location: City - Evening Program
Health Sciences Division