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Online Master’s in Counseling – Addiction Counseling Specialization

Touro University Worldwide (TUW) provides a specialized Addiction Counseling program as part of their online Master of Arts in Counseling degree. Preparing graduates to become substance abuse counselors, this two-year graduate program explores the treatment of addiction and related disorders from a clinical counseling perspective.

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Core Requirements (60 Semester Credits)

Course Description

This course is designed to examine historical and contemporary theories of counseling to assist students in developing their personal theoretical orientation, to help in client conceptualization, and to identify appropriate counseling interventions. The course will also cover counselors’ multi-disciplinary roles, responsibilities, and relationships as members of specialized practice and inter-professional teams including issues related to collaboration, consultation, and community outreach especially in crises, emergencies, and disasters.

Credits

3

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to professional, ethical, legal, theoretical, cultural, social, and practice aspects of counseling. Students will learn about underlying theories and responsibilities of counselors, such as counselor-client, privilege, confidentiality, if the client is a danger to self or others, treatment of minors with or without parental consent, and the significance in professional organizations and associations in preparation of professional standards. Ethical decision-making models are introduced and explored within a counseling context coupled with historical, cultural and advocacy and their contributions associated to contemporary emergent issues.

Credits

3

Course Description

This course provides an overview of human lifespan development within the profession of counseling. The course addresses theories of individual and family development, both typical and atypical, across the entire lifespan. Students will conceptualize individuals based on the biological, neurological, systemic, and environmental factors that contribute towards their normal development, disability or psychopathology. Special emphasis covered in the course are strategies for promoting resilience and wellness across the lifespan including cultural and individual differences.

Credits

3

Course Description

This course reviews underlying theories relevant to diversity to aid students in developing awareness, knowledge, and skills specific to counselors-in-training preparing to work with a variety of diverse clients including but not limited to social and cultural diversity.  Students will develop cultural self-awareness along with advocating for social justice via the reduction or elimination of intentional (or unintentional) biases and prejudices.

Credits

3

Course Description

This course provides an overview of major career development theories, vocational guidance, decision making models, and occupational/educational information sources. Students learn about career development, program planning, and evaluation relevant to counselors. Special emphasis is placed on how career counseling and vocational guidance are practiced by professional counselors in rehabilitation programs, job placement agencies, and adult vocational training programs.

Credits

3

Course Description

The course is useful for counselors in training on the concepts and skills necessary to understand and lead counseling groups in various settings.  The students will explore different theoretical approaches to counseling groups which include basic principles of group dynamics such as leadership tasks, group developmental stages, member roles, and therapeutic factors of group work. Additionally, students will meet for a minimum of 10 clock hours in a small-group activity that is designed to provide direct experiences as a participant in a small group setting in order to prepare counselors in training for personal development.

Credits

3

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the broad range of psychological disorders that are linked or triggered by co-occurring chemical dependency or medical conditions along with the proper methods of identifying the psychological disorders based on the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual criteria. Special topics include the causes, prevalence, symptoms, criteria, and multi-cultural considerations for mental health diagnoses affecting adolescents and adults who are suffering psychological disorders along with the considerations for the continuum of care for these clients.

Credits

3

Course Description

The course provides an overview of standardized test development and procedures, applications and limitations of standardized tests, techniques of administering individual/group tests in relation to counseling. Moreover, students learn about interpreting assessment instruments and profiles along with communication strategies with clients, parents, school personnel, and other relevant professionals.

Credits

3

Course Description

This course introduces students to quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research methods for the purposes of critiquing counseling psychology research and thus become discerning consumers of published research. Students also learn statistical methods and other data analysis strategies for evaluating evidence-based substance abuse treatment outcomes for clients applicable in community mental health settings. Moreover, students learn how to conduct a needs assessment and program evaluation for their specific counseling setting.

Credits

3

Course Description

This course provides an overview of clinical psychopharmacology for substance abuse counselors. This course orient students to counseling for substance abuse treatment with the fundamentals of psychotropic drugs such as drug mechanisms of action, drug classifications, drug interactions, and adverse psychological and behavioral side effects along with appropriate guidance counselors need for medical referral and consultation relevant to substance abuse treatment.

Credits

3

Course Description

The course provides students with the history and development of addiction counseling. Students explore the factors that increase the likelihood for a person, community, or group to be at risk or resilient to psychoactive substance use disorders. Moreover, students learn about professional counseling organizations, credentials, legal and ethical considerations, record keeping, evaluation, treatment, and other practice and management considerations that specifically apply in addiction counseling. Additional topics include principles of abstinence and harm reduction models of addiction recovery along with role of spirituality in the addiction recovery process.

Credits

3

Course Description

The course provides an overview of crisis theories along with multidisciplinary responses to crises, emergencies, or disasters. Students will learn about cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and neurological effects associated with trauma along with how they trigger substance abuse disorders. Students also explore brief, intermediate, and long-term treatment strategies to manage trauma along with the proper assessment strategies for clients who have experienced trauma. Students also learn about suicide risk prevention and intervention.

Credits

3

Course Description

The course addresses advanced theories and models of treating substance abuse addiction clients. The students will learn about evaluating and identifying individualized strategies and treatment modalities relative to clients’ stage of substance dependence, motivation for change, or recovery. In addition, students examine strategies for enhancing client motivation to change, managing cravings, and preventing relapse in addition to learning about recovery support tools and systems, such as vocation, family, social networks, and community systems.  Special topics include legal standards, regulatory processes, continuum of care, and service delivery in addiction counseling.

Credits

3

Course Description

Students apply culturally competent skills working with clients while closely being supervised by a TUW faculty supervisor, via live classroom sessions, and an on-site counseling supervisor. Students are observed and evaluated as they engage in a wide range of counseling-related activities. This is the first of a 2-part course, where the program requires students to work towards earning the mandated minimum 100 clock hours in a supervised counseling practicum experience, which includes 40 face-to-face hours. In addition, students apply advanced coursework to complement the clinical practicum.

Credits

3

Course Description

This is the second course in clinical practicum where counselors apply culturally competent skills working with clients while closely being supervised by a TUW faculty supervisor, via live classroom sessions, and an on-site counseling supervisor. Students are observed and evaluated as they engage in a wide range of counseling-related activities. This is the second of a 2-part course, where students are finalizing the program’s mandated minimum 100 clock hours in a supervised counseling practicum experience, which includes 40 face-to-face hours. Similar to Clinical Practicum I, students apply advanced coursework to complement the clinical practicum.

Credits

3

Course Description

This set of courses provides students opportunities to apply their diagnostic and counseling skills, training, and knowledge with increasing autonomy as guided by a TUW faculty supervisor, via live classroom sessions, and an on-site counseling supervisor with emphasis in the student’s area of counseling specialization. Students are observed and evaluated as they engage in a wide range of counseling-related activities, advanced coursework and or relevant additional coursework including applicable California Codes of Regulation. Students can complete the four (4) clinical internship courses in 8-week terms to achieve the required 600 clock hours to complete the program.

Credits

3

Course Description

This set of courses provides students opportunities to apply their diagnostic and counseling skills, training, and knowledge with increasing autonomy as guided by a TUW faculty supervisor, via live classroom sessions, and an on-site counseling supervisor with emphasis in the student’s area of counseling specialization. Students are observed and evaluated as they engage in a wide range of counseling-related activities, advanced coursework and or relevant additional coursework including applicable California Codes of Regulation. Students can complete the four (4) clinical internship courses in 8-week terms to achieve the required 600 clock hours to complete the program.

Credits

3

Course Description

This set of courses provides students opportunities to apply their diagnostic and counseling skills, training, and knowledge with increasing autonomy as guided by a TUW faculty supervisor, via live classroom sessions, and an on-site counseling supervisor with emphasis in the student’s area of counseling specialization. Students are observed and evaluated as they engage in a wide range of counseling-related activities, advanced coursework and or relevant additional coursework including applicable California Codes of Regulation. Students can complete the four (4) clinical internship courses in 8-week terms to achieve the required 600 clock hours to complete the program.

Credits

3

Course Description

This set of courses provides students opportunities to apply their diagnostic and counseling skills, training, and knowledge with increasing autonomy as guided by a TUW faculty supervisor, via live classroom sessions, and an on-site counseling supervisor with emphasis in the student’s area of counseling specialization. Students are observed and evaluated as they engage in a wide range of counseling-related activities, advanced coursework and or relevant additional coursework including applicable California Codes of Regulation. Students can complete the four (4) clinical internship courses in 8-week terms to achieve the required 600 clock hours to complete the program.

Credits

3

Course Description

The Capstone course is the culmination of the student’s Master of Arts in Counseling: Addiction Counseling Specialization degree program and is taken in the last session of the student’s program. The Capstone course assesses the achievement of all the Program Learning Outcomes. Students complete a Capstone assignment and have an opportunity to take practice exams in preparation for the counseling licensure exam. The Capstone will be reviewed by the primary faculty providing oversight of the Capstone course and may serve as a tool for the student’s future clinical practice.

Credits

3

An Affordable Counseling Master’s Degree

For the Addiction Counseling program, TUW’s tuition is $400 per semester credit. A range of tuition assistance programs are available to prospective students to help reduce the out-of-pocket expenses associated with continued education, including scholarships and student loans.

Many employers offer tuition assistance programs, so speak with your human resource representative to find out if additional financial support is available to you to fund your degree specializing in addiction counseling. TUW tuition assistance counselors are available to determine your eligibility for financial aid and other tuition assistance programs.

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Program Requirements

The Master’s in Counseling: Addiction Counseling specialization combines online courses with a field internship.

  • 14 Courses (42 credits)
  • 2 Clinical Practicum Courses (6 credits)
  • 4 Clinical Internship Courses (12 credits)
  • 60 total credit hours
  • 100 practicum hours over two sessions in the Clinical Practicum Courses
  • 600 total clinical internship hours over four sessions in the Clinical Internship Courses
  • Total of 700 hours with real-world experience, with a minimum of 280 hours with direct supervision (CACREP and BBS aligned program).

Admission Requirements

Students interested in the Master of Arts in Counseling program must meet one of the following criteria to be considered for admission:

  • Have earned a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum overall GPA of 2.5.
  • Transfer student from another college/university’s graduate program in good academic standing (minimum GPA of 2.75).

Students, who meet one of the above criteria, will be required to complete the following steps in order to be admitted and enrolled:

  1. Submit an application.
  2. As a non-profit organization committed to serving the underserved, Touro University Worldwide has waived the $60 application fee for all prospective students.
  3. Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended. Transcripts must come directly from the issuing institutions. Students who completed college coursework outside the United States must have their transcripts translated and evaluated. (See Foreign Credit for additional information.) Students are required to complete step 3 by the end of their first term of enrollment.