Certificate

Certificate in Addiction Studies

 

Be the help your community needs.

The Certificate in Addiction Studies prepares you to assess and treat addiction in a variety of settings. The provision of integrated mental health and addiction treatment services are vital to communities. The Certificate has been created to meet the Washington State Department of Health education requirements for the alternative training track to become a Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP).

The Addiction Studies curriculum is based on the most current neuroscience of addiction, attachment injury, and trauma, as well as cutting edge techniques to address these issues, provided by the leaders in the field. The Certificate also includes learning experiences designed to expand awareness of the larger socioeconomic and political issues connected to treating addiction. Get started in helping your community today and begin your journey to becoming a Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP).

This program is offered by AU Seattle, and is available fully online and in a hybrid format. 


Program Overview

The Antioch University Seattle Addictions Studies Certificate (ASC) Program is an opportunity to learn about current approaches to treating Substance Use Disorders, effective trauma-informed interventions, and the social justice issues many clients with SUD’s and mental health issues face.

The (ASC) will not only fulfill the Washington State Department of Health education requirements for the Substance Use Disorder Alternative Learning option, but the curriculum will be based on the most recent, cutting edge theories, practices, and techniques made available by the leaders in this field. The Addictions Certificate Program will include a framework to address larger socioeconomic and political issues connected to treating addiction, the social justice issues that these clients, and the agencies treating them face, as well as an orientation to various treatment center milieus and cultures.

The spirit of our program is in service of integrating the fundamentals of addiction counseling that have proven to be effective, the explosion of neuroscience research supporting the strong relationship between trauma and addiction, as well as cutting edge clinical interventions that honor the relationship between mental health issues, attachment injury, trauma, and addiction.

The purpose of the Addiction Studies Certificate is to prepare students and professionals with the knowledge and clinical skills required to become an SUDP in the State of Washington via the SUDP Alternative Learning path. The ASC aims to increase participants’ knowledge and skill to provide for the therapeutic needs of clients struggling with substance use disorders and mental health issues. Students and professionals who complete this Certificate will be knowledgeable and clinically competent to treat significant others as well, as this curriculum is heavily influenced by family systems theories. Aligned with our mission statement, course curriculum is infused with learning experiences that raise awareness about social justice issues related to addiction treatment and skills to become an ally and advocate. Antioch University Seattle will be providing a graduate-level, integrated, cutting edge program to educate counselors with a desire to work with individuals suffering from addiction.


Curriculum

The Certificate in Addiction Studies is combined with the MA in Counseling with Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) degree and can be combined with other counseling programs at Antioch as well. The degree offers you comprehensive clinical training for a career as a licensed mental health counselor. With a focus on developing multicultural counseling competencies, you accomplish these goals through a combination of required coursework, electives, and a supervised internship. The Certificate combines online and in-classroom time to allow for the flexibility and convenience of completing course work using digital resources, as well as benefiting from the face-to-face interaction of classroom instruction and peer discussion. For a detailed curriculum, degree requirements, and course descriptions, please visit the AUS catalog.

Addiction Studies Certificate Program Plan of Study


Fall Quarter

Survey of Addiction (3 credits)

The purpose of this course is to introduce core concepts in Addiction counseling/treatment. This course provides a foundation for: understanding the physiology of addiction, addressing the family system, working with co-occurring disorders, considering social justice issues connected to addiction.  The course includes information and learning experiences that focus on the following topics:  predominant theories on the etiology of addiction, screening for addiction, various approaches to treating addiction, neurobiology/physiology of addiction, long-term trajectory of addiction recovery, how the family system is impacted by addiction, the role of twelve step and other self-help meetings in the treatment of addiction, co-occurring issues that often accompany addiction, introduction to treatment planning and service coordination.

American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) (1 credit)

This course will increase proficiency in understanding ASAM criteria, how it is used in SUD assessments and its applications in recommending levels of care, treatment standards, and other important clinical applications.


Winter Quarter

Physiology and Pharmacology of Addiction (3 credits)

The purpose of this course is to provide information and learning experiences to enable students to have a deeper understanding and foundation of knowledge on the physiology of addiction, current neurobiology research findings, and psychopharmacology as it pertains to addiction treatment.

Substance Use Disorder Law and Ethics (2 credits)

This course covers law and ethics specific to addiction counseling and treatment including: relevant WAC’s/RCW’s/Federal laws, information on credentialing, scope of practice, important legislation, ethical codes and professional standards related to the SUDP credential.


Spring Quarter

Treatment of Addiction (3 credits)

This course will increase knowledge about a range of approaches to addiction treatment, including different treatment models, levels of care, ASAM criteria, treatment settings, and information about medication assisted treatment (MAT).  Furthermore, this class will offer learning opportunities to increase knowledge and case conceptualization skills in the treatment of addiction and commonly co-occurring issues/diagnoses.  This course includes models that are trauma informed and assist in understanding the intersection of addiction, trauma, and attachment injuries, and the social justice issues connected to clients seeking assistance for SUD’s and other mental health issues.  The course includes material on the impact of addiction on the family system and significant others as well.

Addiction Coun: Individual, group, family, adolescents, kids (3 credits)

The purpose of this course is to develop clinical skills in the context of treating addiction.  Students will have several learning opportunities to increase their knowledge of counseling interventions with individuals, as well as to practice the skills.  The focus of this course is to practice assessment skills, motivational interviewing skills, addressing resistance, assisting hostile clients, and mindfulness skills.  Students will explore group dynamics present in addiction treatment groups, practice group counseling skills, and deepen understanding of the variety of self-help, peer support, recovery focused groups available.  The class will provide learning opportunities to increase cultural competency and approaches to working with a range of populations.  Additionally, this course is designed to include knowledge and counseling specific to family systems, adolescents, and kids.


DOH SUDP Alternative Learning Path

In order to infuse the health care field with competent professionals able to work with clients with Substance Use Disorders, in a variety of settings, the WA State DOH created a learning pathway (with supervised work experience hours) that allows for a significant reduction (for certain professions) in the education credits in addiction specific coursework, required to become an SUDP. Alternative training education requirements (as stated on DOH website) *The alternative training education requirements is for applicants with a license in good standing in one of the following credentials, as outlined in WAC 246-811-076:

  • Psychologist under RCW 18.83.
  • Marriage and family therapists, mental health counselor, advanced social worker, or independent clinical social worker under RCW 18.225.
  • Osteopathic physician under chapter 18.57 RCW.
  • Osteopathic physician assistant under chapter 18.57A RCW;
  • Physician under chapter 18.71 RCW; or
  • Physician assistant under chapter 18.71A RCW.

*Requirements include 15 quarter or 10 semester college credits from an approved school in the courses specific to alcohol- and drug-addicted people for each of the following topics:

  • Survey of addiction;
  • Treatment of addiction;
  • Pharmacology;
  • Physiology of addiction;
  • American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria;
  • Individual, group, family addiction counseling; and
  • Substance use disorder law and ethics.

*Applicants must complete course topic identification forms. Official transcripts must verify course topics. If course topics don’t clearly identify the course, applicants will be asked for course syllabi.

Career Opportunities

Community mental health agencies, For-Profit and Non-Profit treatment centers, hospitals, schools, and other community organizations need dually credentialed providers. The alternative training track approved by the WA State DOH is now available to licensed mental health counselors and licensed marriage and family therapists, and other specific professions. The alternative training track significantly reduces the education requirements and work experience needed to become a SUDP, for certain advanced degree professionals. You may complete the SUDP education requirements and work experience hours before you are licensed as an LMHC or LMFT, and then submit your SUDP application documenting your completed coursework and experience hours once you have obtained your LMHC or LMFT. Being a dually credentialed provider affords you the ability to provide a wider range of services and more effective services to clients. In some settings, dually credentialed providers receive increased compensation. The Certificate in Addiction Studies is available to matriculated and non-matriculated students and alumni. For more detailed information on the requirements for obtaining a SUDP via the alternative training track please visit doh.wa.gov.

Start your Application

Admissions

Complete the online admissions application.

  1. You must be enrolled in or have completed a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Submit an official copy of Master’s degree transcript or current program showing enrollment in MA program leading to Licensure in the field.  Transcript evaluations are required for all coursework completed outside of the U.S. or Canada (except Quebec). See Transcript Evaluation section on International Students webpage for details.
  2. If already licensed, submit a copy of your license.
  3. All supporting materials, transcripts, essays, etcetera, should be emailed to [email protected] or mailed by the below deadline to: Admissions Office Antioch University Seattle 2400 3rd Avenue, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98121

If you are interested in becoming dually credentialed in Washington State as an LMHC or LMFT and a Chemical Dependency Professional, please contact admissions to learn more about how to apply to these programs.

Application Deadlines

QuarterDeadline*
SummerJune 1
Fall August 15
* Complete applications received after the Deadline date may be considered if space is still available in that quarter or will be reviewed for the next available term.
Please review the Academic Calendar for additional details.

Tuition

Department/Program NameTuition Cost per CreditTotal Program Credits
Addiction Studies$36415
LatinX Mental Health Counseling$36412
Play Therapy$36412
Sex Therapy$36420
Sexuality Education$36420
Trauma Counseling$36420
Antioch Alumni will receive a $50 per credit discount.
View the Cost of Attendance Components

Financial Aid

A majority of AUS students finance their education through some form of financial aid. You may not be sure which federal, state, public, and private aid packages – such as loans, scholarships, and grants – are right for you. Our staff is here to help you, so you can focus on what’s most important: beginning your academic program at AUS. LEARN MORE

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