Substance Use Disorders Option

The curriculum is grounded in the person-in-environment framework, which acknowledges the importance of an individual's environment in substance use and recovery. This framework guides students in understanding the client’s circumstances, including family dynamics, social support systems, community resources, and societal factors that influence substance use and recovery. The program emphasizes the strengths-based approach, which encourages social workers to focus on the client’s inherent strengths and resilience, empowering clients to actively engage in their recovery process. This approach helps clients recognize their own capacity for change and resilience, and recognizes the importance of family and community supports and leveraging recovery capital.

Social workers play a vital role in advocating for clients' human rights and promoting social justice. The specialized SUD curriculum teaches students to address the stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with substance use disorders and to advocate for equitable access to treatment and recovery services. This aligns with the social work profession's commitment to social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

The required courses for the specialized area of substance use disorders are:

• SWK 651: Foundations of Substance Use Disorder Counseling
• SWK 652: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
• SWK 616: Advanced Practicum I (student will be placed in a SUD treatment setting)
• SWK 617: Advanced Practicum II (student will be placed in a SUD treatment setting)