Program Requirements
The program is designed for flexibility and classes need not be attended in the order in which they are offered. Start the program at any point in the semester. In order to complete the program and receive a Villanova Certificate in Alcohol & Drug Counseling requires the completion of 12 classes, 120 hours of education. The seven core classes are required. Elective classes change with each semester and you can select any 5 elective classes to complete the program. All classes provide 10 hours of education and are held on Friday evenings from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
For individuals seeking PA State Certification, all of the hours in this program may be applied toward Certification by the Pennsylvania Certification Board. Contact the PCB for other requirements in addition to the specified education hours (see below).
Note: Candidates for the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) credential must possess a Bachelor's degree. Besides the use of the class hours for those qualified to become a C.A.D.C., hours accrued from this program can be applied towards becoming an Associate Addiction Counselor (AAC), Associate Prevention Specialist (APS), or a Certified Allied Addiction Practitioner (CAAP), without having a bachelor's degree. All candidates for either the C.A.D.C or the C.A.A.P. should call the PCB at 717-540-4455 or visit the PA Certification Boards' website if you have questions regarding your own circumstances.
Schedule of Classes
Core Classes - Fall 2013 (7 Required Courses)
Role of the Addiction Treatment Counselor (ATC)
September 20-21, 2013
Description: This seminar explores the necessary skills and abilities necessary for those seeking the credential of Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). Counseling methodologies will be reviewed as well as agency setting in which substance abuse counseling takes place.
Instructor: Roland Lamb, Director, Addiction Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services.
Drug and Alcohol Education
September 27-28, 2013
Description: An introduction to the physiological mechanism underlying the affects of alcohol and other drugs on the brain, the individual and society. Topics include basic pharmacology, placebo and an overview of the nervous system.
Instructor: William Hample, B.S., Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Senior Probation Officer for State of New Jersey
Intake/Assessment/Record Keeping with the Substance Abuser
October 4-5, 2013
Description: Documentation skills are an essential component in the field of substance abuse counseling. This seminar reviews the essential elements of record keeping as it relates to effective treatment and further defines the standards by which agencies are reviewed for compliance in this regard.
Instructor: Laura B. Jones, M.Ed/CAC, Vice President, Behavioral Health Services, North Philadelphia Health System
Interviewing and Counseling Techniques with Substance Abusers
October 11-12, 2013
Description: This seminar will walk the counselor from the initial meeting with the client to their involvement in an ongoing counseling relationship. The essential ingredients for counselor skill-building will be explored as well as practiced in this core seminar.
Instructor: Nailah Green, MS, LCADC, CCJP, Substance Abuse Evaluaor, State of New Jersey Office of the Judiciary
Ethical Decision Making: Discovering Solutions to Ethical Situations in Substance Abuse Treatment
October 18-19, 2013
Description: This course will provide an operational model for identifying, problem solving, and resolving relevant ethical issues confronting the substance abuse treatment staff member. Participants will have opportunities to utilize this model to identify current ethical practice problems, recognize applicable ethical and legal issues, and discover methods to assist in the resolution of these problems. Issues of confidentiality as related to the treatment of substance abusers and their families will be a primary area of focus in this course.
Instructor: Elaine G. Selan, RNC, MSN, NE-BC, President, EGS Initiatives
Group Counseling/Therapy
October 25-26, 2013
Description: Being able to work with groups in counseling is a critical skill. Topics covered in this class include observational methods in groups, supportive vs. self‑awareness group therapy, an overview of group therapy approaches and how to lead a therapy group. Develop your skills in group counseling through this core class.
Instructor: Paul Boyd, MS, CAADC, Clinical Coordinator for the Co-Occurring Disorders Unit at Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment, adjunct professor for Eastern University and Camden County College
H.I.V.
November 1-2, 2013
Description: This course will take an in depth look at the baffling disease of H.I.V. and A.I.D.S. Participants will learn the modes of transmission/ prevention and the behaviors that put us at risk. The course will identify H.I.V. testing procedures, the benefits of pre‑ and post‑test counseling and the treatment needs of those affected. The social impact of A.I.D.S. as well as our own barriers to learning will also be addressed.
Instructor: Lynne Rittenhouse, MS, Certified A.I.D.S. Educator
Elective Courses - Fall 2013 (select any 5)
Relapse Prevention
November 8-9, 2013
Description: Learn methods used by counselors to assist clients in the final stages of treatment and to make post-treatment plans to maintain sobriety. Students will also learn to recognize the early signs of relapse and address these issues with intervention techniques.
Instructor: M. Dean Bowman, LCADC, CCDP, CCJP, Drug Court Coordinator
Driving Under the Influence
November 15-16, 2013
Description: This course offers a comprehensive overview of the DUI Law and its impact on a local and statewide basis. A detailed presentation of the relationship of the Criminal Justice and Drug and Alcohol Treatment Systems as they both relate to DUI.
Instructor: James Hanlon, MS, Director of Diagnostic Services Media Courthouse
Harm Reduction Evolving to Recovery
November 22-23, 2013
Description: This course examines the concept of harm reduction, viewing an approach to addiction and its treatment that is born out of a public health and safety philosophy. This course covers the assumptions that underlie the harm reduction approach, strategies and interventions.
Instructor: Roland Lamb, Director Addiction Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services
Assessing and Guiding Spiritual Development in Recovery
December 6-7, 2013
Description: The class will recognize their own spiritual belief system and understand the strengths and weaknesses in counseling settings. They will discover various tecniques to help clients come to grips with a holistic approach to spirituality. They will learn to make a connection between spirituality and recovery or relapse. They will also see that spirituality is not religion, but it is not void of practices and experiences.
Instructor: William Hample, BS, Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Senior Probation Officer for State of New Jersey
Brief Treatment of Problem Gambling
December 13-14, 2013
Description: This workshop introduces participants to clinical concepts associated with Brief, Solution-Oriented therapeutic techniques and their utilization with problem gambling. As a theoretical model, brief therapy approaches continue to evolve and make headway into an integrated method for dealing with a variety of compulsive disorders. It is also a favored methodology by insurance companies for all of the obvious reasons. As a clinical model, it often requires a shift in the way we traditionally think about our client's presenting problems toward a method that demands immediacy-immediacy in problem-identification (even if only as a means of moving away from the problem as soon as possible); immediacy in developing readily accomplished tasks for the client that set him/her up for immediate success. This workshop will profide some practical usable tools for immediate use with problem gamblers.
Instructor: Thomas Baier, MHS, LPC, CAC, CCS, Executive Director Addiction Service at the Jewish Employment & Vocational Service (JEVS)
