Addiction and Treatment: Strengths Based Perspectives

This course is designed to provide a thorough understanding of the nature of addictions, as well as a review of evidence-based treatment for addiction-related disorders. Substance abuse and dependence will be examined from strengths-based, biopsychosocial, and developmental lenses. We will explore the role of drugs in the nervous system, the significance of social influences, and the psychological processes involved in the development of substance-related disorders across the lifespan. Students will gain familiarity with current evidence-based approaches for the treatment of substance-related disorders, including the Transtheoretical Model of Change and Motivational Interviewing. Historical perspectives, cultural views, and heath disparities regarding addiction will also be explored.