George mason university

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

SYLLABUS

Social Work 410

Alcohol and Substance Abuse: Policies and Programs

David Perry, LCSW, LSATP

Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]

Office Hours by Appointment

Course Description

This course is designed to provide students with a basic knowledge of alcoholism and drug abuse. Current policies and programs in the field are surveyed, and a variety of interventions on behalf of alcohol and drug abusers are explored. Special emphasis is placed on the impact of policies and programs on the well being of disadvantaged populations who become involved in substance abuse.

This course prepares students to apply knowledge, values, and skills from social work and the liberal arts in an integrated approach to client intervention. It develops the student’s knowledge of physiology, pharmacology, and nutrition related to understanding and treating addictions.
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of the course, the successful student will be able to demonstrate an ability to:
1. Define alcoholism and drug addiction and describe their characteristics.

2. Understand the multiple effects of alcohol and other drugs on the human body.

3. Identify the nature and extent of drug and alcohol problems in our society and our response as a profession.

4. Identify the major causes and consequences of alcohol and drug abuse and their relationship to multiple approaches to intervention.

5. Display a general knowledge of the strengths, limitations and impact of contemporary policies and programs in terms of the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.

6. Describe and evaluate the different treatment modalities currently available to the alcohol and drug abuser.

7. Analyze the use, abuse, and effects of alcohol and drugs on special populations, especially women, youth, the elderly, and ethnic minorities.

8. Refer persons with problems of alcohol abuse to the appropriate treatment programs available in the community.

Course Format
This course will rely on lectures, assigned reading material, class discussion, and presentations (videos and guest speakers) to help the student examine the problem of chemical dependency.

Required Texts
Kuhn, C., Schwartzwelder, S., & Wilson, W. (2003). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and abused drugs from alcohol to ecstasy (2^nd ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

(Available in the bookstore and on line from Amazon.com, etc.)

McNeece, C. & DiNitto, D. (1998). Chemical dependency: A systems approach. Needham

Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

(Available in the bookstore and on line from Amazon.com, etc.)
Milam, J. & Ketcham, K. (1981). Under the influence. New York: Bantam Books

(Available in the bookstore and on line from Amazon.com, etc.)

The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. (2001). Substance abuse: The nation’s number one

health problem. Princeton, NJ: Author.

(RWJF website: http://www.rwjf.org/publications/substanceAbuseChartbook.jhtml)

General Expectations
Students are expected to adhere to the University’s academic policies and honor system.
Good writing skills are crucial for social workers. Being able to organize thoughts in clear sentences, using proper Standard English, is essential in agency recording. All written materials submitted in this class will be evaluated on content as well as construction, grammar, spelling and usage. The use of APA style is essential.
Assignments are expected to be completed on the due date and turned in at the beginning of class. Late assignments WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED except under extraordinary circumstances.
Students are expected to read and understand the material in the text. Lecture material may not parallel the text and is intended to supplement the required readings.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 provides protection from discrimination for qualified individuals with disabilities. Students who are qualified by Disability Support Services (304 Student Union I, telephone [phone]) and require special accommodations must provide faculty with documentation explaining the required accommodations at the beginning of the semester.
The policy on Internet resources is as follows: In conducting research for an assignment students are expected to use a combination of library and Internet resources. When using an Internet source you must cite the origin of the material in such a way that the reader can easily access the information.
Cellular phones, beepers, and pagers are to be turned off or placed on silent mode during class time. They are disruptive to other students and to the instructor, and compromise the concentration needed for successful learning.

SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM POLICY FOR COMPLETING AN INCOMPLETE (IN) GRADE: A grade of Incomplete (IN) will be assigned in the following cases: 1) a student has not completed the required field work hours and is expected to be able to complete the assignment by the end of the 9th week of the following academic semester and; 2) due to serious extenuating circumstances, the student is not able to take the final exam or complete a major project by the due date.

Faculty and student must sign the Incomplete (IN) Grade Agreement Form that can be obtained in the Social Work Office.

Assignments and Grades

A. Paper (40 points/Due July 22)

Policy Paper

Compare and contrast the public policies and laws regarding the use of alcohol or drugs in the United States with another country. Topics of interest include the legal drinking age/underage drinking; treatment versus punishment (e.g., of DWI/DIP offenders); treatment styles (i.e., abstinence model versus harm reduction]; legalization and decriminalization of drugs, etc.). Provide a general overview of the policies and laws in each country, including any relevant demographic and economic information. Discuss how cultural norms and beliefs have played a role in the development of these policies and laws; also touch on how these laws might affect minorities or special populations. Discuss which policies and laws you favor and why (your opportunity to demonstrate your analytical and critical thinking skills).

OR

Clinical Paper

Choose a special treatment population or issue. This might include the special treatment needs of women, men, people of color, gay, or lesbian clients, adolescents, the elderly, etc. Include such relevant information as demographic data and the extent of the problem, the special clinical needs of your target population (i.e., the biopsychosocial-spiritual effects of alcohol and/or drug use), the types of treatment and community resources that are available, the current research regarding your target population, how culture plays a role, and any emerging issues or concerns you can identify.

You may also write a paper on specific treatment techniques (CBT, psychodynamic, Motivational Interviewing, etc.) or specific treatment models (therapeutic communities, outpatient treatment, etc). Describe and discuss the underlying clinical theories and assumptions. Using the current research, describe the strengths and weaknesses of this technique or model (For whom does it work best? Under what conditions? For whom should this model not be used? etc.).
Please let me know your topic by the second week of class.
Each paper should be a minimum of 6 pages in length and include a minimum of six scholarly references, excluding sources cited in class. Use one-inch margins, 12-point font, and double space. Please note that those who only meet the minimum requirements rarely achieve work that receives an “A.”

Each paper will be graded using the following criteria:

• 
  Meeting basic assignment objects 30%
  

(i.e., following the directions)

• 
  Critical thinking and analysis 30%
  

(including appropriate application of

course concepts, use of terms, etc.)

• 
  Organization, flow, and mechanics 20%
  

(including grammar and spelling)

• 
  Use of resources 10%
  
• 
  APA style 10%
  

C. Exams (50 points)

• 
  June 29 (mid-term exam) 25 points
  
• 
  July 27 (final exam) 25 points
  

NB: Exams will be based on material from the readings, lectures, and presentations.
D. Class Participation (10 points)
Everyone is expected to attend every class unless prior arrangements have been made. You may not miss more than 2 classes without your grade being adversely affected. Everyone is expected to participate in the class discussion and you must be up-to-date on your readings to do so.
E. Extra Credit (5 points each/all extra credit work must be in by July 13)
12-Step/Support Group Meetings

Each student must attend three meetings of a self-help group, including Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA), Al-Anon, Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or some other support group for addicts or their families. Support groups have grown in popularity, and sometimes meetings are crowded. You may need to shop around before finding a suitable meeting and an open meeting that will allow you to sit in. Also, if you arrive at a meeting and two or more students are already there, leave and find another meeting. If called upon, be honest about what you are doing there, namely you are trying to learn more about these kinds of groups in order to refer people with drug and/or alcohol problems.

You must then write a 5 page paper describing the meetings (location, number of people attending, format, target population, etc.) and your experiences (what was your “feel” for the meeting, how were you received, etc.) in attending these meetings. Also indicate to what extent you think these groups are an effective alternative or supplement to other forms of treatment.
Treatment Program Site Visit

Visit a local treatment program. Interview at least one staff member and obtain information on such things as target population, treatment philosophy, services available, financing (public, private, non-profit, etc.), staffing (levels of education, certification, licensure, etc.), follow-up, “statistics” on “successful” completions, etc.

You must then write a 5 page paper summarizing the information you have gathered. Include a brief discussion on what your impressions were of the program (was the facility neat and clean, do they seem to cater to a certain group [e.g., only privately insured clients], was the staff member helpful, etc.)
Grades
The grading scale used is the standard university 10-point scale:
98-100 points A+ 77-79 points C+

93-97 points A 73-76 points C

90-92 points A- 70-72 points C-

87-89 points B+ 60-69 points D

83-86 points B <50 points F

80-82 points B-

Schedule of Topics­
I. Definitions, Demographics, and Public Policy
Kuhn: Part II, “Legal Issues,” pp. 256-266.
McNeece & DiNitto: Ch. 1, “Definitions and Epidemiology of Alcoholism and Drug

Addiction,” pp. 3-22; Ch. 8, “Regulating Drugs and Their Consequences,” pp. 180-209;

Ch. 16, “Chemical Dependency: Current Issues and Future Prospects,” pp.445-449.
RWJF “Overview: The Context of Substance Abuse,” pp. 6-22; “Section 1: Patterns of

Use,” pp. 23-44; “Section 2: Consequences of Use,” pp. 45-74; “Section 3: Combating

the Problem,” pp. 75-117.
Video: Addicted
II. Physiological, Biological, and Behavioral Aspects of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
A. The Disease Concept

B. The Process of Addiction

C. The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Body

Kuhn: Part II, “Brain Basics,” “Drug Basics,” and “Addiction,” pp. 219-255.

McNeece & DiNitto: Ch. 2, “The Etiology of Addiction,” pp. 23-35; Ch. 3, “Becoming Addicted,” pp. 36-44; Ch. 4, “The Physiological and Behavioral Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse,” pp. 45-50 (only).
Milam & Ketcham: Ch. 1, “Every Human Soul;” Ch. 2, “Alcohol;” Ch. 3, “What Makes an Alcoholic;” Ch. 4, “The Early, Adaptive Stage of Alcoholism;” Ch. 5, “The Middle Stage of Alcoholism;” Ch. 6, “The Late, Deteriorative Stage of Alcoholism;” Ch. 7, “The Alcoholic;” pp. 1-116.
Videos from Dateline on two alcoholics (golfer John Daley and a newscaster)
III. Types of Drugs
A. Stimulants

B. Depressants (Alcohol and Sedative-Hypnotics)

C. Narcotics/Opiates

D. Hallucinogens

F. Major Tranquilizers (Anti-Psychotics)
McNeece & DiNitto: Ch. 4, “The Physiological and Behavioral Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse,” pp. 51-68 (only).
Kuhn: Part I “Alcohol,” pp. 29-54, “Enactogens,” pp. 71-76, “Hallucinogens,” pp. 77-101, “Inhalants,” pp. 112-122, “Marijuana,” pp. 123-148, “Nicotine,” pp. 149-161, “Opiates,” pp. 162-178, “Sedatives,” pp. 179- 188, and “Stimulants,” pp. 195-218.
Information from NIDA and NIAAA will be provided.

IV. Prevention

A. Effective Prevention Strategies

B. Evaluating Prevention Strategies
McNeece & DiNitto: Ch. 7, “Preventing Alcohol and Drug Problems,” pp. 166-179.
V. Screening, Assessment, Diagnosis
A. Screening Tools/Instruments

B. Assessment

C. Making the Diagnosis
McNeece & DiNitto: Ch. 5, “Screening, Diagnosis, Assessment, and Referral,”

pp. 68-103.

Information from NIDA and NIAAA will be provided.
VI. Treatment—The System of Care
A. Treatment Programs (detox, inpatient, outpatient, residential, etc.)

B. Relapse Prevention

C. Dealing with Dual Disorders

4. 
   EAPs
   

McNeece & DiNitto: Ch. 6, “Treatment—The System of Care,” pp. 104-165.

Milam & Ketcham: Ch. 8, “Getting the Alcoholic Into Treatment;” Ch. 10, “Drugs and the Alcoholic”
Guest speakers from local treatment providers

VII. The Family and Chemical Dependency

A. How the Family Is Affected

B. The Family in Treatment
McNeece & DiNitto: Ch. 10, “Family Systems and Chemical Dependency,” pp. 229-254.

Video: Parents and Pot

VII. Recognizing the Treatment Needs of Special Populations
A. Children and Adolescents D. The Elderly

B. Gay Men and Lesbians E. Women

C. Dual Diagnosis
McNeece & DiNitto: Ch. 9, “Treating Chemically Dependent Children and Adolescents,” pp. 213-228; Ch. 11, “Ethnicity, Culture, and Substance Abuse,” pp. 255-317; Ch. 12, “Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Chemical Dependency,” pp. 318-346; Ch. 13, “Compounding the Problem: Substance Abuse and Other Disabilities,” pp. 347-390; Ch. 14, “Alcohol and Drug Use Among the Elderly,” pp. 391-405; Ch. 15, “Gender and Drugs: Fact, Fiction, and Unanswered Questions,” pp. 406-442.