How the Program Works

Overview | How Program Works | Who Should Apply | Academic Directors

Designed to meet the needs of busy working professionals, the GC in ASI is a 12-credit, four-course, interactive, and fully online program. Courses are offered during four 12-week terms. The program builds on the expertise of faculty in the Center for Addictions, Personality, and Emotion Research and an instructional team of behavioral health professionals with substantial clinical experience with substance using populations.

Through online forums, discussion boards, and chats, participants exchange perspectives, opinions, and experiences while building their professional network. Case studies based in actual clinical practice are integrated throughout the courses to support application of the material.

The GC in ASI is structured to allow participants to learn according to their own preferences and pace. All course materials and assignments can be accessed remotely. To provide experiential learning as well as the benefits of peer learning and group process, each course includes four scheduled online classes with live instruction and engagement among program participants. The schedule for the live online classes will be posted at the time of registration.

Participants who successfully complete the GC in ASI will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of foundational as well as contemporary theoretical perspectives and empirical findings related to addiction and problematic substance use;
  • Critically evaluate the empirical literature on addiction and problematic substance use;
  • Appropriately apply empirical findings to clinical practice with clients with addiction and problematic substance use;
  • Identify appropriate evidence-based interventions for addressing addictive behavior;
  • Determine appropriate methods and resources for the assessment and screening of addiction and problematic substance use;
  • Describe critical perspectives of the systemic and socio-cultural factors that both contribute to and further complicate addiction and problematic substance use; and
  • Recognize and address ethical and multicultural issues often encountered when working with clients with addiction and problematic substance use as well as their families and communities.

While the GC in ASI does not offer supervised clinical training, these specific learning outcomes are intended to improve your comfort, confidence, and existing clinical practice as it pertains to clients with addiction and problematic substance use.