Addictions: Treatment and Prevention

Description

Students develop the skill set to provide a client-centered and client driven continuum of treatment for individuals with addiction problems. With a strong framework of individual and group counselling skills, students study individual, gender, and societal considerations and the resulting treatment implications through the lens of trauma informed care. They practice motivational interviewing techniques, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and dialectal behaviour therapy (DBT) while learning to match client needs with intervention options. In addition, students reconstruct education and prevention strategies in an effort to design, facilitate and evaluate such tools.

Career Opportunities

Graduates may find career opportunities in a variety of settings and job roles including addictions counsellors, substance abuse counsellors, chemical withdrawal management counsellors, addictions nurses, problem gambling counsellors, and attendants in residential, out-patient, and street-front treatment settings.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. counsel individuals, families and groups affected by addictions;
2. integrate skills and knowledge to provide client-centered treatment;
3. incorporate family, gender, relational, social and cultural considerations in treatment planning; 
4. plan, implement and evaluate psychosocial educational programs;
5. advocate for individuals and for social change;
6. practice ethically, professionally and openly;
7. utilize strategies essential to being a resilient and healthy practitioner;
8. employ environmentally sustainable practices within the profession;
9. apply basic entrepreneurial strategies to identify and respond to new opportunities.

Program Progression

The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.

Fall Intake

• Sem 1: Fall 2025
• Sem 2: Winter 2026
• Sem 3: Summer 2026

Articulation

A number of articulation agreements have been negotiated with universities and other institutions across Canada, North America and internationally. These agreements are assessed, revised and updated on a regular basis. Please contact the program co-ordinator for specific details if you are interested in pursuing such an option. Additional information can be found on our website at https://www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Admission Requirements

Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma, Degree or equivalent with a specialty in related human services, social work, or social sciences.

Language Proficiency Requirement

The English proficiency requirement can be met through:

• Completion of IELTS Academic only with a minimum score of 7.0
• Completion of Level 8 of Georgian’s GAAS – English for Academic Purposes with 80% of higher

For further information, refer to Georgian’s English Language Proficiency policy 2.5 at: https://www.georgiancollege.ca/international/admissions/#english-language-proficiency

Selection Process

Applicants are selected on the basis of their academic grades. 
An overall minimum average of 65%, C+ or GPA of 2.5 is recommended in post-secondary studies. Prior credential (diploma and/or degree) relevancy to be determined by program coordinator.

Criminal Reference/Vulnerable Sector Check

Placement agencies require an up-to-date clear criminal reference check and vulnerable sector check prior to going out on placement. Students should obtain their criminal reference three months prior to placement; checks conducted earlier may not be considered current. As some jurisdictions require longer lead-time for processing, please check with the program coordinator to ensure you allow for sufficient turn-around time. It is the student's responsibility to provide the completed document prior to placement start.

NOTE: A record of criminal offences, for which a pardon has not been granted, may prevent students from completing their placements, thereby affecting their ability to graduate.

Graduation Requirements

12 Program Courses
1 Internship

Graduation Eligibility

To graduate from this program, a student must attain a minimum of 60% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester. The passing weighted average for promotion through each semester and to graduate is 60%.

Program Tracking

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more  than one intake is offered  contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
Program Courses
ADCT 1000	Introduction to Counselling: Motivating People to Change	42
ADCT 1001	Group Counselling: Dynamics and Processes	42
ADCT 1002	Treatment Modalities in Addictions	42
ADCT 1005	Practitioner Skills Development	42
ADCT 1014	Introduction and Issues in the Field of Addictions	42
ADCT 1015	Concepts of Chemical Dependency	42
	Hours	252
Semester 2
Program Courses
ADCT 1012	Clinical Applications of Motivational Counselling	42
ADCT 1017	Prevention and Education in Addictions	42
ADCT 1019	Addictions and Mental Health	42
ADCT 1020	Gambling and Other Behavioural Dependencies	42
ADCT 1022	Enhanced Therapeutic Approaches in Addictions Counselling	42
ADCT 1023	Best Practices in Supporting Selected Populations	42
	Hours	252
Semester 3
Internship
ADCT 1021	Addictions Consolidation	495
	Hours	495
	Total Hours	999

Graduation Window 

Students unable to adhere to the program duration of one year (as stated above) may take a maximum of two years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. 

Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.