Course 414 – Syllabus
Help for Alcoholics
Professor:
Outline:
Recognition of alcohol problems
Motivational Strategies for treating alcoholic clients
Knowledge of critical concepts of chemical dependency
Treatment planning
Biopsychosocial assessment of chemical dependency
Tools of Recovery
The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
Co-occurring disorders
Terminating treatment
Relapse prevention
The recovery community
Course Description:
This course serves as valuable and necessary foundation for recognizing and treating problems in
patients with alcoholism. Alcoholics are one of the most difficult client groups to treat effectively. This
course provides a complete road map for assessing, diagnosing, and treating this multifaceted and
tenacious illness.
Overall Outcomes:
The student will have an enhanced ability to understand, assess, diagnose, and treat the alcoholic client.
Specified Outcomes:
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While completing Help for Alcoholics the student will be able to:
Recognize alcohol problems in patients.
Understand the critical concepts found in treating individuals with alcoholism.
Develop treatment plans for the alcoholic patient.
Learn the tools used in helping the patient recover from alcoholism.
Become aware of the 12-step approach to treating alcoholism and utilize those steps in
treatment.
Recognize primary or secondary psychiatric disorders in the client who presents with a
chemical dependency diagnosis.
Understand when to terminate treatment.
Learn how to help the patient to prevent lapses and relapses in their recovery.
Recognize the vital role he or she plays in the recovery community.
Required Textbook:
Perkinson, R. R. (2002). Treating alcoholism: Helping your clients find the road to
recovery. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Suggested Textbooks:
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC: Author
Perkinson, R. R. & Jongsma, A.E. (1998). The chemical dependence treatment planner.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Supplementary Materials:
Specific Course Requirements:
Assignments and Projects:
Class Participation:
Grading procedure and grading scale