EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
SEMINAR IN ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE
Course:
SOWK 5367-990
Instructor:
Brittany T. Wilkins,
PhD, LCSW
Term:
Summer Dual Session
2013
Email:
wilkinsb@etsu.edu
Credits:
3
Office Phone
Number:
423-439-7894
Skype
Username:
Dr.BrittanyWilkins
Office
Location:
Lyle House room 104
Time:
n/a
Location: n/a
Office Hours:
Upon request or via
Skype
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This elective course includes discussions, readings, lectures, and audiovisual materials
on all the major drugs, including alcohol, opiates, stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens,
inhalants, and nicotine. Course content covers the etiology and epidemiology of drug
abuse, physiological and behavioral consequences of drug abuse, treatment approaches,
and major policies and programs. Special attention is directed toward drug use in
special populations, such as youth, women, racial and ethnic minorities, sexual
minorities, persons with disabilities, and older adults. A systems perspective is used to
relate drug-using behavior to family, community, and social systems.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course the student will:
 Identify and categorize the major substances of abuse in our society
 Articulate different theories and models of chemical dependency etiology
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Identity the symptoms of chemical dependency and drug abuse
Identify the effects of chemical dependency on the individual, the family, and society
Describe the major public and private efforts toward prevention and intervention,
and problems or inequities that occur in the funding of programs and the provision
of services to disadvantaged groups
Discuss the appropriateness and effectiveness of common treatment approaches
Identify how social policies encourage or discourage drug and alcohol problems
Discuss special problems of substance abuse among youth, ethnic/racial and sexual
minorities, persons with disabilities, and women
Explain the role of chemical dependency in the manifestation of social and domestic
violence, and criminal behavior
Understand the coexistence of substance abuse and other psychological/behavioral
disorders
REQUIRED TEXT
McNeece, C.A., & DiNitto, D.M. (2012). Chemical dependency: A systems approach (4th
ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
For each unit, content will be available by 12:01 am on Sunday. (Please note that all
times in the syllabus are EASTERN STANDARD TIME). This includes an introduction
to the weekly topic(s), PowerPoint presentation lectures, the question(s) for small group
discussion, and links to websites and material that will be helpful in understanding the
content and responding to the discussion question(s). Your final grade will be based on
the following assignments.
Self-Assessment Quizzes
There will be 15 short, timed quizzes available that correspond with chapters in the text.
The first quiz is an exception and will be about the syllabus. (There will be no make-up
quizzes.) Each quiz is 10 questions and you will have 20 minutes in which to complete
it. Each quiz will be available by Thursday at 12:01 am and must be
completed no later than Saturday at 11:59 pm.
Discussion Board/Class Participation
Students are expected to actively participate in the discussion board each week. You
will be divided into small groups by the second day of class. You will be able to access
your group by clicking on the Discussions tab on the course site. You will only be able to
access your own small group board and the consensus board.
Each week, at least one discussion question reflecting the week’s content will be posted.
Each group will discuss the question on their small group discussion board, come to a
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consensus, and then post the consensus response to the class. Consensus discussion
responses must be posted no later than Saturday by 11:59 p.m. I
recommend that one of the first orders of business that your group works
out is a consensus posting schedule. Under “Week 1” there is a board where your
group can decide on a schedule.
Discussion points will be awarded for each week. Your weekly grade will be based on
your use of relevant readings, the unique contribution of ideas, and synthesis of
information to generate an overall consensus. In general, full points can only be
awarded when students are engaged in an on-going basis in the discussion. (One lengthy
post will not be sufficient as the purpose of the discussion board is to exchange ideas
among all of you.)
Other important notes about the discussion board: 1) if you are responsible for posting
the consensus, you must still participate in the discussion; 2) individual posts must be
posted by Thursdays. This allows all members one final chance to interact and also
allow whoever is responsible for completing the consensus the opportunity to write it up
and get it posted on time; 3) each of you is graded on your individual posts, not on the
consensus post. However, if there appears to be a lack of effort or timeliness on your
effort on the consensus post, then your score for the week may be reduced; 4) I do not
grade the number of times that you post, but instead look for the quality of engagement
over the week. You could post several times in one week, not address anything that I’m
looking for, and receive few points despite a high frequency of posting.
Since this portion of the class is worth the most points toward your final grade, I
strongly encourage you to look at the examples I have provided of stellar small group
posts/interactions and consensus posts. These examples are found under Content 
Assignment Guidance.
Recovery Group Observation and Reflection Paper
This assignment has two parts.
First, students will be required to attend and observe a Twelve Step Meeting of
Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, or an approved recovery
meeting. If you have been to a recovery meeting before, please attend a different one.
(You may ONLY attend a SMART Recovery meeting if you have previously attended a
12-step meeting.) Local chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and
Al-Anon usually hold some open meetings that anyone may attend (but do not attend an
open ‘speaker’ meeting, go to an open ‘discussion’ meeting). Contact a local chapter,
inquire whether you may attend, and make the necessary arrangements, including time,
date, and place. Be respectful of the groups’ rules and norms, especially confidentiality.
Be sure you are attending an ‘open’ meeting at which visitors are welcome. Do not
attend a ‘closed’ group unless you fit the criteria for membership in your personal life
and are attending as yourself. Go alone to this meeting, just as a real first time member
might. Place yourself in the shoes of a client in finding the group, locating it
geographically, figuring out transportation to and from the meeting, and how
convenient the time and location are for a possible client. Do not take notes during the
meeting! There are many ways to locate recovery groups: Internet sources, newspapers,
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hospitals, churches, national organizations, library, etc.
Second, students will be required to write a critical reflection paper on the group
they attended. Class readings MUST be integrated into the reflection papers. The
paper is expected to be in APA style, be 3 - 5 pages (excluding cover page and reference
page), have a cover page, and have a reference page The reflection paper should contain
the following sections:
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Group attended and how you found out about it (Internet, newspaper, hospital,
church, national organization, library, etc)
Time, location, date of meeting (What did the meeting place look like? What kind
of neighborhood was it in?)
Who was there? (Number, sex, race, age distribution, etc.)
What happened? (Just record the events as they happened.)
How did you feel about the experience?
o If you have been to other meetings, how did this one compare?
Would you refer a client to this group? Why or why not?
Intervention Reflection Papers
Each student will complete two Intervention Reflection Papers at two points during the
semester. To complete the paper, the student will watch an episode of Intervention (on
A & E Mondays at 10pm and full episodes on
http://www.aetv.com/intervention/index.jsp) and write a reflection paper.
These papers should be written in APA style, be between 6 – 9 pages (excluding cover
page and reference page), have a cover page, and have a reference page. The two papers
cannot be written on episodes where the same primary drug was abused. (In other
words, Paper #1 could be on alcohol but Paper #2 would have to be on a substance other
than alcohol.) Please use only episodes in which one person with a substance abuse
problem is highlighted (not episodes where two individuals are highlighted or special
episodes where the focus is on one specific drug of abuse without a specific personal
story associated with it). I believe there have been episodes where the individual has
anorexia and the episode focuses only on that. Please be sure that your episode is about
drug or alcohol abuse!
Intervention Reflection Paper #1 should contain the following sections:
 The person featured on the episode, the drug of choice, and the season the
episode aired
 Summarize the episode (this is NOT the main portion of the paper and should be
no more than 2 pages)
o Personal history
o Drug use history (age at first use, what substance, precipitating event,
previous treatment, etc.)
o Current situation (living, work, school, money, friends, family, health, etc.)
o Describe the person’s current drug use (drug of choice, method of
ingestion, amount, frequency, etc.)
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o What consequences (physical, social, legal, etc.) of the drug use were
evident?
o The intervention process and outcome
o The follow-up
Summarize facts about the person’s drug of choice (category, commercial and
street names, DEA Schedule (not just the number but what that number
means)/how administered, intoxication effects/potential health consequences).
The Table in Chapter 4 will help you here.
How does the person’s demographic information coincide with the book’s
epidemiological information?
What evidence exists that this person is addicted (does he/she meet certain
criteria, what is the specific criteria you are using [i.e., DSM, WHO, etc.], what
symptoms were present)?
Discuss at least one part of the episode that touched on a controversial topic and
your thoughts about it. For social workers - How does your view coincide with
the NASW Code of Ethics?
What were your reactions (emotional and intellectual) to this episode?
Intervention Reflection Paper #2 should contain the following sections:
 The person featured on the episode, the drug of choice, and the season the
episode aired
 Summarize the episode (this is NOT the main portion of the paper and should be
no more than 2 pages)
o Personal history
o Drug use history (age at first use, what substance, precipitating event,
previous treatment, etc.)
o Current situation (living, work, school, money, friends, family, health, etc.)
o Describe the person’s current drug use (drug of choice, method of
ingestion, amount, frequency, etc.)
o What consequences (physical, social, legal, etc.) of the drug use were
evident?
o The intervention process and outcome
o The follow-up
 Choose one chapter in the text about a population to which the person in the
episode belongs (i.e., racial/ethnic group, woman, GLBT, person with a disability,
etc.). Explain general considerations based on his/her group membership.
 Using Chapter 10, summarize the family dynamics and patterns.
 What were your reactions (emotional and intellectual) to this episode?
Final Exam
This is a “take-home” exam that will be in a short answer and essay format. You will be
able to download the exam document, save it to your computer, and work on it until it is
due. You will be able to use all of the course materials that have been provided in
answering the questions. It will be made available by 12:01 am on Friday, 8/9,
and needs to be completed by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, 8/13.
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POINTS
A total of 100 points are possible in this course and will be distributed as follows:
Assignment
Points Possible
Chapter Quizzes
(2 points each)
30
(15 quizzes)
Participation in Discussion Board
(4 points each)
36
(9 questions)
Recovery Group Observation and
Reflection Paper
4
Intervention Episode Reflections
20
(10 points each)
Final Exam
10
TOTAL
100
POINTS AND LETTER GRADES
5367:
A 100-95
C 76-70
A- 94-90
F < 70
B+ 89-87
B 86-83
B- 82-80
C+ 79- 77
Expectations
Attendance and Punctuality
(For
university
information
on
attendance
http://www.etsu.edu/reg/academics/syllabus.aspx)

and
financial
aid
go
to:
When necessary to report attendance to the University, participation on the
discussion board will be used.
The Learning Environment
 Please demonstrate professional and courteous behavior in class. This includes
showing respect for your fellow students by being aware that everyone in class
should have an opportunity to speak without one or two individuals repeatedly
monopolizing class discussion time. All students are responsible for creating and
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maintaining a positive learning environment. Social workers respect others.
Therefore, differences in values, opinions, beliefs, and feelings of class members and
guest speakers will be respected. Everyone in the class (including the professor and
each student) is to be treated with dignity and respect. Social work practitioners
often receive intimate and detailed information from clients and must adhere to
confidentiality as stated in the NASW Code of Ethics. For that reason, information
from personal experiences shared in class is to be kept confidential.

Preparation is a prerequisite for class participation. Participation means actively
sharing your thoughts, questions, and experiences in class discussions. It means
participating voluntarily in class activities, showing professional and courteous
behavior in class, and showing respect for your fellow students, professor, and guests
by being open and attentive to their ideas and opinions.
Submission of Work
 All written assignments should be submitted to D2L by the due date/time.

An assignment is late if it is not submitted on D2L by the due date/time. No late
assignments will be accepted as the dropbox will close automatically.
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Multiple submissions of assignments are not allowed.

Students will complete work individually unless otherwise indicated by the
professor.
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Writing assignments must reflect university-level writing expectations and
standards. All assignments should be well-written and well-edited. Proper
grammar/syntax is expected. Failure to meet these expectations will negatively
impact your final grade. Students should take full advantage of the Center for
Academic Achievement located on the first floor of the Sherrod Library for help with
written projects.
Disclaimer
 The professor reserves the right to revise the course syllabus and calendar as
required by either judgment or circumstance. Changes will be announced via
announcement through D2L, and students are responsible for recording changes as
announced.
RESOURCES
Mental Health Services
Social work education is a process of self-exploration and self-awareness.
Material we cover and exercises required may be emotionally or psychologically
upsetting for some students due to past experiences and circumstances. Please don’t
hesitate to pursue counseling or mental health services. Counseling services are
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confidential and free to all ETSU students. Services and information can be found at:
http://www.etsu.edu/students/counsel/counsel.htm
If you or a friend is in immediate crisis, call 911.
Available 24/7 is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK.
Writing and Communication Aid
Center for Academic Achievement: Located on the first floor of the Sherrod
Library, the Center for Academic Achievement (CFAA) is the place to go for help with
writing and speaking, library research, core math and science courses, and other
subjects. the center offers tutoring on a walk-in and appointment basis and is open
during library hours, including nights and weekends. Call 439-7848 or go to
www.etsu.edu/academicaffairs/cfaa for more information. Papers may be submitted
electronically – please contact the CFAA for more information.
Online Writing Tutorials
APA 6th Edition:
http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx
The University of Indiana's Online Plagiarism Tutorial:
https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/
Five Rules for Better Presentations:
http://michaelhyatt.com/five-rules-for-better-presentations.html
GUIDANCE AND POLICIES
NASW Code of Ethics
This code of ethics is to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of
social workers. You are expected to be familiar with its contents. The code can be found
in
your
student
handbook
or
online
at:
https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
University Honor Code
Law, the profession of social work’s ethical standards, and the University’s
academic and administrative policies demand that students neither plagiarize nor cheat.
Plagiarism is taking written work of another person and/or their ideas and language and
submitting them as your work. You must be extremely careful when “paraphrasing”,
which is translating another’s words, ideas or language into your own words, etc. In this
effort, you must proceed with great caution.
Cheating is a variety of behaviors that include copying other’s answers in class on
exams and other required work and/or submitting the same work for more than one
course. Cheating can occur on tests, in papers, and on presentations, etc. Additionally,
using notes or other forms of aid during examination or quizzes, unless explicitly
permitted by the professor, is one form of cheating. To familiarize yourself with specific
guidelines, see the Social Work Student Handbook. A grade of F is assigned for
any plagiarism or cheating in this course.
Students with Disabilities
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In compliance with the federal regulations and the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990, it is the policy of East Tennessee State University to accommodate students with
course substitutions, and other academic adjustments when necessary to insure equal
access for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities needing academic
accommodation should:
(1) Register with Disability Services at 439-8346 in the Culp Center
(http://www.etsu.edu/students/disable/)
(2) Provide the professor a letter indicating the need for accommodation and what type.
This should be done by the second week of class.
A Brief Note on Plagiarism…
Definition: Representing another's work as one's own.
Examples:
 Presenting ideas as if they are your own, when they were actually derived from
another individual's work.
 Failing to put quotation marks around another's words.
 Including phrases from another author’s work without using quotes around the
phrases.
 Inserting different words into the original author's sentence structure.
 Paraphrasing without citing whose work you are paraphrasing.
Consequences of Committing Plagiarism:
 Receiving a verbal or written reprimand that may be placed in your file.
 Receiving a "0" or an "F" for the assignment and not being allowed to submit it
again.
 Receiving an "F" in the course.
 Suspension, dismissal, or expulsion from the University.
Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism:
 Take notes that clearly indicate which are your words and which are those of the
author.
 Use quotation marks in your notes.
 In your notes, work on summarizing ideas in your own words; this facilitates real
understanding of the material rather than just parroting back what you read.
 Always indicate in your notes exactly where you got the information, including the
page number.
 Keep copies of your first drafts (until you receive the graded paper back) and be
prepared to show your professor your reference material (notes or the original
works).
 Carefully edit your final draft to make sure that you've included quotation marks and
citations in text. You also need to make sure that all citations in text are included on
the reference list, and vice versa.
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Initial Course Outline – Subject to Change!
Week
1
Dates
Topic(s)
6/10 – 6/15 Ch. 1: Definitions and
Epidemiology of
Substance Use, Abuse,
and Disorders
Reading(s) for Class/Deadlines
Ch. 1 quiz
Syllabus quiz
Discussion Board
6/14: Last Day to Register or Add
Classes Without a Departmental
Permit - Spring Semester
2
6/16 – 6/22 Ch. 2: Etiology of
Addiction
Ch. 2 & Ch. 3 quiz
Ch. 4 quiz
Ch. 3: The Brain Biology
of Addiction
Discussion Board
Ch. 4: The Physiological 6/17: Last Day to Drop a Course
and Behavioral
Without a W Grade (by 4:30 P.M.
Consequences of Alcohol EST) - Spring Semester
and Drug Abuse
6/19: Last day to add w/o Dean's
permission
3
4
6/23 –
6/29
6/30 – 7/6
Ch. 7: Preventing
Alcohol and Drug
Problems
Ch. 7 quiz
Ch. 8: Regulating Drugs
and Their Consequences
Discussion Board
Ch. 5: Screening,
Diagnosis, Assessment,
and Referral
Recovery Group Observation and
Reflection Paper Due 11:59 pm on
7/3
Ch. 8 quiz
10
Ch. 5 quiz
Discussion Board
“Guest Speaker”: Motivational
Interviewing
7/1: Last Day to Drop a Course With
a W grade Without Dean's
Permission - Spring Semester
5
7/7 – 7/13
Ch. 6: Treatment: The
System of Care
Intervention Reflection Paper #1 Due
11:59 pm 7/10
Ch. 6 quiz
Discussion Board
“Guest Speaker”: Meth Lab Task
Force
6
7/14 – 7/20 Ch. 9: Treating
Substance Abusing
Youth
Ch. 10: Family Systems
and Chemical
Dependency
7
Ch. 9 quiz
Ch. 10 quiz
Discussion Board
“Guest Speaker”: Codependency
7/21 – 7/27 Ch. 15: Gender,
Ch. 15 quiz
Substance Abuse, and
Substance Use Disorders Discussion Board
“Guest Speaker”: Trauma Informed
Care
8
7/28 – 8/3
Ch. 11: Ethnicity,
Culture, and Substance
Use Disorders
Ch. 11 quiz
Ch. 12 quiz
11
9
8/4 – 8/10
Ch. 12: Substance Abuse
Treatment with Sexual
Minorities
Discussion Board
Ch. 13: Substance Use
Disorders and CoOccurring Disabilities
Intervention Reflection Paper #2
Due 11:59 pm on 8/7
Ch. 13 quiz
Ch. 14: Alcohol and Drug
Misuse and Abuse in
Ch. 14 quiz
Late Life
Discussion Board
10
8/11 – 8/16
Final Exam Due by 11:59pm on
8/13
8/14: Last day to withdraw from the
university (by 4:30 pm EST)
12
Week
1
Dates
6/10 –
6/15
Topic(s)
Ch. 1: Definitions and
Epidemiology of
Substance Use,
Abuse, and Disorders
Reading(s) for Class/Deadlines
Ch. 1 quiz
Syllabus quiz
Discussion Board
6/14: Last Day to Register or Add
Classes Without a Departmental Permit Spring Semester
2
6/16 –
6/22
Ch. 2: Etiology of
Addiction
Ch. 2 & Ch. 3 quiz
Ch. 4 quiz
Ch. 3: The Brain
Biology of Addiction
3
4
6/23 –
6/29
6/30 –
7/6
Discussion Board
Ch. 4: The
Physiological and
Behavioral
Consequences of
Alcohol and Drug
Abuse
6/17: Last Day to Drop a Course Without
a W Grade (by 4:30 P.M. EST) - Spring
Semester
Ch. 7: Preventing
Alcohol and Drug
Problems
Ch. 7 quiz
Ch. 8: Regulating
Drugs and Their
Consequences
Discussion Board
Ch. 5: Screening,
Diagnosis,
Assessment, and
Referral
Recovery Group Observation and
Reflection Paper Due 11:59 pm on 7/3
6/19: Last day to add w/o Dean's
permission
Ch. 8 quiz
Ch. 5 quiz
Discussion Board
13
“Guest Speaker”: Motivational
Interviewing
7/1: Last Day to Drop a Course With a W
grade Without Dean's Permission Spring Semester
5
7/7 –
7/13
Ch. 6: Treatment: The Intervention Reflection Paper #1 Due
System of Care
11:59 pm 7/10
Ch. 6 quiz
Discussion Board
“Guest Speaker”: Meth Lab Task Force
6
7/14 –
7/20
Ch. 9: Treating
Substance Abusing
Youth
Ch. 9 quiz
Ch. 10: Family
Systems and
Chemical
Dependency
Discussion Board
Ch. 10 quiz
“Guest Speaker”: Codependency
7
7/21 –
7/27
Ch. 15: Gender,
Ch. 15 quiz
Substance Abuse, and
Substance Use
Discussion Board
Disorders
“Guest Speaker”: Trauma Informed
Care
8
7/28 –
8/3
Ch. 11: Ethnicity,
Culture, and
Substance Use
Disorders
Ch. 12: Substance
Abuse Treatment with
Ch. 11 quiz
Ch. 12 quiz
Discussion Board
14
Sexual Minorities
9
8/4 –
8/10
10
8/11 –
8/16
Ch. 13: Substance Use Intervention Reflection Paper #2 Due
Disorders and Co11:59 pm on 8/7
Occurring Disabilities
Ch. 13 quiz
Ch. 14: Alcohol and
Drug Misuse and
Ch. 14 quiz
Abuse in Late Life
Discussion Board
Final Exam Due by 11:59pm on 8/13
8/14: Last day to withdraw from the
university (by 4:30 pm EST)
15
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