Online Substance Abuse Counseling Courses and Classes

Online substance abuse counseling courses provide the practical skills and knowledge needed to help professionals serve individuals who have substance abuse addictions. Online coursework can be used for a basic certification, to meet requirements for undergraduate and master's degree programs or for current substance abuse professionals seeking various types of accredited national certification.

Overview of Online Substance Abuse Counseling Courses

Students enrolled in online substance abuse counseling courses study counseling skills and the general theories needed to assist people in the process of substance abuse recovery.
Admission requirements for online substance abuse counseling courses vary; however, most programs require some undergraduate or master's level coursework. In addition, some programs also require actual work experience in the field. However, students who desire the basic training needed to work only in a supportive role with other human service professionals can enroll in various introductory level courses.
Online substance abuse counseling coursework prepares students for various human services careers, including substance abuse counselor, mental health professional, social worker, clergy and police officer.

Online Substance Abuse Counseling Course Requirements

A computer with Internet connection is required along with basic skills and understanding of e-mail, file creation and attachment, message boards and chat programs. Most online courses allow students to work at their own pace but include established times for examinations, and for students to participate and interact with other students throughout the course.
Internships are mandatory for some online substance abuse counseling coursework programs.

List of Online Substance Abuse Counseling Courses

Individual Substance Abuse Counseling Course

Students learn how to assess, diagnose and treat substance abusers in a one-on-one setting. They gain an understanding of how to recognize substance abuse and develop treatment plans for recovery.

Group Substance Abuse Counseling Course

Group facilitation and the understanding of small group dynamics are skills learned in this course. Students learn the importance of active counseling and how it is a necessary factor to help with the growth and recovery process of participating group members.

Substance Abuse Case Management Course

Students learn the basic skills needed to effectively manage substance abuse client caseloads. This includes gaining the knowledge, style and techniques for conducting intake interviews and making initial assessments. Understanding how to organize observed and assessed information along with developing an individual plan of action for each client are also learned.

Prevention and Recovery of Substance Abuse Course

In this course students learn how to deal with relapses in their clients. They learn about the factors that increase an abuser's desire for drugs and alcohol, as well as how to assist abusers in recognizing and preventing these triggering factors.

Health and Social Problems of Substance Abuse

In this course, students gain an understanding about the correlation between the high-risk behavior of substance abusers and infectious diseases. Students learn the history of health and social problems related to substance abuse and how diseases are transmitted. Strategies for prevention are also discussed.