ASC5004 - Addiction assessment and treatment: Practice and innovation - 2018

This unit explores the range of evidence based treatment approaches to addiction from pharmacotherapy approaches such as withdrawal management to psychosocial interventions like Cognitive Behavioural Therapies, and social solutions such as peer support. Students will be provided with a rationale for alcohol, drug and gambling treatment and an overview of the effectiveness of a range of treatment interventions for alcohol, licit and illicit drugs and for gambling. They will consider the evidence about what works, for whom, in what situations.

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Analyse the treatment system, including the various modalities of treatment in the AOD sector (including face-to-face, telephone and online-based treatments) and explain how they can be effectively integrated in an individualised treatment plan
2. Critically evaluate the biopsychosocial framework for AOD screening and assessment, including a familiarity with commonly used measures and diagnostic tools.
3. Integrate information from screening and assessment into an individualized case formulation and treatment plan.
4. Communicate evidence-based psychosocial treatment approaches including Brief Interventions and Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness, ACT, Contingency Management and Family Therapy.
5. Review the role of medication treatments in addictions, including withdrawal and maintenance pharmacotherapies, in accordance with current guidelines.
6. Compare evidence-based treatment approaches in gambling, including the use of psychological and pharmacological treatments.
7. Determine how treatments can be adapted to the needs of special populations, such as youth, LGBTI communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities and people with co-occurring disorders.
8. Critically evaluate the evidence for mutual aid and peer-based models of aftercare and recovery.

• Participation in online discussion (Hurdle)
• Literature review (3,000 words) (30%)
• Critical essay (3,000 words) (30%)
• Case study (5,000 words) (40%) (Hurdle). You must reach a minimum pass of 45% in this assessment item to pass the unit.

Students enrolling in ASC5004 will be expected to contact the course co-ordinator regularly throughout the semester and participate in online discussion with fellow students and academic staff. Students should expect to spend around 24 hours a week of self-directed learning. This includes accessing online lectures, podcasts and resources as well as participating in forum discussions questions and quizzes via Moodle in addition to conducting offline independent study such as reading, research and writing activities.

See also Unit timetable information

Addiction studies