Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSWO 585 – Substance Use (Summer B 2023)

Credits - 3

Description

The focus of this course is to examine the biopsychosocial-spiritual context of substance use/misuse through the intersection of multiple individual, family, organizational, societal and political systems that contribute to risk and healing. We will explore the impact of social dislocation, trauma, and neurobiology as it relates to those who are experiencing substance use disorders. Students will learn to identify through a person-centered, strength based, biopsychosocial lens, how substances became a way of coping with life’s challenges, and is a process of dis-ease through a sociocultural context. Students will be introduced to evidence based treatment modalities and explore resources to aid in prevention and intervention with individuals, families, organizations and policy makers.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

School of Social Work Program Outcomes:

Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:

1. Practice social inclusion to enable people, populations, and communities to fully participate in society, enhance human bonds in the context of cultural diversity and ensure improved quality of life and equitable resource distribution. EPAS Competencies 2 & 3
2. Engage in culturally-informed relationship building, being respectful of the complexity and diversity of contexts and circumstances. EPAS Competencies 3 & 6
3. Utilize theories of human behavior, social systems and social inclusion when offering interventions with people and their environments. EPAS Competency 8
4. Promote ethical reflection, critical consciousness and shared decision-making based in social work values and with consideration of the broader contexts of the world in which we live. EPAS Competency 1
5. Balance the roles of helpers, activists, and advocates through collaboration with communities to build healthy and sustainable resources. EPAS Competencies 2, 5, & 6
6. Engage as critical consumers and producers of research as it relates to assessment, intervention and evaluation of clinical and community practices. EPAS Competencies 4, 7, 8 & 9
7. Practice person-centered and collaborative community partnerships across diverse settings. EPAS Competency 6

School of Social Work Program Outcomes

Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:

1. Practice social inclusion to enable people, populations, and communities to fully participate in society, enhance human bonds in the context of cultural diversity and ensure improved quality of life and equitable resource distribution. EPAS 2, 3, & 5
2. Engage in culturally-informed relationship building respectful of the complexity and diversity of contexts and circumstances. EPAS 2
3. Utilize theories of human behavior, social systems and social inclusion when offering interventions with people and their environments. EPAS 7, 8, & 9
4. Promote ethical reflection, critical consciousness and shared decision-making based on social work values and with consideration of the broader contexts of the world in which we live. EPAS 1
5. Balance the roles of helpers, activists, and advocates through collaboration with communities to build healthy and sustainable resources. EPAS 3, 5, & 6
6. Engage as critical consumers and producers of research and evaluation applied to clinical and community practices. EPAS 4, 8, & 9
7. Practice person-centered and collaborative community partnerships across diverse settings. EPAS 6

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Recognize personal biases and reflect on beliefs relative to myths and misunderstandings about people who use drugs. Program Outcome 4; EPAS 1 & 3
2. Investigate the etiology and epidemiology of substance use disorders through a person in environment systems and dislocation perspective. Program Outcome 3; EPAS 2, 3 & 4
3. Analyze current and historical social policies related to substance use, how closely related they are to current evidence-based practices and what social factors support or deny them. Program Outcome 1 & 2; EPAS 4 & 5
4. Evaluate the impact of substance use disorder and current policy and their ripple effects across the individual, family, group, and community. Program Outcome 4 &6; EPAS 9
5. Compare and contrast multinational approaches to the treatment of co-occurring diagnoses and the impact of cultural values on treatment and recovery. Program Outcome 2; EPAS 2 & 3
6. Complete a micro, mezzo, and macro assessment for an individual with co-occurring substance use disorder. Program Outcome 1 & 3, EPAS 7
7. Use various theoretical perspectives on substance use disorders and how these drive the focus of assessment, treatment, and recovery. Program Outcome 6; EPAS 7, 8 & 9
8. Assess and evaluate readiness for change through the social environment at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice. Program Outcome 5, 6 & 7; EPAS 7 & 9

Assignments

A variety of learning activities are designed to support the course objectives, facilitate different learning styles, and build a community of learners. Learning activities for each module include the following:

Readings and Multimedia

Description: This course will use an array of readings, podcasts, and videos to present the important concepts in the various modules. The readings and media resources provide the foundation and background for student discussion threads, blogs and wikis, and written assignments.

Discussions

Description: An important learning method in this course is student participation and interaction in the discussion threads within each module. Students are expected to participate actively and in a respectful manner. Please refer to Course Policies about participation for a full discussion of expectations.

Writing Assignments, Projects, and Assessments

Description: You will complete one major presentation over the duration of the course. There will be case studies for discussion in addition to content discussions, additional assignment, reflective practice journals, and abstinence journals about your experience with “an addiction”. All written assignments should follow the APA format.

Reflective Practice Journals

(Due in Weeks 1 & 7) At the beginning and the end of the course, you will be asked to reflect on your understanding of personal myths and biases as they pertain to substance use disorder and addiction in general. There are a number of prompts meant to guide you. Use these questions as a guide when engaging in reflective practice. There is no length requirement on reflective practice journals, but they should be long enough to fully capture your thoughts and feelings. 

Weekly Abstinence Journals and Relapse Prevention Plan

Beginning in Week 1 you are asked to abstain from a substance or an activity that is routinely part of your life. Some things to consider abstaining from could be caffeine, soda, gluten, alcohol, drugs (not prescribed medication), sugar, ice cream, video gaming, Facebook, nicotine, etc.

Please be aware that if you choose to abstain from a substance that you use heavily (particularly alcohol or other drugs), you may experience withdrawal symptoms. If this is the case, please consider choosing a less toxic substance or activity and/or seek medical attention immediately if you do experience serious withdrawal symptoms.

Your reflective journal entries for Weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 will provide you with an opportunity to explore what this experience is like for you – the challenges, barriers, responses of family and friends, positive effects, physical awareness, etc.

In Week 7, you will write a final reflection and get practice in developing a relapse prevention plan to assist you with facilitating a positive “recovery process” with your abstained substance or activity, something that will be instrumental in helping your clients maintain sobriety and reduce relapse potential. You will want to integrate how the course materials explain or relate to your experience. A minimum of 3 pages is required for the assignment and criteria for substantive submissions must be met for full credit. Please see the assignment directions in Week 7 for a more detailed breakdown of length requirements for the different parts of the assignment. While APA format is not required for journal entries, proper use of references and citation style is expected.

Timeline Assignment

(Due in Week 2) You will be putting together a timeline covering major events in the United States’ War on Drugs following the content in Dopesick and the weekly readings. 

Assessing Community Recovery Readiness Assignment

(Due in Week 4) You will be assessing the city of Portland, ME for its level of recovery readiness and creating a 5-7 page report based on your findings. 

Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Assessment

(Due in Week 6) You will watch a documentary called Jacinta (2020)  and use it as a case study to conduct a biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment. You aren’t required to turn in the assessment document but will write a 4-5 page strengths-based assessment that summarizes your findings, describes how you formulated your assessment, and explain your thoughts about Jacinta’s biopsychosocial-spiritual development.

Final Community Readiness Project

Throughout the course, you will be working on a final community readiness project. In week 3, you will confirm a booking with a professional working in substance use disorder treatment/practice; in week 5, you will submit an outline and annotated bibliography for your final presentation; and in week 8, you will be submitting your final community readiness project presentation as a recorded presentation. 

You will be using the skills you have developed to research your local community and state through a micro, mezzo, and macro lens to determine if your community is recovery ready. Further details are listed within the course. 

Grading and Feedback Method: Grading and feedback methods are listed with each assignment. Please refer to the Learning Modules for more information. Individual rubrics will be provided in the learning modules. Please refer to each module for further detail on grading for participation, course assignments, and the blog.

Weekly Grading and Feedback: The course facilitator will return assignments and other grading items (discussion boards, participation, etc.) to students within three days of the assignment’s due date. The course facilitator will provide weekly feedback about participation and performance no later than four days after the learning module closes. Feedback can be via email or within the assignment itself.

Due Dates: Due dates for all learning activities are provided in the course’s Learning Modules.

Grading Policy

The School of Social Work uses the following grading system for all courses with the exception of field education courses. Students are expected to maintain a “B” (3.0) average over the course of their study. Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to receive their Master’s Degree.

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment	Point Value	Percentage of Final Grade
Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement	1 point	1%
Final Community Readiness Project (Interview Booking + Outline and Annotated Bibliography + Final Presentation)	19 points (3 + 6 + 10)	19%
Other Assignments (Timeline + Community Readiness Assessment + Biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment)	20 points (6 + 7 + 7)	20%
Discussions	25 points (3 * 8 + 1)	25%
Reflective Practice Journals (Completed in Weeks 1 & 7)	9 points (4 + 5)	9%
Abstinence Journals and Relapse Prevention Plan	26 points (4 * 4, 5 * 2)	26%
Total:	100	100%