Addiction Studies Program

This program is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), and is designed to meet the standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Coordinator: Dr. Boyd Pidcock
pidcock@lclark.edu

Students pursuing this specialty are prepared to work with addictive disorders including gambling, and also mental and emotional disorders which often accompany drug and alcohol abuse. The curriculum is based on nationally validated competencies for addictions counselors. Students can emphasize work with adults or with children, adolescents, and families. Internship placements allow students further opportunities to specialize, if they wish, in work with specific populations such as women, persons in correctional facilities and programs, adolescents, and members of ethnic minority groups.

Students completing this Master of Arts degree program are prepared to pursue certification as drug and alcohol counselors and also as Licensed Professional Counselors or other master's level certification as mental health counselors. This preparation is recognized in Oregon and most other states in the U.S.

There is a growing shortage of counselors prepared with graduate-level knowledge and skills in addictions treatment. One in ten adults in the U.S. is addicted to alcohol or drugs according to the best existing research. Drug and alcohol abuse is a critical risk for teen-agers. Child abuse, domestic violence, and criminal activity are common with the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Affected families suffer in many ways. Professionals in mental health, medicine, and public schools are awakening to the need to work together to prevent people of all ages from abusing drugs and alcohol and to provide effective treatment.

There is also a Master of Science option for the Addiction Studies program. The M.S. curriculum is for students who have interest and potential in psychological research. Students must first be accepted into the M.A. concentration. Admission to the M.S. concentration requires that the student be active, successfully complete CPSY 530 Research Methods and Statistics I with a grade of B or better, be enrolled in CPSY 531 Research Methods and Statistics II, present a preliminary research proposal, secure the commitment of a faculty adviser to chair a thesis committee, have a defined timeline for completion of the project, and have formally applied to the M.S. program. Full admission is granted when the faculty approves a proposal that meets these criteria.