Not applicable.

PROGRAM MISSION

The Chemical Dependency Program at Rio Salado College is designed to train practitioners in the field of chemical dependency.  The program’s focus is on offering education to persons seeking to become licensed or certified chemical dependency professionals.

PROGRAM COMPETENCIES

• Identify symptoms of chemical dependency.
• Describe the relapse process.
• Demonstrate beginning skills in identification of co-occurring disorders.
• Demonstrate an understanding of ethical communication.
• Describe the counseling process in terms of objectives and issues of the initial counseling sessions, middle phase, termination of counseling, and follow-up.
• Describe how to establish the atmosphere for counseling, encourage clients and family members to establish counseling goals, commit to work on those goals and to become involved in self-help groups.
• Identify the major concepts and goals of major counseling theories.
• Identify the fundamental principles of self-help groups and differentiate between counseling and self-help models.
• Identify and critically analyze the twelve steps.
• State the psychological and pharmacological effects of chemical use/abuse.
• Explain roles, functions and limitations of the chemical dependency counselor.
• Identify the professional standards for practice, ethics, and development for the chemical dependency counselor.
• Describe strategies and treatment modalities recommended for working with persons with AIDS.
• Identify and describe laws pertaining to confidentiality, maintenance of client records, and reporting child abuse.
• Demonstrate ability to complete a psychosocial assessment, a mental status assessment, and progress notes.
• Describe how to establish client rapport.

For the complete alignment of program competencies visit Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation (CCTA).

Assessments in the individual courses are tied to lesson objectives as well as course competencies. They include both subjective and objective assessments that challenge students to demonstrate their skill level. Summative assessments (midterm and final exams) are designed to have students apply their knowledge and understanding of key concepts and think critically about how those concepts can be applied to real-life situations.

For the CCL in Chemical Dependency Level I, final assessments/projects for CHD165, considered to be equivalent to a “capstone” course, were pulled from RioLearn/Perception, Rio's online grading tool. Of all students in the program who earned CCL degrees during Fiscal Years 2008, 2009, and 2010, the overall final exam/project pass rate was 91.04%. 

Not applicable.