UM-Flint Substance Abuse Treatment Minor Ideal for Many Professions

 

Pursuing a minor in substance abuse treatment (SAT) through the University of Michigan-Flint is a great option for students who want in-depth knowledge to be able to recognize and screen people for substance abuse problems, and then intervene with resource options for those in need.

Offered through the UM-Flint Social Work Department, the 15-credit minor is open to all majors, can be completed quickly in three semesters, and is conveniently offered online.

Students seeking careers in social work, management, business, education, criminal justice, public health, physical therapy, nursing, and other medical fields will find value in completing this versatile minor because they can apply what they learn in practical ways that help the people they serve.

Ryan Ashley

SAT program coordinator Ryan Ashley

“People in education, psychology, nursing, criminal justice, and a lot of other fields will run into people who are affected in some way by substance abuse,” said Ryan Ashley, UM-Flint substance abuse program coordinator. “Students taking these classes will learn about assessments, brief interventions that they can do, and where the resources are.”

The SAT minor will also prepare students who are interested in earning the State of Michigan’s addictions counselor certification.

Courses in the Substance Abuse Treatment minor include:
• SAT 202 Problems with Substance Abuse
• SAT 320 Substance Abuse Theory and Treatment
• SAT 330 Substance Abuse Among Special Populations
• SAT 340 Intervention Strategies
• SAT 345 Social Prevention of Substance Abuse

A new elective that will be offered starting Fall 2016 is SAT 430 Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The class examines alcohol addiction, covering the health implications of alcohol abuse, the long-term impact of it on individuals and families, treatment options, available self-help groups, and community resources and how they work.

“Drugs impact people but not in the same way that alcohol does because it’s legal and it is so prevalent in communities,” Ashley said. “This class offers more variety in the minor and takes an in-depth look at alcohol use.”

For more information about the substance abuse treatment minor at UM-Flint, contact the Social Work Department or program coordinator Ryan Ashley at [email protected].