Clinical Approaches to the Addictions

Online Certificate Program

Social service, mental health, and health agencies recognize the growing need for social workers and other mental health professionals with expertise in treating addiction disorders. Increased emphasis on co-occurring disorders makes advanced training even more valuable. This Post-Master’s Program integrates sophisticated, clinical understanding with the latest evidence-based knowledge regarding screening, assessment, and treatment of individuals with alcohol and other drug disorders, as well as process addictions such as gambling and eating and sexual disorders. New York Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) credits are provided.

Program Highlights

• A psychodynamically oriented clinical understanding of the current drugs of abuse and patterns of abuse

• Understanding and treating non-chemical addictions such as eating disorders, gambling, and sexual disorders

• The latest evidence-based knowledge regarding screening, assessment, and treatment of individuals with substance use disorders, including tobacco addiction. Trends in treatment, motivational interviewing, harm reduction, self-help, and uses of medications

• Interventions with families and children of substance abusers, adolescents, women, involuntary clients, and trauma victims

• Case studies are integrated throughout the program

"As a result of this course I am now aware of the clinical treatments available in working with a variety of addictions. These include; Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, the 12 step program, CBT and DBT. I was also exposed to assessment practices, and have a much better understanding of addictions from a neurobiological perspective. I was also given the opportunity to learn about substance use disorders, including Alcohol, Nicotine, and chemical substances. as well as eating disorders, gambling, and sexual addictions. Topics also included group work, child and family work, and integrated healthcare and dual diagnosis. As a result of this course I was able to network with staff and other students, and learn about actual cases. This helped me to make appropriate treatment referrals for my own clients."

– Recent Alumnus, Clinical Approach to the Addictions, 2018

This certificate is comprised of 26 sessions over two semesters, running online Monday evenings from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Assignments include weekly readings and a final learning assessment. 

Shulamith Lala Ashenberg Straussner, PhD, DSW, LCSW, CEAP, CAS

Shulamith Lala Ashenberg Straussner is a Professor at NYU Silver. She is an internationally recognized authority on clinical approaches to substance abuse and is the founding editor of the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. Dr. Straussner is a current member of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Talent Management Committee; from 2008-2010, she was an invited reviewer for the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Social Work Peer Review Medical Research Program Panel of the US Army Medical Research and Material Command; and from 2009-2011, she was a consultant/board member on the SAMHSA funded Expand & Enhance Asian American Substance Abuse Treatment Services (EASTS) Project at Hamilton-Madison House. She also served on the National Center on Substance Abuse Treatment panel on workforce issues, and was the Northeast regional director for the multi-million dollar federally funded national Project Mainstream, an Interdisciplinary Project to Improve Health Professional Education on Substance Abuse sponsored by AMERSA/HRSA/CSAT.

52 NYSED and ASWB/ACE Continuing Education Contact Hours will be awarded for this program.

55 jurisdictions accept ACE-approved provider CE contact hours. ACE is not an approved Continuing Education provider in the states of New York (though NYU Silver is NYSED CE approved in NYS) and West Virginia, unless the event is outside of West VA. ACE only approves individual courses in New Jersey, though NYU Silver is CSWE-accredited and therefore accepted for licensed NJ professionals. Here is a full list of statutes related to social work CE.

CASAC Hours

This program is OASAS-approved as a Section 1 Provider (Knowledge of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse). Section 1 curriculum carries 85 clock hours towards the CASAC 350-Hour Education and Training Standardized Curriculum. Visit the OASAS website for more information about the credentialing process and requirements.

This program will not run during the 2020-2021 academic year. Please check back in spring of 2021 for information about the 2021-2022 program.

The cost of this certificate program is $2,574, which includes registration fee and cost of an online compendium of readings.

Available discounts include:

• 25% discount for NYU Silver School of Social Work MSW/PhD alumni
  
• 25% discount for field instructors currently working with NYU Silver School of Social Work graduate students.
• 15% discount for applicants who have already completed one NYU Silver certificate program.
• 50% discount for veterans.

Please note: discounts may not be combined.

Deposit: Upon acceptance into the program, a $250 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. This deposit is applied to the total cost of tuition.