| Semester 1, 2023 Online | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Psychology and Wellbeing |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator: Rebecca Lane
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or MPPS or GCCO or MCCO
Overview
Assessment is the foundation of effective treatment planning and intervention in all areas of health service. Quality assessment provides key information about the frequency, intensity, and duration of a particular problem, in this case, substance misuse. It also provides a baseline against which changes and post-treatment improvements can be measured. As such, a sound assessment methodology forms part of the health practitioner鈥檚 evidence base.
As for other courses in the alcohol and drug studies specialisation this course is divided into three parts. The first part concerns principles of assessment, and includes an overview of psychometrics and some of the technical limits that may arise when working with a substance using population. The second part focuses on the core skills of assessment, in terms of how to assess individual patterns of substance use, assessment for predisposing biological factors and precipitating psychosocial factors, assessment for co-morbid mental health problems, risk assessment for suicide, and assessment for change readiness as a foundation for treatment planning. Students are introduced to a range of assessment methods and tools, and guided through the process of critiquing the efficacy of each in their practice settings with respect to various client presentations. The final component of the course pertains to ethics and culture, both of which are either mandated or recommended aspects of training in the health professions. The course follows a structured 10-module format to address the knowledge based components, while the skills components are completed on an ongoing basis and link to the major assignment, an assessable skills demonstration.
Course learning outcomes
On completion of this course students should be able to:
- Evaluate assessment tools and processes for addictions;
- Apply assessment tools and process for addictions with complex client presentations;
- Identify behavioural and psychosocial indicators related to substance use;
- Utilise best practice frameworks to undertake a comprehensive alcohol and drug use assessment and formulate a treatment plan.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Introduction to assessment of clients presenting with drug use and misuse issues | 5.00 |
| 2. | Principles and theories of assessment | 10.00 |
| 3. | Technical considerations of assessment with a substance using population | 10.00 |
| 4. | Assessing clients鈥� styles of substance use | 5.00 |
| 5. | Biopsychosocial assessment: Biological component | 15.00 |
| 6. | Biopsychosocial assessment: Psychological factors and suicide risk | 15.00 |
| 7. | Biopsychosocial assessment: Social factors | 15.00 |
| 8. | Assessment of co-existing alcohol and drug and other addictions | 15.00 |
| 9. | Biopsychosocial assessment tools | 5.00 |
| 10. | Ethical and cultural aspects of assessment with substance using populations | 5.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation (ind, grp, mltmd) | No | 10 | 1 |
| Critique (written) | No | 40 | 2,3 |
| Demonstration | No | 50 | 4 |