Students will assess, treat and work with individuals and families battling addiction and mental health issues who present complex diagnosis and treatment challenges. Recently, there has been increasing recognition of the unique needs of people who live with concurrent disorders in the helping professions. Co-occurring substance use and mental health problems present challenges for people in accessing comprehensive support and services. Most promising practices in social and health service agencies include integrated treatment approaches that are based on processes of empowerment that complement a person-centred model of wellness and health. Similarly, stakeholders locally and provincially, have acknowledged the need for employees with an understanding of people who live with concurrent disorders as well as supports, resources, and evidence based approaches.

Program Highlights: • Building on their previous academic work, students will incorporate specialized knowledge and skills to provide support to individuals with concurrent mental health and substance abuse issues.

Learning outcomes: • Understand concurrent disorders and their impact on individuals and families. • Gain an understanding of treatment modalities utilized in treating concurrent disorders. • Develop an understanding of substance abuse, mental illness and the use of drugs. • Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training (NVCI) • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)