Postgraduate Diploma in Addictions Care

Purpose

The primary purpose of this qualification is to educate and train health and social welfare professionals and those working in the addictions workforce to provide specialised addictions intervention services. This qualification is intended to train candidates in behavioural interventions that will enable them to be accredited as addictions counsellors within a comprehensive health care system.

Rationale

One of the challenges to effectively addressing the growing problem of substance abuse in the Western Cape is a limited workforce. Recent efforts to improve the availability of treatment services in the Province (such as Provincial Government's commissioning of four new inpatient treatment centres and local government's investment in outpatient treatment services in the City of Cape Town's health clinics) have been hampered by the limited number of skilled and trained addictions professionals in the Province and elsewhere in the country. Non-government organizations providing substance abuse treatment services report similar experiences and note that difficulties attracting and retaining suitably qualified personnel are a major impediment to the delivery of effective services. These experiences highlight the importance of investing in the training and development of a professional workforce as part of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the substance abuse treatment system.

Although it is widely accepted that substance abuse and dependence are disorders that require a combination of medical (where available) and behavioural interventions, South Africa has lagged behind in developing and credentialing a professional workforce that has the capacity to effectively address these disorders. Firstly, university-based training programmes for health and allied professionals only briefly touch on the addictions and consequently individuals exiting these programmes tend to have limited knowledge of ways of managing these disorders effectively. The University of Cape Town's Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health is an exception to this norm, with its Master of Philosophy: Addiction Studies. However this Master of Philosophy is a two year, full time degree (or three year, part time degree). There is still a need for shorter courses that are geared towards the professional development of addictions counsellors. Secondly, service providers have been advocating for a short programme to assist with the professional development of their addictions workforce who are often qualified by experience and have little or no academic training or theoretical basis with which to understand behavioural change. At present, there are no academic courses available in this field that focus on behavioural interventions in the addictions to equip individuals as effective members of the addictions team.

This proposal is a response to this gap. We are proposing the development of a postgraduate diploma in addictions in behavioural interventions that will prepare candidates for registration and accreditation as addictions counsellors with accrediting and credentialing bodies that are currently in the process of being constituted.

• Basic knowledge of theories of human behaviour and behaviour change.
• Basic understanding of common mental disorders.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The University's Recognition of Prior Learning policy will be applied. Applicants who wish to be considered on the basis of Recognition of Prior Learning will be required to submit an extensive portfolio and may be interviewed to establish their knowledge and experience.

Access to the Qualification

• An approved Bachelor's Degree: Health Sciences or in the Humanities (Social work or Psychology).

Or.

• Approved prior learning.

All NQF Level 8 Core modules are compulsory and must be completed. In addition, candidates must complete at least one of the Elective modules to be awarded the qualification.

Compulsory Modules

• Understanding addictive disorders: Epidemiology, theories of behaviour change, and service development, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.
• Ethics and professional development, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.
• Screening and assessment of addictive disorders, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.
• Evidence-based treatment approaches, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.
• Managing co-occurring mental disorders, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.
• Case management and service monitoring, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.
• Working with the addicted family, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.

Elective Modules

Choose one of the following modules to complete the qualification

• Children and adolescents, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.
• Psychopharmacology and addiction, NQF Level 8, 15 Credits.

Total Credits required: 120.

1. Manage addictive disorders within clinical and community contexts.
2. Discuss the current system of treating addictive disorders.
3. Provide evidence-based behavioural interventions for alcohol and drug dependence.
4. Identify best practices for treating addictive disorders with special population groups such as women and adolescents.
5. Carry out a Research Project.
6. Demonstrate a sound knowledge of alcohol and drug epidemiology in South Africa.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

This qualification enables all the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes to be addressed.

1. Select and apply appropriate methodologies for the screening and assessment of addictive disorders.
2. Critically appraise past and current theoretical understandings of addictive disorders.
3. Critique the current system for addressing addictive disorders, identify areas for service improvement and gaps for new treatment systems research, and advocate for research-led systems improvement initiatives.
4. Modify, plan, design and implement appropriate behavioural interventions for addictive disorders in clinical and community.
5. Apply evidence-based interventions for including contexts that are challenging, complex and resource constrained.
6. Apply evidence-based interventions for addictive disorders within all population groups, including special vulnerable populations such as women, adolescents and persons with co-occurring mental disorders.
7. Identify and critically reflect on ethical and human rights issues within the context of addiction treatment in South Africa and other settings.
8. Exercise leadership in the addictions field via the application of and advocacy for evidence-based treatment approaches.
9. Critically reflect the role and practice of health and allied professionals in the provision of evidence-based addictions care, clinical research and the development of the South African addictions treatment system.
10. Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate research methods to enable critical appraisal of the addiction service system and implementation of new technologies for improving service delivery.
11. Critically appraise theoretical and research literature related to understanding and intervening in addictive disorders and identify best practices for treating addictive disorders.

Integrated Assessment

• Supervision reports will be completed at the end of each placement noting whether the student performed adequately, strengths and areas for improvement.
• One presentation during the module and one written assignments to be completed at the end of each module.
• 100% coursework (including practical) assessments; no examinations will be written.