Sault College

Chemical Dependency and Substance Use and Abuse Assignments

Final Paper

due Friday, August 16 @ midnight

CLO 4: Contrast varied clinical approaches to substance use and their intersection within the broader context of social services.

CLO 5: Synthesize theories of addiction and varied treatment models to identify potential benefits and limitations for diverse clients.

CLO 6: Outline the steps of specific and nonspecific assessments and treatment interventions for individuals accessing substance-related community services.

CLO 7: Discuss the impacts of stigmatization and marginalization on individuals, communities and social services, as it relates to substance use.

CLO 8: Integrate theories of addiction, recovery and change to inform professional practices that support inclusion, client awareness of substance-related service options, and client self-determination.

CLO 9: Employ varied communication skills and strategies to explain concepts of chemical use, dependency and treatment across diverse stakeholders and to support awareness and wellness.

CLO 12: Critically analyze the utility of research on chemical dependency and its application in clinical and educational services.

Weighting: 25%

Instructions

For this assignment, you will be required to design a communication strategy to stakeholders for treatment of a substance use disorder, utilizing the vignettes of Ben, Alex and Sonya.

For example, if you were discussing the use of marijuana, you could identify a communication strategy for different audiences – parents versus teens, teens versus children etc. Your communication strategy would be altered based on the target audience – remember those videos and posters we looked at during the last module?  A poster or video might be ideal for students but a panel discussion with addiction survivors might be better for adults.

You will also then, as part of the treatment piece, choose local (to you) resources or services that would address the addiction and incorporate this into your communication strategy. You are encouraged to contact the services directly to gather information on their own communication strategies and explore the variety or resources available – or not – for consumers of addiction services.  You may then create a poster, brochure or video relaying this information.

Specification

Choose a vignette from the course, Alex, Ben or Sonya. Choose a treatment plan for their substance use and design a communication strategy for an audience of your choosing.

Through critically analyzed research, you are to collate information on your topic for contributions, risk factors and treatment modalities of that substance for the culture or diverse population that your vignette identifies with. You are required to choose (at minimum) 3 peer-reviewed research articles. Again, being sure to critically analyze the source, method, study design etc.

You will then choose local resources or community partners who would support or 'treat' your vignette. What is the process to receive services? How would one navigate the process – do they support your client in their diversity? How long is the wait time, and do they offer anything in the meantime?

Finally, you are to bring this information together to create a poster, infographic, or brochure relaying the information you have gathered to deliver it to your chosen audience.

You will be marked on developing a fulsome treatment plan, your communication strategy, its appropriateness and ability to interest and educate its audience, as well as its level of cultural or diverse competency, and the chosen local resources and their appropriateness to support your client.

Deliverables:

Any of the above choices are to be accompanied with reference pages, according to the APA format.