Wednesday, April 17, 2024
4/17/2024
The title of this project is “Ensuring quality training on substance use disorders for counselors-in-training”. The project is designed to provide quality training and education in substance use disorders (SUD) for school counselor trainees, clinical mental health counselor trainees, clinicians, and counselor educators who provide mental health services to individuals in the South Central Appalachia region of Tennessee. This project will focus on the development of an evidence-based training curriculum on screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) strategies; assessment procedures; and treatment of substance use disorders. Individuals who live in the South Central Appalachia region experience a disproportionate amount of health disparities as compared to the national averages. There is a shortage of treatment providers in this area, which contributes to this number and serves as the emphasis of this project. Students in programs accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) are required to understand the theories of addictions and the signs and symptoms of substance use issues. Based on a comprehensive needs assessment of our current training, there is a need for a separate addictions course. This course would be required for both school counseling students and clinical mental health counseling students. The goals of this project are as follows: (1) Enhance the capacity of the counselor education program to sustain the delivery of a high quality, comprehensive curriculum with attention to evidence-based identification, assessment, and treatment of SUDs for MS Counseling trainees; (2) Increase the capacity of professional counselor trainees to utilize evidence-based screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), assessment, and treatment strategies in their anticipated work settings; (3) Enhance the capacity of doctoral-level trainees and site supervisors to utilize evidence-based screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT), assessment, and treatment strategies; and (4) Provide information to professional licensure boards and state legislators about the need to increase attention to evidence-based SUD competencies in professional counselor licensure and certification requirements. Objectives are connected to specific goals and will be completed throughout the life of the project. The objectives are measurable and will be evaluated at key points throughout the administration of the project. The project will annually serve at least 50 individuals, including counselor trainees, who will use the skills learned to work directly as interns with clients in the area; counselor educators, who will use the information to provide better and more comprehensive training in addictions throughout the program curriculum; and clinicians, who will use the information to affect positive change in clients who struggle with substance use disorders. We believe that this project will provide these stakeholders with the requisite knowledge and skill for addressing SUD concerns in the Appalachia region of Tennessee.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
