Graduate Certificate of Alcohol and Drug Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Studies is available to graduates of medical, nursing, psychology and other allied health disciplines. The program has been designed to provide graduates from medical, allied health (including psychology) and nursing degrees with core skills to respond to substance misuse in a range of health settings, including those which focus on psychological health, mental health nursing, medical practice, social work, occupational therapy, and Indigenous health settings. The primary aim is to improve knowledge and expertise across a range of health disciplines, regardless of location, by improving training access for the rural-remote sector as well as those wishing to study via the distance education mode for other reasons. Because the range of disciplines varies within the allied health cluster, the assessment schemes will offer opportunities for students to develop knowledge and skills pertinent to their practice specialisations..

Program objectives

On completion of the award, students will be able to:

• understand the various types and administration routes of psychoactive substances, and the individual and systemic factors that contribute to substance misuse

• conduct a thorough assessment for substance misuse based on generic and discipline specific assessment needs

• conduct an appropriately targeted brief counselling intervention, following evidence-based approaches for the substance using population

• recognise and respond to lapses and manage relapse prevention.

The Graduate Certificate consists of 4 compulsory courses.

Course

• PSY5010 Assessment for Substance Misuse
• PSY5020 Motivational Interviewing
• PSY5030 Introduction to Psychoactive Drugs
• PSY5040 Relapse Prevention

For admission into the Graduate Certificate, applicants must: have completed a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 570 TOEFL iBT® test: 90