Alcohol and Other Drug Studies Mission Statement:
The mission of the Alcohol and Other Drug Studies Program is to prepare students with academic training and hands on experience for employment in various substance abuse treatment settings and obtain California state certification as a drug and alcohol counselor. The Alcohol and Other Drug Studies Program facilitates and enhances student learning in a supportive environment, through comprehensive education, utilizing academic courses and field placement experiences.
Program Accreditation:
The AODS Certificate consists of an 11-course curriculum approved by CCAPP and CADTP after their extensive reviews. Palomar College’s AODS courses prepare students to provide services in court-mandated, public, and private agencies for alcohol and drug intervention, treatment, and prevention. Students are prepared to work in agencies that provide intake, assessment, detoxification, impaired driver interventions, drug testing, crisis intervention, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, sober living services, relapse prevention, counseling, and family recovery.
The California Department of Health and Human Services, DHCS, requires that counselors who are employed in agencies providing alcohol and drug services must be certified to do so by having passed an approved state examination, or that they are enrolled as students in an accredited program such as Palomar College which prepares students for those exams.
CCAPP, California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals and CADTP, California Association of DUI Treatment programs are professional organizations that offer a state board certification examination.
To be eligible for the State Certification exam requirements include the completion of AODS courses: 150, 155, 160, 165, 250, 255, 260, 270, and the Supervised Practicums AODS 298/298L and 299/299L. Students must also complete one of the following: PSYC 100, Soc 100 or Soc 110.
Students must complete 255 hours of internship work at an approved agency during the Supervised Practicum courses AODS 298/298L and 299/299L.
State certification requires you to have a high school diploma or equivalent.
| Course Requirements | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AODS 150 | Introduction to Alcohol and Other Drug Studies | 3 |
| AODS 155/PSYC 155/SOC 155 | The Physiology and Pharmacology of Psychoactive Drugs | 3 |
| AODS 160 | Prevention, Intervention, and Education | 3 |
| AODS 165 | Law and Ethics | 3 |
| AODS 250 | Group Leadership and Process | 3 |
| AODS 255 | Case Management | 3 |
| AODS 260 | Chemical Dependency Family Counseling | 3 |
| AODS 270 | Co-Occurring Disorders | 3 |
| AODS 298 | Directed Field Experience I | 3 |
| AODS 298L | Directed Field Experience I Lab | 2 - 3 |
| AODS 299 | Directed Field Experience II | 3 |
| AODS 299L | Directed Field Experience II Lab | 2 - 3 |
| Program Electives (Select 1 Course) | ||
| PSYC 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 100 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 110 | Social Problems | 3 |
| Total Units | 37 - 39 | |
(A grade of ‘C’ or higher must be achieved in all certificate courses.)
AS Degree – Alcohol and Drug Studies
Palomar College offers an AS Degree in Alcohol and Other Drug Studies (AODS). The AS Degree Major in AODS requires the same 11 courses and 2 labs as the Certificate of Achievement above. The associate degree general education requirements include a minimum of 21 semester units. Courses may be listed in multiple general education courses; however, no course may be used to satisfy more than one general education requirement. Each General Education Area includes details as to which courses satisfy the respective area. Please see the Palomar College website for more details: Associate Degree General Education Requirements.