International Centre for Certification and Education of Addiction Professionals (ICCE)

The Universal Treatment Curriculum for Substance Use Disorders (UTC)

Curriculum 4

Basic Counseling Skills

for Addiction Professionals

MODULE 1TRAINING INTRODUCTION

Module 1: Learning Objectives

Explain

the overall training goals and at least four

objectives of this 5-day training;
State at least one personal learning goal;
Describe the concept and importance of
counselor style; and
List at least five characteristics of effective
counselors.

1.2

Module 1: Learning Objectives

(contd)
Describe the concept and importance of counselor style;
List five characteristics of effective counselors;
Define helping relationship;
Identify 2 effective counseling strategies for each stage
of change,
Describe and demonstrate attending skills, probing and
summarizing, and
Demonstrate basic competence in group facilitation.

1.3

Exercise: Introductions
What

is your name?
In what towns do you live and work?
What is your job title?
What does your job involve?
How did you become interested in the counseling
profession?

1.4

Training Materials

1.5

The Global Problem

167315

million people used illicit substances

at least once in 2011

Source: UNODC. (2013). World drug report 2013. New York: United Nations.

1.6

DSM 5
Diagnostic

and Statistical

Manual of
Mental Disorders
DSM-5
SUD

defined

1.7

WHO ICD-10 Substance Use Disorders

Harmful

Use and
Dependence Syndrome

Source: World Health Organization (2007) International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health
Problems (10th revision). Geneva. Author

1.8

The Global Problem

1539

million problem drug users

Problem drug use was determined based on:
The number of people reported to be dependent
on a substance
The number who injected substances
The number reporting long duration of use of
opioids, amphetamines, or cocaine

Source: UNODC. (2013). World drug report 2013. New York: United Nations.

1.9

The Global Problem

1122

million people injected drugs in 2010

About

11 percent of those who inject drugs are

HIV positive
About 50 percent of those who inject drugs are
infected with hepatitis C

Source: UNODC. (2013). World drug report 2013. New York: United Nations.

1.10

The Global Problem

Global

consequences of SUDs are farreaching and include:

Higher rates of hepatitis and tuberculosis

Lost productivity
Injuries, accidents and deaths
Overdose hospitalizations and deaths
Suicides
Violence

1.11

The Global Problem

There

continues to be an enormous unmet

need for drug use prevention, treatment, care,
and support, particularly in developing
countries.
Yuri Fedotov, Executive Director, UNODC

Source: UNODC. (2011). World drug report 2011 (p. 9). New York: United Nations.

1.12

Training Series Goals

Build

international treatment capacity:

Train
Professionalize
Expand

1.13

Curricula in the Series

Curriculum

1: Physiology and Pharmacology

for Addiction Professionals (3 days)
Foundational, not how-to or skills-based course
Overview of the physiology of addiction as a brain
disease and the pharmacology of psychoactive
substances

1.14

Curricula in the Series

Curriculum

2: Treatment for Substance Use

DisordersThe Continuum of Care for
Addiction Professionals (5 days)
Foundational, not how-to or skills-based course
Overview of recovery and recovery management,
stages of change, factors affecting treatment
outcomes, principles of effective treatment,
components of treatment, and evidence-based
practices, including couples and family counseling

1.15

Curricula in the Series

Curriculum

3: Common Co-occurring Mental

and Medical DisordersAn Overview for
Addiction Professionals (3 days)
Foundational, not how-to or skills-based course
Overview of the relationship of co-occurring
disorders to one another and to treatment issues
and descriptions of commonly co-occurring
mental and medical disorders

1.16

Curricula in the Series

Curriculum

5: Intake, Screening, Assessment,

Treatment Planning and Documentation for
Addiction Professionals (5 days)

Skills-based course
Effective, integrated assessment and treatment
planning; highlights the importance of documentation
in the process

1.17

Curricula in the Series

Curriculum

6: Case Management for Addiction

Professionals (3 days)
Foundational and skills-based course
Overview of case management in SUD treatment
Skills practice in case management functions such
as planning, linkage, monitoring, advocacy,
consultation, and collaboration

1.18

Curricula in the Series

Curriculum

7: Crisis Intervention for addiction

Professional (2 days)
Foundational and skills-based course
Crisis as a part of life, guidelines for crisis
management, managing suicide risk, and
avoiding your own crisis: counselor self-care

1.19

Curricula in the Series

Curriculum

8: Ethics for Addiction

Professionals (4 days)
Foundational course
Professional conduct and ethical behavior,
confidentiality, ethical principles and professional
codes of ethics, ethical decision-making, and the
importance of supervision in ethical practice

1.20

Break
15 minutes

1.21

Large-Group Exercise: Training

Expectations
Write

2 training expectations on your index card

1.22

Some Basic Concepts

Addiction

The impact of trauma

Gender differences

Recovery
Wellness

Overall well-being
Not just the absence of disease but the:
Presence

of purpose in life
Active involvement in satisfying work and play
Joyful relationships
A healthy body and living environment
Happiness
1.23

Guided Imagery: Special Person

1.24

Counselor Characteristics and Style

The

characteristics of counselors themselves

have an enormous effect on the treatment
process, especially in the terms of the counselorclient relationship.

1.25

Counselor Characteristics and Style

Clients

who had the best treatment outcomes

had counselors who had the best
interpersonal skills, were the least
confrontational, and were the most empathic

Source: Finney, J. W., Wilbourne, P. L., & Moos, R. H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for substance use disorders. In
P. E. Nathan & J. M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that work (3rd ed., pp. 179202). New York: Oxford
University Press.

1.26

Desirable Interpersonal Skills

1.27

Personal Ability
Psychologically

healthy
Comfortable talking about a wide range of issues
Self-aware
Ability to set personal and professional
boundaries
High level of knowledge and competence
regarding SUDs
Reliable and accountable
1.28

Genuineness
Strong

interest in helping others

Can be in a relationship without playing a role
Sincere desire to understand others
Honest in his or her dealings with others

1.29

Immediacy
Attends

to and shares what is happening within

the professional relationship
Focuses on the issue at hand
Attends to what is important to the client
Adjusts easily and well to changing topics when
necessary

1.30

Warmth and Empathy

Genuinely

friendly
Demonstrates humanness
Accepts the client where the client is
Shows understanding

1.31

Empathy
An

active process of feeling with another person,

putting yourself in that persons place, having a
good sense of what that person feels, and (to
some degree) understanding that persons
feelings

1.32

Positive Regard and Respect

Positive

regard is an attitude of respect

Respect is the action; respect is demonstrated
An attitude of regard involves suspending
judgment, being open-minded, and being
objective
Being respectful means demonstrating sensitivity
and being trustworthy
Linked to belief that people can and will solve
their problems
1.33

Journal: Self-Assessment
What

strengths do I bring to my work as a

counselor?
What areas might I need to work on?

1.34

Individual Exercise: My 3-Day

Abstinence Challenge
Part of the training includes a three-day challenge to abstain
from one particular food, drink or behavior that you
associate with pleasure, i.e. coffee, cigarettes, watching
television, etc. The targeted choice or behavior should be
something that is experienced on a daily basis, and that
abstaining from is expected to bring up some level of
discomfort.
Over the course of the three days, you will fill out Challenge
Charts to track your behavior.

1.35

Lunch
60 minutes

1.36