8 Alliance 2010 2010 Alliance 9Certificate program combatsSubstance AbuseBy Karen ShugartAt the Alamance County middle school where Martina Wells works, she sees a surprising number of students dealing with substance abuse. Whether it’s their own use of drugs or alcohol or their parents’ addictions, more families are dealing with such abuse than Wells once thought, and they’re dealing with it in an environment where resources can struggle to meet demand. “It seems like there are not enough substance abuse professionals out there,” said Wells, a licensed clinical social worker who’s also a part-time student in East Carolina University’s substance abuse counseling certificate program.Demand for substance abuse treatment professionals is growing, whether the need is for counselors at teen-oriented treatment programs, outpatient facilities or on military bases. The U.S. armed forces in particular are in need: Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, in a Feb. 9 USA Today article said that the Army needs to double its staff of substance abuse counselors to handle the soaring numbers of soldiers seeking alcohol treatment. About 300 more counselors are needed, he told the newspaper. Even among the civilian population, demand for substance abuse counselors has grown. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that employment of substance abuse and behavioral health disorder counselors is expected to grow by 21 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is much faster than average for all occupations. The reason, according to the agency, as society becomes more knowledgeable about addiction, more people are seeking treatment. Also, drug offenders are increasingly being sent to treatment rather than to jail. ECU’s Department of Rehabilitation Studies has stepped in to address this need with the substance abuse counseling certificate program. The 12 credit-hour course of study, offered online and on campus, is aimed at a wide range of potential students, whether they be experienced mental health workers hoping to widen their skills or recent graduates who want to inch their way into a master’s program. It is the only program in the UNC system that offers all substance abuse counseling certificate courses online. The certificate program offers students exposure to substance abuse treatment and prevention methods. The online courses give students a chance to enroll regardless of where they work. The flexibility helps students juggle work and family responsibilities, while giving them skills needed to work in substance abuse treatment. “That it was online really made it more enticing for me,” said Wells, who lives in Creedmoor, about 100 miles west of Greenville.The courses feature online lectures from Dr. Mary Crozier, assistant professor and coordinator of the program, and other instructors, who also facilitate discussions and post videos for students to watch at home. “These are two-hour videos with the guru of substance abuse [counseling] inter-viewing patients,” Crozier said. “They get to hear the thoughts of federal movers and shakers.”Discussion board exchanges can get lively. “They say, ‘I never thought of trying that strategy’ and ‘How do you think it would work with my client?’ ‘Well, I don’t know, but the client and the counselor in my practice tried this and here is how it worked,’” Crozier recalled. “They encourage each other. They coach each other.” The students come from diverse backgrounds and bring disparate skills to the courses. “If you’re a police officer or a juvenile worker, a social worker or a dentist, you’re going to have a different set of [experiences,]” said Dr. Lloyd Goodwin, professor and interim chair of rehabilitation studies, Dr. Mary Crozier, assistant professor and coordinator of the substance abuse counseling certificate program, facilitates discussions and posts videos for students to watch online at home.2010 Alliance 11I am anECU allied health sciences studentApplied for undergraduate admission: 258Admitted to undergraduate programs: 162Average GPA of those admitted into undergraduate programs: 3.05Applied for graduation admission: 976Admitted for graduate programs: 167Average GPA of those admitted to the graduate programs: 3.47Total number of students enrolled in allied health sciences degee and certificate programs in fall 2009: 821Female students: 680Male students: 141White students: 629Non-white students: 192Full-time students: 661Part-time students: 160In-state students: 731Out-of-state students: 90Other important statistics: The following are departmental enrollments for the 2009-2010 calendar year.Clinical Laboratory Science: 26; Communication Sciences and Disorders: 166;Health Services and Information Management: 220; Occupational Therapy: 60;Physical Therapy: 87; Physician Assistant Studies: 97; Rehabilitation Studies: 115;Graduate Certificate programs: 50 who championed the program’s creation four years ago.The program grew out of demand. Providers were clamoring for more staff trained on these issues. Though the rehabilitation studies department already offered a minor in alcohol and drug studies, as well as master’s degree in substance abuse and clinical counseling, department officials wanted something that would allow working professionals to get training and expose students to the field. “This is a way that ECU can branch out, offer courses to a whole new consumer group, basically those who might not have the time or money to get a degree such as a master’s degree,” Crozier said.Clayton Sessoms, director of the Division of Continuing Studies, said certificates for years have been an avenue for ECU’s goals of access, accommo-dation and outreach. Technology has expanded the university’s reach. “The advent of the online graduate certificate is something that is more than a decade old,” Sessoms said.Fifty-four students are now in the program, quick growth for a certificate that was first offered four years ago. “I’m as busy as I can be,” Crozier said.For one course, students have to give up an addiction, vice or crutch, such as smoking, diet soda, fast food or depression-driven late-night TV viewing. The students record their experiences, including relapses, and their feelings. “Addictions to work, exercise, food – behavior addictions – are very similar to substance addictions,” she said. A contemporary issues course invites students to discuss