Co-Occurring Disorders

This advanced citation - the first for British Columbia - will equip you to deal with the co-occurrence of mental health and addictions problems, which has emerged as a critical issue for field practice.

The co-occurring disorders population refers to those people who have both a mental disorder and substance use disorder as per Axis 1 or Axis 11 of DSM-IV-TR. Research confirms for those with chronic and persistent mental illness a co-morbidity rate approaching 50%. In other words, if someone has such a mental disorder, there is a 50% chance that he or she also has a co-occurring addiction.

This program is designed to fit the busy schedules of working professionals - social workers, nurses and psychiatric nurses, psychologists and educators as well as people in related helping professions. Classroom courses are offered in the evening (18:30 to 21:30), with the possibility of occasional Saturday workshops.

The program has a January and a September intake anually. Students will take five courses for a total of 18 credits. Four courses are classroom-based, totalling 12 credits. Students will take two courses during the winter semester, and two more during the fall semester. A six-credit supervised practicum follows the completion of the classroom courses.

For more details about this program and curriculum, go to the Calendar and visit Courses.