This program is designed to introduce students to theory and skills that are applicable to working in various community support positions with substance abuse issues and populations. The program is available in both On-Campus and Distance Education formats. Courses are in-depth with 60 hours of classroom time in each which is almost double the usual number of hours in University courses. Courses are taught by experienced therapists who have specialized knowledge of substance abuse, its management and treatment. Each course is also designed to offer students the opportunity for extensive experiential learning through hands-on skill practice which facilitates the generalization of skills to real world settings after graduation. The program exposes the student to a range of models of substance abuse etiology and intervention that includes individual, family, community, and cultural factors. In addition to earning the Addictions Worker Certificate students may also apply these credits to earning the full VCCT Diploma in Professional Counselling should they chose to take additional courses. Due to demand enrollment may be limited in this popular specialization so plan for registration early if interested.