Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work is accredited by the Illinois Certification Board, ICB (Formally IAODAPCA) as an Advanced Accredited Training Program, preparing social work students and practitioners to become Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselors (CADC).

Upon completion of the training program (see below for program requirements), students are eligible to submit their application to ICB to take the CADC exam. A passing grade on the ICB-administered exam is required for official CADC certification.

Student eligibility to take the exam is contingent upon the completion of the required classes and internship hours.

For admission an interview with the CADC Program Director is required. To schedule an interview send an email request to CADC@luc.edu. Following your interview, you may visit the following link to Apply to the CADC Program.

Curriculum

The following courses are required by Loyola and to fulfill state requirements.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
SOWK 722	Introduction to Alcohol and Other Drug Disorders	3
SOWK 621	Clinical Practice in Addiction	3
SOWK 622	Substance Abuse Treatment in Groups	3
SWII 730	Specialized Field Internship	1
Total Hours		10

Internship

Students in the CADC certificate must secure an internship at a site that has been approved by Loyola as a CADC site. Students are required to complete a total of 500 internship hours.

Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations

Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.

MSW Program Generalist Learning Outcomes

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision-making and how to apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. They also understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers understand the profession’s history, its mission, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. Social Workers also understand the role of other professions when engaged in inter-professional teams. Social workers recognize the importance of life-long learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure they are relevant and effective. Social workers also understand emerging forms of technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. Social workers:

1. make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context;
2. use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations;
3. demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication;
4. use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and
5. use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.

Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

Social workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and are critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including but not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. Social workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power. Social workers:

1. apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels;
2. present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences; and
3. apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.

Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories of human need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Social workers understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. Social workers:

1. apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels; and
2. engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.

Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

Social workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice. Social workers:

1. use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research;
2. apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and research findings; and
3. use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.

Competency 5: Engage in Police Practice

Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:

1. Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services;
2. assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services;
3. apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.

Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand strategies to engage diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may impact their ability to effectively engage with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers value principles of relationship-building and inter-professional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate. Social workers:

1. apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies; and
2. use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies.

Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in the assessment of diverse clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand methods of assessment with diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and value the importance of inter-professional collaboration in this process. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may affect their assessment and decision-making. Social workers:

1. collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies;
2. apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies;
3. develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies; and
4. select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies.

Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are knowledgeable about evidence-informed interventions to achieve the goals of clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effectively intervene with clients and constituencies. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing and implementing evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers value the importance of inter-professional teamwork and communication in interventions, recognizing that beneficial outcomes may require interdisciplinary, inter-professional, and inter-organizational collaboration. Social workers:

1. critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies;
2. apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in interventions with clients and constituencies;
3. use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes;
4. negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies; and
5. facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-on goals.

Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Social workers recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness. Social workers:

1. select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes;
2. apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the evaluation of outcomes;
3. critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program processes and outcomes; and 
4. apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

MSW PROGRAM SPECIALIZED MICRO LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Social workers have an obligation to conduct themselves ethically and to engage in ethical decision-making. Social workers are knowledgeable about the value base of the profession, its ethical standards, and relevant law. Social workers recognize and manage personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide practice; make ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles. Social workers tolerate ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts and apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled decisions. Advanced practitioners in clinical social work are knowledgeable about ethical issues, legal parameters, and shifting societal mores that affect the therapeutic relationship.

1. Demonstrate professional use of self as a social worker, reflecting knowledge of personal professional strengths, limitations, challenges, and cooperatively resolving interpersonal conflicts.  
2. Demonstrate ethical use of advanced modalities in practice and any related technological applications. 
3. Demonstrate capacity to fulfill ethical obligation for advocating for social justice for clients, specifically anti-oppressive practice. 
4. Be able to recognize and manage ethical violations and resolve conflicting ethical obligations.  

Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

Social workers understand how diversity characterizes and shapes the human experience and is critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. Social workers appreciate that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. Social workers recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power; gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups; recognize and communicate their understanding of the importance of difference in shaping life experiences; and view themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants. Advanced practitioners are knowledgeable about many forms of diversity and difference and how these influence the therapeutic relationship and clients’ presenting issues. Advanced practitioners are knowledgeable about the ways in which various dimensions of diversity affect (a) explanations of illness, (b) help-seeking behaviors, and (c) healing practices (Cal-SWEC, 2006). Advanced practitioners are cultural beings and understand how clinical practice choices can be culture-bound.

1. Demonstrate understanding of discrimination patterns in society and how macro, mezzo and micro-level oppression impacts micro-level social work practice with regard to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, age and any other social categories in which oppression occurs. 
2. Demonstrate understanding of the impact of intersectionalities of marginalized identities and associated oppressions and plans practice accordingly. 
3. Consistently uses self-reflexivity to examine and manage one’s own biases based on oppressive patterns in society. 

Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Upon completion of a learned understanding of advanced human rights, social, economic and environmental struggles of people, advanced micro practice social work students are able to identify their own roles in advocating for change. Identifying ways in which they can respect the dignity of others, honor social justice, and demonstrate ideals based on evidence-based practice research, students are able to present their critical thinking skills for individuals in the micro field of social work practice.

1. Understands the human rights perspective as a way to integrate systemic change into micro-level practice, including global economic, ecological, human rights, and migratory patterns as they impact client systems. 
2. Ability to articulate human rights violations the client and client’s system are experiencing, including environmental and economic issues that endanger the health of the client system. 
3. Demonstrates the ability to formulate how the practice is advancing the client and client system’s human rights. 

Competency 4: Engage In Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice

Students at the advanced level of micro practice are able to evaluate diverse clinical models and evaluate applicable research methodologies in order to make the best determination of applicability to particular client needs.  Practice-informed research includes qualitative and quantitative ways of understanding what constitutes effective practice, considering the positionality of the clinician researcher and the social/political/historical context of the research.

1. Demonstrate understanding of and be able to contribute to the evaluation of social research regarding advanced practice. 
2. Be able to critically evaluate and select potential practice models relevant for the clients’ systems.  

Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice 

Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:  

1. Communicate to stakeholders and policymakers the implications of policies and policy change in the lives of clients.  
2. Conduct and design a plan of organizational analysis and change, working with relevant constituencies, to evaluate interventions that impact clients and communities utilizing best practice models reflecting social work values, ethics, and the mission of the organization.  
3. Collect, maintain, interpret, and analyze data from both internal and external organizational environments, the community of stakeholders and diverse client groups to identify and prioritize social problems.  Recognize how oppression and social injustice affects client groups, organizations and communities and being proactive in intervening for human rights and justice.  
4. Understand strategies and techniques for advocating at local, state, and federal levels in policy development.  

Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

At the specialized level social workers build on their generalist understanding of engagement by practicing with a variety of cases involving individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities both in the classroom and in the field. Social workers critically analyze their knowledge of human relationships within a social/political/historical context applying an ecological perspective to advance practice effectiveness.

As they deepen their grasp of how their personal experiences and affective reactions impact their ability to effectively engage with diverse clients and constituencies, they are able to apply their skills in relationship-building and inter-professional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate. This includes taking into consideration the effects of the macro environment, such as issues around migration and its impact on client systems at the micro levels.

1. Implements and describes the use of reflective listening tools when needed to engage and empower members of families, and groups.  
2. Applies culturally appropriate resources available to assist with problem solving. 
3. Recognizes and describes self-reflective competency in identifying bias, countertransference, and potential microaggressions when engaging diverse client systems. 

Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Once social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice within a diverse and antiracist framework, they can use their relational skills to select and apply theories of human behavior taking into consideration the social/political environment. In addition, they can critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate assessment of needs with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers relate methods of assessment with diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers integrate the larger practice context in the assessment process such as migration and other factors and include interprofessional collaboration as relevant. Social workers are self-aware and can articulate the ways in which their personal experiences and affective reactions may influence their assessment and decision-making, including social dimensions of privilege. Social workers at the specialized level also:

1. Collect and organize data to support their professional decision-making as well as demonstrate critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies. 
2. Illustrate knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies understanding the lack of political neutrality in their work.  
3. Exemplify a process in which mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives are generated based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies in their social environment; and  
4. Convey a deeper understanding of how to select appropriate intervention strategies informed by assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies through the exercise of antiracist practice principles. 

Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand they have a plethora of treatment models from which to choose in tailoring interventions to be maximally effective with clients. Remaining up to date about the multiple forms of available evidence concerning the effectiveness of these models for client systems, social workers choose models that are most suited to advance the client’s self-determination and to empower the client in relation to larger social systems that often are oppressive. Social workers co-formulate intervention goals with clients, ensuring those are revised as the client accomplishes one goal and seeks to move on to the next. Social workers consider how the client responds to different ways social workers use themselves (active expressions empathy v. quiet listening, degrees of self-disclosure and reticence for instance) and examine how the client responds so as to offer the client a relationship that fosters engagement and client progress.  Social workers attend to the powerful meaning the relationship can have for the client, understand dynamics of transference, relate using cultural humility so as to learn from clients about cultures different than the social worker’s, refrain from words or actions that can hurt the client, and carry out treatment respectfully to advance the client’s dignity and resilience.

1. Self-reflective understanding of the professional use of self in interventions with diverse types of client systems in order to understand and challenge oppressive social forces as well as to avoid perpetuating racist biases, microaggressions, and disempowerment of clients.  
2. Using supervision and consultation appropriate to developing skills for advanced and interdisciplinary practice.   
3. Demonstrating an ability to intervene collaboratively and collectively with clients in choice of treatment plans and their implementation. 

Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that evaluation of practice is an ongoing activity. Social workers plan ahead for evaluating the treatment by reflectively articulating choice of intervention theory and model, formulating intervention goals that are amenable to evaluation, and planning how to keep notes that foster reflection about client progress. Social workers understand evaluation is participatory -- it occurs with clients in various ways both spontaneous and planned -- and so the social worker pays attention to client’s opinions about whether and how the intervention is helpful. Social workers make use of a diversity of models for evaluating treatment, such as participatory consumer evaluation interviews with groups, organizations, and communities; process notes with individual clients, families, and groups; engaging communities and smaller systems in reflecting on those relationship processes that bring about desired changes. Social workers understand that interventions can unintentionally include discriminations (microaggressions) and continually evaluate their practice with an eye to remedying and avoiding those discriminations.   

1. Demonstrate understanding of the logic and method of single case evaluation of practice from diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives. 
2. Competently demonstrate case evaluation, including identifying problems and their resolution, the fulfillment of goals co-identified with client, and managing systemic problems that impinge on client well-being. 
3. Demonstrates competence in incorporating client feedback processes in planning and carrying out the intervention plan.