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Welcome to the NOFAS Curriculum for Addiction Professionals (CAP).
The comprehensive curriculum on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
for certified addictions counselors and other addiction and allied health professionals consists of two levels: CAP Level I is an online knowledge course on the NOFAS website; and CAP Level II is a two-day in-person training. Professionals receive six (6) Continuing Education Units (CEU) for successfully completing CAP Level I and sixteen (16) CEUs for successfully completing CAP Level II. CAP Level I must be completed prior to registering for a CAP Level II training.
The course is adapted from the FASD Curriculum for Addiction Professionals developed by NOFAS and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Center for Excellence. The original framework and core competencies come from the NOFAS medical school curriculum and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) FASD Regional Training Centers (RTC).
Purpose
To increase knowledge of FASD among eligible professionals and provide them with Continuing Education Units (CEU), so they may address alcohol and pregnancy and FASD with high-risk women and counsel adolescent and adult clients with FASD.
Audience
Allied health providers, mental health providers, educators, criminal justice, and addiction professionals.
Eligibility
The curriculum is relevant to professionals that serve or plan to serve clients with FASD. Participants are assumed to have an existing certification or license in alcohol and substance abuse counseling, or other relevant discipline, or two years experience or more working in a clinical practice or an agency serving populations affected by addiction. The curriculum may also be relevant for non-professionals. Non-professionals will receive a certificate of completion from NOFAS, although they would not be eligible for CEUs or to counsel individuals in a professional capacity.
Continuing Education Units (CEU)
A CEU is a unit of credit in continuing education programs, particularly those required in a licensed profession in order for the professional to maintain the license. Examples of people who need CEUs include educators, nurses, mental health professionals, and social workers. CEU records are widely used to provide evidence of completion of continuing education requirements mandated by certification bodies, professional societies, or governmental licensing boards.
Non-professionals are not eligible for CEUs and they are generally of no value to them. However, the content of the NOFAS curriculum is important information that will enhance the knowledge base for anyone interested in FASD.
NOFAS offers a total of twenty-two (22) CEUs for the successful completion of both CAP Level I and CAP Level II.
Certification
In addition to CEUs for those who are eligible, all individuals completing the curriculum will receive a certification or certificate of completion from NOFAS. The certification will formally recognize the successful completion of the coursework and the participant's comprehensive knowledge of FASD.
Format
The curriculum consists of two main sections: CAP Level I, a knowledge-based model that is completed on-line, and; CAP Level II, a skills-based model that is completed in a two-day in-person training sponsored by NOFAS.
Level I
Level I is a self-paced, web-based program. The course includes readings, activities, and a knowledge test. The activities are to help you understand the content and apply the knowledge. The course should take approximately six hours to complete and has been approved for six CEUs. Please note you must successfully complete the CAP Level I knowledge test in order to register for a CAP Level II training.
After completion of CAP Level I participants will be expected to:
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Understand the history and the basic science of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) (FASD Foundation);
- Understand the diagnostic process, the referral process, and appropriate resources for assessing clients (Identification of FASD and Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome);
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Understand counseling approaches and strategies for working with adults, adolescents, and children (Treatment Strategies for Working with Clients with FASD);
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Understand the addiction process and FASD prevention strategies for women with addictions (Prevention of FASD and Addiction);
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Identify supportive services for long-term care (Continuing Care of Families Affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders); and,
- Understand the legal issues related to FASD (Legal Issues).
Level II
Level II is a two-day training workshop. Participants receive sixteen (16) CEUs upon completion. Workshops will be scheduled regionally and according to demand beginning in 2011.
After completion of Level II participants will be expected to:
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Demonstrate and teach the history and the basic science of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) (FASD Foundation);
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Demonstrate knowledge of the diagnostic process, the referrals process, and appropriate resources for assessing clients (Identification of FASD and Diagnosis of FAS);
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Provide and teach counseling approaches and strategies for working with adults, adolescents, and children (Treatment Strategies for Working with Clients with an FASD);
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Develop and teach FASD prevention strategies for substance-abusing women of childbearing age (Prevention);
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Provide and teach resources for supportive services for long-term care (Continuing Care of Families Affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders); and,
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Teach the legal issues related to FASD (Legal Issues).
Cost
The cost for Level 1 is $80. Payment may be made and the course may be completed on the NOFAS website. Please contact Brianna Montgomery at NOFAS regarding the registration fee and other CAP Level II training information.
Getting Started
To get started with the NOFAS CAP Level I online course, click here.
Acknowledgements
The SAMHSA FASD Center for Excellence created the knowledge test and activities found in each competency.
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