Courtesy Photo | SAN DIEGO (Dec. 5, 2017) - Psychologist Jerry Adams, Ph.D., left, and Ted Judson, Ed....... read more read more
by Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jermia N. Douglas
SAN DIEGO (Dec. 5, 2017) -- Navy Drug and Alcohol Counselor School (NDACS) can be one of the most challenging but rewarding schools that the Navy has to offer. The rigor of the curriculum, the intense level of personal exploration, and the number of personnel applying to the program all contribute to a demanding level of study.
As the preceptor for NDACS, psychologist Jerry Adams, Ph.D., started out with the same mindset that many others share.
“When I first learned about NDACS and its intention of training alcohol and drug counselors in 10 weeks, the picture that formed in my mind was of some Sailor in Guam scraping barnacles off of ships one day and three months later graduating from NDACS as an alcohol and drug counselor,” said Adams. “I was certain that was impossible. After all, it had taken me four years of college and another four of graduate school to become qualified to work as a psychologist doing psychotherapy.”
While not widely recognized, NDACS is a ‘well-oiled machine’ that produces superior SARP counselors. The 11-week curriculum includes clinical evaluation, treatment planning, individual and group counseling, and ethics, among many others. Students learn how to coordinate and manage patient care according to their needs. The amount of knowledge provided during the didactic portion of the curriculum is not enough. Students spend a great deal of time learning and practicing group counseling while refining their understanding of group processes and empathizing with patients struggling with significant life challenges.
“Working at NDACS is a phenomenal experience,” said Dr. Ted Judson, Ed. D. (Doctorate of Education) and NDACS department head. “Every student who comes through this school, whether graduating as intern counselor or not completing the school, leaves here having experienced significant growth and change. It is not only wondrous to witness this growth that takes place in the students, but to know that the impact it had on them will flow out onto all they come in contact with.”
Although Adams is indirectly involved with the students, in his 17 years as a preceptor he has seen the success of the program first hand.
“The incredible transformation graduates go through is a combined product of their own characteristics and effort, and of the remarkable NDACS staff that invests itself so thoroughly in making this school the best that it can be,” said Adams. “Fortunately, during their year or more of internship, all NDACS graduates also have access to preceptors whose job it is to support their continued growth and development in their work as counselors.”
The NDACS staff consistently aims to give the best of themselves in order to get the best from their students. As mentors, guides and evaluators, the staff constantly focus on preparing students for the unexpected. It is the staff’s job to ensure that each student is armed with the proper skills to take on the job as a SARP counselor.
“The students not only gain insight and awareness here, but coupled with the new ability to apply counseling skills and characteristics, they will create growth and change opportunities for each of the Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen they treat,” said Judson.
NDACS is successful due to the hard work and dedication of staff members. It provides a rewarding experience for every individual who tries to take on the challenge of becoming a Navy SARP Counselor.
“The impact of the growth and change they experience ripples out positively touching the lives of the friends, co-workers, and family members. It is extremely humbling to be a part of something, the impact of which we can never fully comprehend,” said Judson.
SWMI, a detachment of Navy Medicine Operational Training Center (NMOTC), is part of the Navy Medicine team, a global healthcare network of navy medical professionals around the world who provide high quality healthcare to more than one million eligible beneficiaries.
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.12.2017 13:29 |
| Story ID: | 258446 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 776 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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