Professionals Working in Addiction Field Often Share Roots at Antioch University Santa Barbara
This article was written by Noozhawk Intern Alexa Shapiro as part of Day 12 in Noozhawk's 12-day, six-week special investigative series. Related links are below.
The Noozhawk's Prescription for Abuse series is a special project exploring the misuse and abuse of prescription medications in Santa Barbara County. Our series is a result of an exciting and unique partnership with USC's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, which awarded Noozhawk a California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship to undertake this important work.
Through our reporting and presentation, we will establish an independent baseline of where our community is with respect to the misuse and abuse of prescription medications; how the problem is affecting health care, education, law enforcement, criminal justice, addiction and treatment, and our culture and society; what we as a community can do to educate ourselves about prevention and controls; and how we can perhaps reverse what appears to be a very troubling trend.
Noozhawk staff writers Lara Cooper and Giana Magnoli are the lead reporters on the project, and they've been assisted by managing editor Michelle Nelson; reporters Alex Kacik and Sonia Fernandez; interns Kristin Crosier, Jessica Ferguson, Tim Fucci, Kristen Gowdy, Jessica Haro, Daniel Langhorne, Alexa Shapiro, Sam Skopp, Erin Stone and Sarah Webb; photographers Garrett Geyer and Nick St.Oegger; content producer Cliff Redding; and Web development staffers Will Macfadyen and Edgar Oliveira.
Ashley Almada, Garrett Geyer, Hailey Sestak and Billy Spencer of the Santa Barbara Teen News Network filmed more than two dozen public-service videos featuring many of our story sources.
The project is sponsored by the Santa Barbara Foundation in partnership with KEYT, sbTNN and Zona Seca. The Annenberg School is assisted by the Renaissance Journalism Center at San Francisco State University.
Day One:
» Quiet Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse Taking a Toll on Santa Barbara County
» After Losing It All, Former Drug Addict Looking Forward to Renewed Life
» USC, California Endowment Unite to Support Health Journalism at the Source
» Bill Macfadyen: Prescription for Abuse Project Is a Series of Opportunities
Day Two:
» Local, National Statistics Reveal Alarming Jumps in Misuse and Abuse of Medications
» Marijuana Use Trends Higher, Especially Among Young Adults, Sparking Public Health Concerns
» Alcohol Plays a Role All Its Own in Setting the Stage for Local Abuse, Overdoses
Day Three:
» Understanding Addiction Key to Dealing With Prescription Drug Abuse
» Donna Genera Has Seen the Price and Perils of Drug Addiction from All Sides
» Rich Detty Bears Burden of Not Knowing Extent of Dead Son's Drug Use
Day Four:
» Escalation of Drug Overdose Deaths Includes Increased Presence of Prescription Medications
» Santa Barbara Teen News Network Adds Another Dimension to Prescription Drug Abuse Series
» Dr. Chris Lambert Sounds Warning on Mixing Prescription Drugs with Alcohol
Day Five:
» Local Oversight of Prescription Medications Is Far More Focused Than State, Federal Controls
» Elderly Are Particularly Vulnerable to Both Misuse and Abuse of Prescription Drugs
» Second-Generation Pharmacist Peter Caldwell Fills a Vital Role with Patient Health Care
Day Six:
» Early Education for Parents and Youth Emerges as Critical Tactic to Thwart Drug Use
» Student Highs Can Lead to Tragic Woes with Addiction's Hook Just One Fateful Step Away
» From an Early Age, Shereen Khatapoush Saw the Horrors of Substance Abuse
» As a Parent Herself, Prosecutor Von Nguyen Brings Empathy to Job in Juvenile Justice
Day Seven:
» Law Enforcement Fights Battle Against Prescription Drug Abuse from Outside and Inside
» Sheriff Bill Brown a Strong Supporter of Re-Entry, Drug Abuse Treatment Efforts
» Speaking from Experience, Zona Seca's Kevin Smith Keeps Drug Abusers on Road to Recovery
Day Eight:
» Prescription Drug System Is Rife with Loopholes, Fraud and Lack of Oversight
» For Clinical Psychologist Neil Rocklin, Addiction Education Can't Begin Soon Enough
Day Nine:
» Drug Abuse Treatment Programs, Expertise Are Plentiful on South Coast
» Dr. David Agnew Sees Pain as Pathway to Abuse But Cautions Against Overreaction
Day Ten:
» Awareness, Disposal Key Elements to Reversing Tide of Prescription Drug Abuse
» Dr. Joe Blum Keeps Focus on His Veteran Patients Despite Health-Care System's Restraints
Day Eleven:
» Operation Medicine Cabinet Gets the Drop on Prescription Drug Disposal
» Lacey Johnson Gives UCSB Students an Education in Dealing with Drug Abuse and Addiction
Day Twelve:
» Santa Barbara County Officials Look for Solutions in Battle Against Prescription Drug Abuse
» Noozhawk Journalists Recount Lessons Learned from Prescription Drug Abuse Series
» Annenberg Fellowships Take a Diverse Approach to Community Health Journalism
» Dr. Nancy Leffert Champions Antioch University's Role in Fight Against Substance Abuse
» Professionals Working in Addiction Field Often Share Roots at Antioch University Santa Barbara
With an alumni base of more than 4,000, many of whom live locally, Antioch University Santa Barbara has extensive connections in the community it serves. The school’s new location at Anacota Plaza on the corner of Anacapa and Cota streets is likely to raise its profile.
Antioch University Santa Barbara has long been committed to understanding addiction and developing methods to effectively treat it.
“Antioch is interested in the topic of addiction because it is an issue that impacts our community in many ways,” explained Kristine Schwarz, Antioch Santa Barbara’s associate director of institutional advancement and herself an alumnus of the school.
Three programs prove the point.
The Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and a bachelor’s degree that was first offered in 1977 are training programs that emphasize applied psychology and prepare Antioch students to be licensed as marriage and family therapists, Schwarz said.
Through the master’s program, students volunteer a collective 65,000 hours annually at regional community service agencies that focus on treating addictions, Schwarz said. These locations vary from the Cottage Residential Center to UCSB’s Alcohol & Drug Program.
“Our primary goal is to prepare competent psychotherapists who can provide therapeutic services in the local community and to the larger society,” Schwarz said.
“To meet this goal the program emphasizes the academic, practical and personal knowledge that will enable each graduate to become competent in diagnosis, treatment planning and psychological interventions with individuals, couples and families.”
Meanwhile, the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, which began in 2005, concentrates on family psychology and emphasizes family forensic psychology, Schwarz said.
Students who graduate in this program can be licensed as clinical psychologists as a result of institutional contracts for practicum with about 50 clinical sites. Some of these sites have addiction treatment centers, including Aegis Medical Systems, which operates a network of outpatient narcotic treatment programs for heroin and other drug dependencies, and Aurora Vista del Mar Hospital’s Psychiatric Dual Diagnosis Unitin Ventura.
The final program, the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in applied psychology, addresses concepts of values and biases in psychological theory and “the historical, societal and political context of psychological theories and practices,” Schwarz said.
Through this program, students are required to obtain field experience, internships, and practice and independent study, including work with addiction treatment.
As a result of Antioch’s many programs, Schwarz said she believes the school produces “exceptional, passionate, dedicated clinicians.”
Antioch University Santa Barbara has an alumni community of 4,000, many of whom live locally.
“Our alumni are among the most prominent specialists working in the local addiction community, and can be found at essentially all of the area’s addiction treatment providers,” Schwarz said.
Alumni put their education and experience to use by working all over the South Coast at facilities such as the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital COPE and Acute Detox Program, Full Spectrum Recovery, Recovery Road Medical Center and Vista del Mar Hospital.
“(Addiction affects) many vulnerable populations within our community, such as teens and young adults, the elderly, the homeless population, veterans and individuals suffering from chronic pain,” Schwarz said.
“We feel it is our responsibility (to educate) our students and the community about the prevention of substance abuse, addiction risk factors, and the resources and research-based addiction treatment options available today.”
Antioch recently moved its campus to Anacota Plaza on the corner of Anacapa and Cota streets. The increased visibility is emblematic of the role Antioch believes it plays in the community.
“I hope that through our efforts we can educate our students and community members about addiction, and provide them with crucial information and resources as they manage addiction in their lives,” Schwarz said.
Click here for more information on Antioch University Santa Barbara, or call 805.962.8179. Connect with Antioch University Santa Barbara on Facebook. Follow AUSB on Twitter: @antiochsb.
— Noozhawk intern Alexa Shapiro can be reached at ashapiro@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and@NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.