Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes in Greek Universities on Drug Addiction Treatment and Prevention: Lessons learned and future prospects

Authors

1.Dr. Anna Tsiboukli (⚑ Greece) 1

2.Dr. Charalampos Poulopoulos (⚑ Greece) 2

1. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 2. Department of Social Work, University of West Attica

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development of undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in drug addiction treatment and prevention within Greek Universities. It discusses the rather late development of undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Greek universities in relation to the lack of trained staff, structural barriers, lack of training material, treatment facilities tradition and isolation from higher education institutions. In parallel, experiences and lessons learned from the recent development, first at the post-graduate and at the undergraduate level are presented. The development and implementation of the joint double major Master’s degree course on “Addictions and Penal Law” at the School of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is discussed with findings produced regarding the country’s reality from students’ research thesis. In addition, the new undergraduate courses on “School-based drug prevention and lifelong learning” at NKUA and “Social Work in the Addictions” at UNIWA are presented.

The paper focuses on the need to apply new methodologies in training university students. Finding ways to collaborate with treatment and prevention organizations and to link research with theory and practice in the field is discussed. The paper concludes that a new vision in training university students on treatment and prevention could be based on the employment of action research and experiential learning methods. Furthermore, social work, psychology and pedagogy departments could move towards the creation of a) drug and alcohol prevention laboratories and b) counseling and TC type/drug-free model centers where drug and alcohol treatment could be offered gratis to community members and students could benefit by gaining practical experience in the field. In addition, the minimum standards for a common curriculum shared amongst alike university departments from partner countries could be co-created and developed collaboratively to ensure quality of training for future professionals that should work not just to prevent harm but to foster positive change.