Clark State College’s Workforce and Business Solutions has partnered with the Fairborn City Police to develop an online Chemical Dependency training course available to first responders.
“The Chemical Dependency Training course educates individuals on the physiology and pharmacology of psychoactive substances, both legal and illegal,” said Carin Burr, health technologies professor at Clark State. “We learn the neurophysiology components of why addiction is medically considered a disease and that having the disease is not a choice, but finding recovery is a choice.”
Burr said the information taught has been used by other law enforcement officers who have taken the course as a requirement for the Criminal Justice associate degree program at Clark State.
“This training course is a focused version of a course that has existed in the Social Services curriculum here for many years,” she said. “Former students have told me that it helps them see addicts as human beings that can often benefit from treatment.”
Burr said there are more than 23 million people in the United States in active recovery and treatment can work.
Terry Bennington, Fairborn Police Chief, said he felt it was important that the officers participating on the Quick Response Team and dealing with dependency issues had a deeper understanding of chemical dependency.
“Our role in the past had primarily been enforcement and this was a new area for the officers,” he said. “The idea of officers having chemical dependency training was brought up in some of the initial meetings and Clark State was mentioned as a possible partner.”
Bennington said the goal for those who complete the training is for officers to have a better understanding of the issues surrounding dependency and to be able to better serve that part of the community.
Burr said anyone can benefit from taking this course and it is not specific to Police Officers.
“Any first responders, employers, family members, pastors, anyone can benefit from this course,” she said. “There is a certificate of completion that is awarded for the course. It will continue to run as long as there are interested participants.”
The Chemical Dependency course includes videos, instructional information, and a book. It is an 8-week course with instructor help. Each module includes a quiz and final exam.
I think it’s something that could be duplicated and modified to other public safety offices in different counties and townships,” said Gerritt Smith, director of Workforce and Business Solutions at Clark State. “It is something new we can offer that is much needed.”