UT’s Grand Challenge Grant Leads to Addiction Counselor Program
UT’s Grand Challenge Grant Leads to Addiction Counselor Program
By Cara Smith, CEHHS Student Reporter, Class of 2024
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Counseling, Human Development, and Family Science (CHDFS) received one challenge grant in September for overcoming addictions and to support those struggling with addiction in rural communities throughout Tennessee.
The grant was received through the University of Tennessee Grand Challenge grants program. This program is committed to investing up to $5 million over the next few years in community-tied projects and research.
The grant is a special research interest of Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, Jamian Coleman.
Coleman is currently in the process of developing a distance education alcohol and drug addiction certificate counseling program. The program will consist of several courses for UT students or those who have a high school degree and will provide the credit hours needed to take the exam for the certification.
The goal of the course is to be beneficial to residents of Tennessee especially in rural communities. Rural communities face different challenges when it comes to addiction like access to the Internet, lack of close healthcare, and easy access to transportation. The staff of healthcare providers is another challenge to consider.
“Medical staff, nurses, technicians, emergency room staff, addiction counselors, medical doctors and even law enforcement play an important role in providing addiction services in rural communities, and additional support is needed,”said Coleman.
In addition to providing access to healthcare, Coleman wants to see resources provided for persons dealing with addiction related concerns to help them navigate the world again. This includes access to housing, employment, transportation, case management, and multiple other variables.
“As difficult as it is to stop using a substance, that’s actually sometimes the easiest part,” said Coleman. “Moving toward a life that you find worth living is really the challenge.”
The substance itself is not to be minimized but figuring out meaning, purpose, life-long goals and how to contribute to society can be just as difficult.
The subject of addiction is tough to speak about and looks different to everyone. Coleman’s advice to those struggling with addiction is to admit it will be a long journey and find support and a trusted person to ask for help if needed. However, the most important piece of advice is to not give up hope and be aware of other resources like the suicide crisis lifeline, which also helps with substance abuse-related issues.
Watching a loved one struggle with addiction is heartbreaking. Families also need support and information on how to help which is another aspect Coleman hopes to incorporate into his counseling program.
“We need more support for families,” said Coleman. “We know that it can be a strength for someone who’s maybe seeking treatment or abstinence from a substance, and yet families struggle so much to be able to know what to support even looks like.”
Coleman was not always a counselor focused on addiction-related concerns. His first love was music.
Coleman graduated from Boston Conservatory with a master’s degree in music and opera performance. However, Coleman’s world shifted when he received his master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. Later, he worked in a community health agency that served people living with HIV. Here, he saw how HIV intersects with mental illness and addiction.
“I saw the greatest needs, particularly around the areas of addiction,” said Coleman. “Then from there, I wanted to think about how I could help prepare the next generation of counselors to serve the people who need our services and how to do that.”
Over time, Coleman got to know and love the people he was helping. He realized how important it is for people and counselors to see addicts as human beings.
“How do I see their innate value and worth, how do I acknowledge my own biases and how do I look beyond that and actually see the person that’s sitting in front of me?” said Coleman.
Building a relationship with his clients and forming a bond means trust, which is one of the most important aspects of counseling.
The projected completion date of the grant is fall 2025, and the online learning course is projected to start in fall 2026. The 18-month grant Coleman received was just under $100,000.
All in all, Coleman cares deeply about the effects of addiction and addiction in rural Tennessee communities. He cannot wait for his program to begin.