Fundamentals of Addiction Counseling

Nancy G. Calleja is professor and chair of the Department of Counseling and Addiction Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy, where she also directs the Addiction Counseling program. She has worked as a substance use therapist treating both adults and adolescents and specializing in work with justice-system involved and other individuals mandated to treatment. She has developed and implemented several substance use treatment programs, including specialized programs for adolescent and young adult cannabis addiction and opioid addiction among pregnant women. She also serves as the clinical director for Spectrum Human Services, Inc., and Affiliated Companies, and consults nationally. Calleja has been awarded more than $3.5M in federal training grants for graduate-level health professionals (e.g., PA’s, nurses, psychologists) and state and foundation grants to design and implement substance use treatment programs. She has published widely in the area of addiction.

Elvita Kondili is an assistant professor in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at Adler University. She has worked in the substance use and clinical mental health field for over 20 years in various settings, including methadone assisted treatment, crisis intervention, residential rehabilitation programs, intensive outpatient programs, and private practice. She specializes in working with substance and behavior addictions and has training and expertise in a variety of evidence-based treatment approaches, including motivational interviewing, medication-assisted treatment, and trauma-informed therapy. In her role as assistant professor, she teaches foundational and advanced courses in addiction and clinical mental health counseling at the master’s and doctoral levels and trains and supervises counseling students and pre-licensed counselors.

Calleja and Kondili have previously collaborated on addiction-focused specialized training and addiction-focused research.