(ABILENE, Texas) – Graduates of Texas State Technical College’s Chemical Dependency Counseling program learn more about themselves, according to Patty Bundick, the program’s department chair.
Bundick said the need for licensed counselors is always high and students range in age from high school graduates to older students.
“Some of our students are hungry to know more about themselves,” Bundick said. “The one thing I always think about, even if the student does not go to work in the field, is that the program has made a difference in their life.”
Bundick’s philosophy is only natural.
“I am a counselor at heart. I see students come in and know that what I teach them will help not only them, but it will help someone else,” she said.
The five-semester Associate of Applied Science degree program covers several topics, including working with families and family intervention.
“You will learn all aspects of treatment,” Bundick said.
Students also discuss current issues during class. Bundick said topics have ranged from Child Protective Services to HIV and other diseases.
The program also allows Bundick to teach students how the body processes a drug and the behaviors it might cause.
Today, she said more high school graduates are showing an interest in the program.
She said some students recovered from their addiction and want to help others do the same.
Graduates have found employment at different facilities in West Texas, including the Abilene Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Homeward Bound, Serenity House, the Taylor County Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
Bundick said she hopes the program continues to grow when it is available online only starting in the fall of 2021. TSTC offers the program in Abilene, Breckenridge and Brownwood.
For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.
