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Professional learning, wherever you are

ISSUP Academy is a professional learning platform designed to support the ongoing development of people working across substance use and supply reduction fields. It brings together flexible, accessible, and evidence-based courses and learning pathways to help build your knowledge, strengthen your skills, and share your progress with the global community through your ISSUP profile.

Why learn with ISSUP Academy?

One platform, a global community

Access courses; earn certificates and badges; and track your progress through ISSUP Academy - all while connecting with ISSUP’s global network of National Chapters, experts and peers across countries and disciplines.

Evidence-based and practice-focused

The Academy's content is informed by evidence and developed with experienced practitioners to support your real-world professional practice.

Learning for every career stage

From foundational to advanced learning, you can find opportunities that match your role, experience and professional goals.

NAADAC Approved Education Providers

CE credits

Earn NAADAC continuing education credits

ISSUP Academy offers Continuing Education (CE) credits through NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals. NAADAC is a leading professional organisation dedicated to advancing excellence in addiction education and practice.

Find eligible courses How CE credits work

NAADAC approved education provider

347451

ISSUP's provider number

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Mobile app

Learn wherever you are

ISSUP Academy runs in the Moodle Workplace app for iOS and Android. Sign in once with your ISSUP account and your progress follows you between phone and desktop.

Courses

Ready to learn?

Start with one of the courses below, or explore the full catalogue.

UTC 1: Introduction to the Science of Addiction

The Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) 1: Introduction to the Science of Addiction provides a foundation in understanding substance use disorders and how psychoactive substances affect the brain, body and behaviour. The course explores the effects of substance use on individuals, families and communities, alongside the role of stigma and ways to address it.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Define key concepts, including substance use disorders, physiological dependence and addiction.
Explain how psychoactive substances affect brain function and contribute to the development of addiction.
Describe the main classes of psychoactive substances, their short- and long-term effects, and their consequences for individuals, families and communities.
Explain how stigma affects people with substance use disorders and identify strategies to reduce it in professional practice.

This course is primarily intended for:

Addiction counsellors and treatment practitioners building foundational knowledge of addiction.
Health and mental health professionals, including nurses, doctors and psychologists, beginning work in substance use services.
Social workers and community support workers supporting people with substance use disorders and their families.
Supervisors and team leaders supporting staff who are new to the treatment field.
Early career professionals seeking to learn more about the treatment of substance use disorders.

UTC 4: Basic Counseling Skills for Addiction Professionals

The Universal Treatment Curriculum 4: Basic Counselling Skills for Addiction Professionals introduces and provides opportunities to practise essential counselling skills for substance use disorder treatment. The course covers the helping relationship, counselling approaches, core communication skills, motivational interviewing, group counselling and psychoeducation for clients and families. It also explores how to teach clients practical skills that support recovery.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Explain the foundations of an effective helping relationship and demonstrate core counselling skills, including reflective listening, open-ended questions, affirmations and summarising.
Apply basic motivational interviewing principles and methods to support motivation and respond to ambivalence, using counselling strategies appropriate to the client’s stage of change.
Demonstrate basic group facilitation skills and develop psychoeducation content for clients and families, recognising the different purposes of group counselling and psychoeducation.
Demonstrate basic approaches to teaching recovery skills, including relapse prevention, problem-solving and goal-setting, and develop a personal plan to integrate the learning into practice.

The course is primarily intended for:

Entry-level addiction counsellors developing their individual and group counselling skills.
Professionals new to substance use disorder treatment who need basic counselling skills for their work, including early career professionals.
Professionals beginning to supervise treatment workers who are new to the field, seeking a review of these skills and approaches.

UTC 16: Advanced Clinical Skills

The Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) 16: Advanced Clinical Skills strengthens understanding of counselling theories and their application in substance use disorder treatment. Learners explore case conceptualisation, therapeutic approaches and ways to combine techniques to meet individual client needs, while developing a plan to integrate their learning into clinical practice.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Explain the key principles, strengths and limitations of major counselling approaches used in substance use disorder treatment.
Apply case conceptualisation models to understand clients' needs and guide treatment planning.
Apply counselling strategies, including eclectic and multimodal approaches, to case studies.
Develop a personal integration plan to address clinical challenges and incorporate learning into professional practice.

This course is primarily intended for:

Level 3: Advanced Learning

Counsellors working with people with substance use disorders.
Treatment practitioners involved in case formulation and therapeutic interventions.
Professionals seeking to deepen their understanding and application of counselling approaches in substance use disorder treatment.
Recovery support professionals with counselling or clinical treatment responsibilities who wish to strengthen their therapeutic skills.

Explore full catalogue

FAQs

What is ISSUP?

The International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) is a global community for anyone working to address substance use, including professionals in prevention, health, treatment, recovery support, supply reduction, market disruption, law enforcement and policy, alongside families and community-led groups. By connecting members, sharing knowledge and supporting professional growth, ISSUP strengthens the global workforce and its collective impact, contributing to safer, healthier and more resilient communities worldwide.

Learn more about ISSUP

How do I start my learning journey on ISSUP Academy?

If you are not a member, sign up now; it's free.
If you are already an ISSUP member, sign in with the Log In button in the top right corner.
Open Explore Courses and look through the catalogue.
Found something? Open it and select Enrol Me.
My Learning is where everything you enrol on lives. That is where you will pick up next time.

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Can I finish a course on ISSUP Academy that I started on HealtheKnowledge?

If you do not finish your course on HealtheKnowledge by 31 December 2026, your progress will not carry over. You will need to start again on ISSUP Academy.

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