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Mita Johnson

Core Faculty

College of Social and Behavioral Health

School of Counseling

Degree Program M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Dr. Mita M Johnson has a BA in biology, a MA in professional counseling, and a Ed.D in counselor education and supervision. Over her 30 years of practice, Dr. Johnson earned numerous licenses and certifications including Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Addiction Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, Substance Abuse Professional, Board Certified Telehealth Professional II, EMDR-trained, and two supervisory credentials. Dr. Johnson is a Core Faculty member of Walden University’s School of Counseling M.S. in Counseling program, and teaches, trains and speaks on the pharmacology of drugs of addiction and treatment of addictions all over the United States. She became interested in addictions when she realized that most of her clients were dealing directly or indirectly with co-occurring mental health and substance misuse or other behavioral addiction disorders. Dr. Johnson is passionate about understanding how licit and illicit medications and drugs influence the brain. Effective and sustained treatment and recovery work depends on the brain's ability to stabilize and compensate for the dysregulation and damage created by drug abuse and addictive behaviors. Dr. Johnson strives to offer information to clinicians and clients that is relevant, timely, and understandable. She is the incoming President of the National Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC: Executive Committee & Ethics Committee) and the Colorado Association of Addiction Professionals (CAAP: Board Member). She serves on the Marriage and Family Regulatory Board as the Chair and is a member of the Mental Health Work Group newly formed by the Department of Regulatory Agencies. She has acted as a consultant for certifications and licensure requirements for the past 15 years. She sits on the Curriculum and Trainer Review Committee for the Office of Behavioral Health and has been involved in rule changes and educational requirements related to addiction certification and licensure. Dr. Johnson has been enlightening clinicians and consumers about drugs of addiction for many years, with a special emphasis on drug actions on a person’s physiological as well as psychological systems.

Courses Taught

COUN 6743 - Psychopharmacology

COUN 6250 - Group Process and Dynamics

COUN` 6101 - Foundations in Counseling

Education

BA, University of Colorado - Boulder, CO

MA, Denver Seminary - Denver

Post-master's Certificate, Colorado School for Family Therapy - Aurora, CO

EdD, Argosy University Denver - Denver

Public Service

Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Marriage and Family Board, Board Chair - Denver, CO

Colorado Providers Association, Board of Directors - Denver

Behavioral Health Workforce Development Subcommittee, Chair - Denver

CAAP Workforce Development Subcommittee, Chair - Denver, CO

18th Judicial District, Juvenile Diversion, CAC Supervisor & Program Development - Littleton, CO

Sobriety 1st, Clinical Supervisor - Aurora

Certified Addiction Counselors Curriculum & Trainer Committee, Committee Member - Denver, CO

Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) Grant, Committee Member - Denver

Governor's Civil Commitments Task Force, Committee Member - Denver

Jefferson County Joint Advisory Committee for DANSR and FIT Court, Committee Member - Golden, CO

Medicaid Coding Committee, Committee Member - Denver, CO

State of Colorado, Office of the Attorney General, Expert Witness and Case Consultant - Denver, CO

Arapahoe County Judicial District: Department of Probation, Guest Speaker - Aurora, CO

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Fargo

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Cheyenne, WY

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Grand Junction

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Denver, CO

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Colorado Springs, CO

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Cheyenne, WY

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Lander, WY

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Durango, CO

Central Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), Guest Speaker - Denver, CO

Colorado Department of Youth Corrections Central Region, Guest Speaker - Denver, CO

Colorado Employee Assistance Professionals Association Chapter, Guest Speaker - Denver

Colorado Multi-Ethnic Cultural Consortium (CMECC), Guest Speaker - Gunnison

Colorado Multi-Ethnic Cultural Consortium (CMECC), Guest Speaker - Denver, CO

Colorado Multi-Ethnic Cultural Consortium (CMECC), Guest Speaker - Grand Junction, CO

Colorado Multi-Ethnic Cultural Consortium (CMECC), Guest Speaker - Boulder, CO

Colorado Multi-Ethnic Cultural Consortium (CMECC), Guest Speaker - Pueblo, CO

Colorado Multi-Ethnic Cultural Consortium (CMECC), Guest Speaker - Denver, CO

Colordao Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health, Guest Speaker - Denver, CO

Department of the Army, Fort Carson: Behavioral Health Services, Guest Speaker - Colorado Springs, CO

Governor's Behavioral Health Transformation Council, Member - Denver, CO

Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health, Reviewer - Denver, CO

Awards / Honors

Dr. James R. Beck Counseling Excellence Award, Denver Seminary, 2004

Excellence-in-Leadership Award, Colorado Association of Addiction Professionals, 2013

Exemplary Educator Recognition Award, International Winter Symposium 2018, 2018

Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, Argosy University Denver, 2014

Therapist of the Year, Colorado Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, 2005

Volunteer Leadership Award & Partner-of-the-Year, Colorado HOSA (Health Occupations Students Association), 2018

Publications

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Addiction Professionals With and Without Lived Experiences: Common Ethical Questions. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Baseball: Covering all bases in case conceptualization..

Johnson, M. M. (2015). Contemplating Boundary Crossings: The Need for Ethical Maturity. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Cultural Humility and Sensitivity. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Enforcing the NAADAC/NCC AP Code of Ethics. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Johnson, M. M. (2019). Maintenance and relapse prevention..

Johnson, M. M. (2016). NAADAC Code of Ethics.

Johnson, M. M. (2018). NAADAC Reference Guides Module 1: Pharmacology of Drugs of Addiction.

Johnson, M. M. (2018). NAADAC Reference Guides Module 3: Ethical and Professional Issues.

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Newly Revised NAADAC Code of Ethics Released. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Standards of Practice. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Johnson, M. M. (2018). Support along the journey: Groups focused on addiction and recovery. .

Johnson, M. M. (2015). The Ethics Committee: What is It's Role?. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Virtue Ethics & Personal Relationships. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Johnson, M. M. (2016). You Can Do What??? That's Not in Your Scope of Practice. Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

Presentations

Johnson, M. M. (2016). 2016 Update on HIV and other bloodborne pathogens.. NAADAC.

Johnson, M. M. (2013). Advances in Motivational Interviewing. Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Behavioral health needs, services, and ethical practice in rural American communities..

Johnson, M. M. (2014). Brains in transition: The cultural development of the adolescent brain.. Division of Youth Corrections.

Johnson, M. M. (2014). Challenges of integrated care: Engaging addiction professionals..

Johnson, M. M. (2013). Changes in the DSM-5 and impact on clinical practice.. Central ATTC.

Johnson, M. M. (2013). Clinical supervision and experiential activities to enhance learning.. ACES.

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Counseling tools for working with chronic pain..

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Credentialing and dual credentials in Colorado. Colorado Counseling Association.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Cultural humility and embracing ethnic multiculturalism in patient care..

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Drawing a picture: Helping supervisees conceptually "see" a co-occurring case for treatment planning.. RMACES.

Johnson, M. M. (2014). Drugs of addiction and the brain: Neurobiological implications of treatment.. Division of Youth Corrections.

Johnson, M. M. (2014). Drugs of Addiction and the brain.. Colorado Counseling Association.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Drugs on the Brain. Colorado Counseling Association.

Johnson, M. M. (2014). DSM-5 Updates: Substance related and addictive behavior disorders.. Colorado Association of Addiction Professionals.

Johnson, M. M. (2018). Ethical use of technology in the practice of addiction treatment and recovery..

Johnson, M. M. (2014). Ethics and Group Counseling Skills. Indiana Association for Addiction Professionals.

Johnson, M. M. (2015). Explaining the concepts of pain and opiate addiction.. NAADAC.

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Hijacking the brain: Emerging trends in street drugs causing havoc.. ACA.

Johnson, M. M. (2014). Integrating the Services of Addiction Professionals. Colorado Behavioral Health Council.

Johnson, M. M. (2018). Marijuana: What current science is revealing about THC, CBD and other cannabinoids..

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Tools in the clinical toolbox.. Indiana Association for Addiction Professionals.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Tools in the clinical toolbox.. Indiana Association for Addiction Professionals.

Johnson, M. M. (2015). Pain in the brain: Helping clients understand the physiology and psychology of pain.. Colorado Counseling Association.

Johnson, M. M. (2015). Pain in the brain: Understanding the neurological underpinnings of pain..

Johnson, M. M. (2014). Promoting Collaborative Integration. NAADAC.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) Credential 2-day Training. NAADAC.

Johnson, M. M. (2014). The Challenges of Integrated Care. Colorado Behavioral Health Council.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). The ethics of addiction as a systemic, social and medical variable in family systems work.. SNAAP.

Johnson, M. M. (2018). This is your brain on drugs.. HOSA.

Johnson, M. M. (2013). Transformational clinical supervision: Engaging experiential activities.. NAADAC.

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Treating the whole person: Using medication-assisted treatment.. NAADAC.

Johnson, M. M. (2016). Understanding the credentialing process in Colorado. Colorado Counseling Association.

Johnson, M. M. (2018). Using the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview and the CLAS Standards to improve behavioral health provider cultural competency..

Johnson, M. M. (2018). Who seeks the services of a behavioral health provider?. HOSA.

Johnson, M. M. (2017). Working with regulatory boards, licensing agencies and professional organizations.. Colorado Counseling Association.