If you’d love a career where you help others heal from addiction, there are many options out there and becoming a Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician (RADT) is an easy first step into the industry. To begin, you’ll need to find curriculum approved by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professions (CCAPP); RADT coursework is quick and easy to complete.
In order to become a RADT, you must complete a nine-hour orientation, which is basically an introduction to the addiction counseling profession. These nine hours include three hours about ethics, three hours regarding confidentiality and the remaining three hours cover professional boundaries.
Once you’ve completed the orientation, you will need complete the CCAPP RADT application and sign the CCAPP Code of Conduct for Credentialed Alcohol and Drug Professionals and the State of California’s AOD Counselor Code of Conduct. AOD stands for Alcohol and Other Drug, by the way. It can be tricky getting to know all of the acronyms in the world of addiction professionals.
Additionally, you will need to sign the RADT Scope of Practice document and submit a copy of your current driver’s license. There also is a $40 payment that will need to be made for this credential. After all of this is completed, it’s important to note that it can take several weeks before you are approved and your RADT credential is active.
In the past, there were two levels of RADTs – RADT I and RADT II. However, as of 2017, only a CCAPP RADT I credential is available. Those with current RADT II certification need not worry. This credential is no longer available, but it is still recognized, and you can renew the credential, as well.
The RADT credential will need to be renewed each year, and in the past, you just needed to complete some continuing education units and pay the fee to renew. As of May 2019, this requirement has changed.
You still have to pay the fee and need to complete three hours of ethics and confidentiality coursework. You also must complete 45 hours of primary education and not continuing education units. These primary education hours are part of the 315 hours that will be required to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC).
While becoming a RADT is a first step into counseling, you cannot use this credential forever. After a few years, you must earn your CADC credential to continue in the profession, and this requires completion of 315 hours of CCAPP-approved coursework as well as 255 practicum hours at approved facilities. You also must pass the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam.
At Sober College of Addiction Studies, we can help you in several ways. First, we provide you with all of the CCAPP-Approved education you’ll need to complete those 315 hours of education. Our courses include:
- Introduction and Overview of Drug and Alcohol Addiction
- Physiology and Pharmacology of Alcohol and Other Drugs
- Law and Ethics
- Case Management
- Individual, Group and Family Counseling
- Personal and Professional Growth
We are also NAADAC-approved and IC&RC-approved education providers, so even if you are not in California; it’s likely we can help you fulfill your educational requirements.
In addition, we can help you find suitable facilities for your Supervised Practicum and your Supervised Fieldwork Practicum, the latter of which is basically a short internship where you work under a direct supervisor. For the first initial practicum, you will work under a supervisor, but you also will have access to an instructor for consultation during this initial practicum session.
Once you’ve completed your coursework and practicum, you will need to pass the written IC&RC exam. We can help with this, as well, and we offer an IC&RC test prep class to help you prepare for this written exam.
Our CADC program can be completed online or in-class and you can finish in just six months. We also offer a self-paced online program that can be completed in as little as three months or you can take up to 18 months to complete the program if you need extra time.
Getting back to that CCAPP RADT certification, did you know that many employers require their employees to have RADT certification? Many addiction services providers definitely want you to have some knowledge, even for the most entry-level of positions, so earning your RADT can make it easier to get hired. Even if the job description doesn’t require RADT certification, just having that credential can give you a leg up on the competition.
The best part about becoming a RADT is that it is easy and fairly quick to get certified and it gives you an opportunity to truly get an idea of whether or not a career as an addiction professional is the right fit for you. This truly can be a rewarding career, but it’s not without its challenges, and becoming a RADT allows you see many aspects of what you will deal with as a CADC.
If you want to learn more about CCAPP and RADT 1 certification, you can visit the CCAPP website. If you already have your RADT credential and are ready to begin the process of becoming a CADC, contact Sober College. We offer rolling admissions so you can begin anytime, and quickly complete your education and practicum and be on your way to a career as an addiction counselor.
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