Substance abuse counselors handle a wide range of tasks, and while counseling is a big part of the equation, handling interventions also can be part of the job. If you find that you excel at this particular task, you could receive additional training and become and intervention specialist.
What Is An Intervention Specialist?
One of the paths that lead people with addiction to treatment centers is the execution of a successful intervention. When well-planned and well-managed, an intervention can be an excellent way to encourage someone to seek treatment. Intervention specialists are addiction specialists that focus on planning and carrying out interventions.
Intervention specialists can work either at outpatient or in-patient treatment facilities as well as out counseling centers, hospitals and even at school districts or community centers.
In some cases, such as with a school district position, an intervention specialist might also serve as a Prevention Specialist. This person might educate at-risk youth about substance abuse issues or mental health issues. They also often work in the community to encourage healthy life choices, such as a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle. A certified Prevention Specialist often will plan and implement programs for schools and community centers.
What Does An Intervention Specialist Do?
While it’s often said that “the addict decides when they wish to quit,” a well-planned intervention can be an excellent way to help a person into a treatment facility on a path to a healthier life and long-term recovery.
Before holding an intervention, the counselor will meet with friends and family members to gain a deep understanding of all of the issues the person in question is dealing with and to create a plan that leads them to seek treatment.
The goal of an intervention is not to accuse or blame, but rather to provide support. love and calmly express why a person needs to seek treatment. A good interventionist will be able to keep the process on track and keep the process as productive as possible.
This is an emotional situation for all involved, but a good interventionist will maintain a calm and thoughtful demeanor throughout, keeping the group focused on the outcome – helping a loved one seek treatment immediately.
How To Become An Intervention Specialist
Typically, the first step for individuals is to become a certified drug and alcohol counselor (CADC). Once you’ve earned this certification, you can start working toward certification as an Intervention Specialist, which is sometimes known as a Certified Intervention Professional or Certified Interventionist.
At Sober College, we can help you complete the education units required to become a CADC. To earn this credential, you must complete 315 hours of approved education, complete 255 practicum hours, pass the IC&RC Alcohol & Drug Counselor exam and complete a specific amount of supervised work experience hours, which varies based upon the type of CADC certification you wish to earn.
For instance, a CADC-I must complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience unless they have earned an associate’s degree in behavioral science or an allied mental health profession. If you have this degree, the requirement drops to 2,080 hours.
To become a CADC-II, you must complete 6,000 hours of supervised work experience, whether or not you have any level of a college degree. To become a CADC-III, you only need 4,000 hours of work experience, but you also will need to have earned a bachelor’s degree.
Once you complete all of these requirements and earn your official CADC credential, you can work toward becoming an Intervention Specialist. Requirements vary by state, so you will want to contact your state credentialing body for more information. Not all states require additional licensure or certification.
You also can visit the website of the Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS) at https://www.associationofinterventionspecialists.org/ for helpful information. This group also hosts an annual conference for Intervention Specialists, as well as providing some resources for its interventionist members.
The steps to becoming a Prevention Specialist are similar, however, you also may need to pass the IC&RC Prevention Specialist exam to earn your prevention specialist certification. IC&RC is an international testing organization that offers exams for several types of addiction professionals.
In addition to the exam for CADCs and Prevention Specialists, IC&RC also offers exams for Clinical Supervisors, Peer Recovery and Criminal Justice Addictions Professionals (CCJP). All three of these are other options to consider working toward once you’ve earned your CADC certification.
Keep in mind, even if you choose against earning any type of certification as an Intervention Specialist, handling interventions is often part of the work that substance abuse counselors handle.
In general, substance abuse counselors handle a wide range of tasks, known as the 12 Core Functions of Addiction Counseling. These include crisis intervention, but also tasks such as patient screening, intake, client education, case management, record keeping, counseling and several others. During your practicum experience, you will spend at least 21 hours focusing on each of the 12 Core Functions.
Become An Addiction Counselor
If you are just taking your first steps toward earning your addiction counseling degree, Sober College of Addiction Studies can help. Our program can be completed entirely online, and we offer rolling admissions so you can sign up at any time.
Our coursework is NAADAC-approved, CCAPP-approved and IC&RC-approved, which means our curriculum is accepted by virtually all state credentialing boards. The only exceptions include Alaska, Montana and North Dakota.
Best of all, our program can be completed in just six months, and the program includes your practicum experiences, which can be completed concurrently with your regular coursework. By the time you have finished our program, you will know everything you need to pass the IC&RC exam and get started with your supervised work experience hours.
After you’ve earned your credential, you can consider branching out into other areas, such as becoming an Intervention Specialist, a Prevention Specialist or another type of addiction counseling specialty. If you are ready to get started with our program, just click on the Get Started tab on our homepage to begin the enrollment process.
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