If you want to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), your first step will be to complete your required educational units. At Sober College of Addiction Studies, we offer NAADAC-approved, IC&RC-approved and CCAPP-approved counselor education. Here’s a look at the classes you will take and some facts about our addiction counselor training program in general.
Educational Requirements
To become a CADC, you must complete 315 classroom hours and these courses encompasses a variety of interesting subjects that will be relevant to your career as an addiction counselor, including:
SCSAS 101: Introduction and Overview of Drug and Alcohol Addiction
In this course, students will do a deep dive into the history of alcohol and mood-altering drugs in the United States. This will include learning about some common myths and stereotypes regarding substance use as well as the many sociocultural factors that can contribute to substance use.
This course is helpful not only because it helps our students better understand substance use disorders but also because one of your tasks as a certified addictions counselor will be to educate your clients about the latest research regarding addiction and how this disease can develop.
SCSAS 102: Physiology and Pharmacology of Alcohol and Other Drugs
In this course, students will learn about the effects that alcohol and drugs have on the body, including the effects on the brain as well as the liver and other organs. Again, learning this provides CADCs will valuable information that they can share with clients.
Knowing how substances affect the body helps counselors understand the physical aspects of addiction, such as tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms. This knowledge is essential for recognizing the signs and severity of addiction.
Understanding how drugs interact with the brain and body systems helps counselors comprehend the mechanisms behind addictive behaviors and the impact of different substances on mental and physical health.
SCSAS 103: Law and Ethics
Counselors must understand and respect the legal rights of their clients, including confidentiality, informed consent, and the right to privacy, and this course will cover these facets of counseling. This ensures clients feel safe and protected in the therapeutic environment. Adhering to ethical standards helps protect clients from potential harm, including exploitation, discrimination, and other unethical practices.
SCSAS 104: Case Management
As an addiction specialist, a big part of your job will involve case management, and this encompasses many aspects of patient care. During this course, you will learn about patient intake as well as administrative requirements for admission to an addiction treatment facility.
You also will learn how to recognize signs and symptoms of various physical disabilities and learn how to assess patients for their potential for violent behavior and/or self-harm. In general, students also will learn how to integrate knowledge of a patient’s substance use history, vocational and educational history, cultural background, living situation, medical conditions and other factors into the development of a treatment plan.
SCSAS 105: Individual, Group, and Family Counseling
It might surprise you to learn that counseling is just one small part of the job for CADCs, but, of course, it is a very important aspect of treatment. During this course, you will learn the best practices for counseling as well as how to handle groups, both family groups as well as group sessions with clients.
SCSAS 106: Personal and Professional Growth
Addiction counseling can be a challenging career, which is why both personal and professional growth can be so crucial. This course will help you, as a beginning counselor, learn to recognize your personal strengths as well as your limitations and how to manage or overcome those limitations to achieve success in your new career.
Keep in mind, that professional growth doesn’t end once you earn your CADC certification. Addiction counseling training will be ongoing throughout your career, and Continuing Education units will be required to renew your credential every two years. The good news is this professional development can provide you with the latest research about counseling and substance use disorders and help empower you to be the best possible advocate for your clients.
SCSAS 107: Supervised Practicum
This will be a short practicum where the student is working at an approved facility under the guidance of a direct supervisor as well as one of our instructors. This course can be started after completion of SCSAS 101.
SCSAS 108: Supervised Fieldwork Practicum (Internship)
This course, which also can be taken concurrently with other Sober College courses, requires that the student complete at least 255 hours of practical work experience. The student will be required to handle at least 21 hours with each of the 12 Core Functions of Addiction Counseling. (PLEASE LINK BLUE TEXT TO https://sobercollege.com/addiction-blog/addiction-counseling-understanding-the-12-core-functions/)
This is a quick overview of our program at Sober College. This coursework, including your practicum experiences, can be completed in just six months. While practicums will take place at an approved treatment facility, the remainder of your coursework can be completed 100% online. We also offer rolling admissions so that you can get started at any time.
Addiction Counselor Training: The Next Steps
Once you’ve completed your educational units and practicum, you will need to take the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam. From there, the final requirement will be to complete your supervised work experience hours. These will be paid work hours; you simply will be working under a supervisor until you accrue enough hours to earn your certification.
To become a CADC-I, you will need to complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience. A CADC-II will need to complete 6,000 hours of supervised work experience, and many CADC-I’s will go on to earn their CADC-II certification.
A CADC-III must complete 4,000 hours of supervised work experience, but that individual also must have earned a bachelor’s degree. CADC-I’s and CADC-II’s only need a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Enroll At Sober College Today!
If you’ve dreamed of becoming a certified drug and alcohol counselor, Sober College makes it easy to jumpstart into this new career. Our addiction counselor training program will provide you with all of the knowledge you need to pass your IC&RC exam and get started as a CADC. To apply, go to the Get Started tab on our homepage, select Apply and download our application.
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