Interested in becoming an addiction specialist? At Sober College, we can help you jumpstart into this new career. But first, we know that there’s plenty of misinformation about addiction counseling so let’s dive in and bust a few common myths about this profession.
Myth 1: Addition Specialists Only Target Substance Use Disorders
While substance use disorders (the preferred term for drug addiction and alcoholism) are a major focus of addiction counselor jobs, addiction specialists work with people facing a wide range of behavioral addictions and not just substance abuse. This can include sex addiction, gambling, gaming addictions, etc.
In many cases, your clients might suffer from several addictions or compulsive behaviors as well as other health conditions. Creating treatment plans that address all of these issues is crucial. Often you will be referring your clients to mental health resources as well as health care providers to ensure they have all of the care they need to support recovery and long-term sobriety.
Myth 2: Addiction Counseling Is A Depressing Career
There’s no getting around the fact that this can be a challenging career, but it’s also highly rewarding. Addiction specialists spend their workdays truly helping others heal, and that’s powerful. Witnessing a client’s transformation from addiction to recovery as well as celebrating milestones such as sobriety anniversaries, improved relationships with family members and general personal growth is an amazing component of this job.
Myth 3: Addiction Specialists Must Have Experience With Addiction
While personal experience with addiction or a substance use disorder certainly can provide a valuable perspective, it’s not a requirement. More importantly, perhaps, counselors need to have a skill set that includes empathy, solid listening skills, and stellar counseling techniques.
Myth 4: Addiction Specialists Only Work In Rehab Centers
Addiction specialists work in diverse settings beyond rehab centers, including hospitals, schools, community organizations, private practices, and even telehealth platforms. Additionally, not all addiction specialists deal with rehab and addiction treatment. Some work as Prevention Specialists or Intervention Specialists, while others focus solely on recovery support.
Myth 5: Addiction Specialists Must Have A College Degree
While some addiction counselor jobs will require a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree, you do not need any college degree to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor or CADC.
This is a common type of counselor, though some states do refer to it as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) or perhaps a SUD counselor or even an Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC). While the names might vary, the requirements typically are about the same from state to state. Here’s what to expect if you want to become an addiction counselor.
Step 1: Complete Your Educational Requirements
CADCs are required to complete 315 educational units from a provider approved by your state’s credentialing organization. At Sober College, our addiction studies program is CCAPP-approved, NAADAC-approved and IC&RC-approved, and can be used in all but three states (Montana, North Dakota and Alaska).
Unlike traditional college and university programs, which can take years to complete and cost tens of thousands of dollars, our program can be completed in just six months, and the program costs just $4,250 (books are an additional $300-$500 in all) with no hidden fees. Additionally, our program can be completed entirely online, which provides a high level of convenience for adults with work and family commitments.
Step 2: Complete Your Practicum Experience
A practicum is much like an internship and most states require a 255-hour practicum that includes completing at least 21 hours focusing on each of the 12 Core Functions of Addiction Counseling. We include the practicum as part of our curriculum, so once you finish our program, you will have the first two steps completed. You can read more about these 12 functions here.
Step 3: Work Experience Hours
In order to become certified, you must complete a specific number of supervised work experience hours. These hours will be paid work, but you will be working under a supervisor. The number of hours will vary based on your CADC level and there are three levels – CADC-I, CADC-II and CADC-III.
A CADC-I must complete 3,000 hours of supervised work, while a CADC-II must complete 6,000 hours. Many CADC-I’s will work toward becoming a CADC-II once they’ve completed their 3,000 hours. A CADC-III only needs 4,000 hours but this level does require completion of a bachelor’s degree. CADC-I’s and CADC-II’s only need a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Step 4: Pass The IC&RC Exam
In some cases, an employer will want you to have passed this exam before your hire date, but other employees will allow you to take some time before taking the exam. IC&RC is an international organization that provides testing for various types of addiction professionals. For CADCs, the exam you must pass is the Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam.
Step 5: Apply For Certification
Once you’ve completed the four steps above, you can apply to become certified with your state credentialing board. Some states have more than one organization that offers certification, and it’s important to read over all of the requirements in case they differ slightly from what has been listed above. For instance, some states might require slightly less or more supervised work hours.
You will need to pay a fee for your credential and also may be asked to provide additional information, such as high school transcripts, college transcripts, a copy of your driver’s license, etc. Once you have earned your credential, you will need to renew it every two years. In order to renew, you will be required to complete a specific number of Continuing Education (CE) units.
Become An Addiction Specialist!
If you are ready to take the plunge and start your education, Sober College of Addiction Studies offers rolling admissions, so you can get started with our addiction specialist program at any time. We look forward to helping you achieve your dream of becoming a certified addiction counselor.
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