If you would like to become involved in the rewarding field of addiction counseling or support, there are many career opportunities open to you, and at Sober College of Addiction Studies we can provide you with the education you need to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) or a Prevention Specialist.
The Path To Becoming A CADC
One of the best things about becoming a CADC is that this profession truly is open to just about anyone, and you don’t necessarily need to have a college degree. There are three levels of CADC: CADC-I, CADC-II and CADC-III, and the first two don’t require a college degree.
All three options require the same 315 hours of approved addiction studies curriculum, which we can provide, as well as 215 practicum hours. All three even take the same exam to qualify for the credential. The main difference lies in the number of supervised work hours you’ll need to earn your credential and a CADC-III does need to have a bachelor’s degree.
To be a CADC-I, you don’t need to have a degree, but if you do have an associate’s degree in behavior science or a related field, you only need to complete 2,080 hours of supervised work experience. Without this degree, you will need to complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience.
If you want to earn a CADC-II credential, you will need to complete 4,000 hours of supervised work experience, regardless of whether or not you have any type of college degree or no degree at all. The CADC-III also must complete 4,000 hours of work experience, but a CADC-III also must have earned a bachelor’s degree.
The Path To Becoming A Prevention Specialist
In general, a Prevention Specialist is a person tasked with trying to prevent people from becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, but also to enjoy a positive lifestyle in general. For instance, you can teach others about positive ways to deal with stress and anxiety, and educate people where to seek help for mental health issues and addiction issues.
Prevention specialists might work with schools, youth centers, community centers, local law enforcement and local health care providers to educate others about addiction and other high-risk activities and encourage healthy lifestyle choices.
In order to become a Prevention Specialist, you will need to complete 120 hours of approved prevention education, which we can provide, as well as 120 hours of practicum experience. Practicum hours for CADCs and Prevention Specialists are basically internship hours, giving you some real-life experience before you dive into your new career.
You also will need to earn a passing score on the IC&RC Prevention Specialist exam. Additionally, you are required to have 2,000 hours of AOD (Alcohol and Other Drug) prevention work experience to earn this credential.
We find that people sometimes feel overwhelmed by the thought of 2,000 hours or 3,000 hours of work experience. But, 2,000 hours equals roughly a year of work experience, and it’s also paid work experience. For the CADC credentials, you need either 2,080, 3,000 or 4,000 hours of experience, roughly equal to one year, 18 months and two years, respectively.
During these work experiences, you will be gaining valuable knowledge about your profession and you will be helping others either as a counselor or a Prevention Specialist, so this will be rewarding and valuable work.
Finish Your Education In Just Six Months (Or Less)!
At Sober College of Addiction Studies, you can complete your educational requirements in just six months or in less time if you select our self-paced online education option. We also have an in-class option that meets just one weekend per month, for students that prefer this option and that live near our Los Angeles-area campus.
Our two online options include our standard online program, which can be completed in six months. You’ll complete one class per month, and have access to your professors via email Monday through Friday. Our self-paced option can be completed in as little as three months or you can take up to 18 months to complete the program.
Our self-paced program is popular with those who want to quickly jumpstart their new career and for those who have challenging schedules that don’t really allow you to complete a class in just one month. It’s also a great option for people who just want to take their time with the program and spend a bit more than just four weeks per class. We try to provide many flexible options to make it as easy as possible for a wide range of students to start their new careers.
We also offer rolling admissions, so you can get started at any time. You don’t have to wait for a new semester to begin; you can enroll today and start learning in just a couple of days. It’s just that simple to get started with our addiction studies programs.
We also can provide you with a class for IC&RC test preparation. We have an online test prep class for our CADC students as well as those working to become Prevention Specialists.
Other Career Opportunities
While becoming a CADC or Prevention Specialist are great careers options, there also are a few other options available for those interested in becoming an addiction professional. For instance, if you are currently in recovery from drug or alcohol use, you might consider becoming a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist.
This is a person whose unique life experiences make them a helpful source of support for those in the early stages of rehab as well as those in recovery. To qualify as this type of specialist, you need to be at least two years into recovery, you’ll need to complete at least 60 hours of recovery-focused education, and you will need to complete 200 hours of actual practice in some type of peer recovery support facility or environment. This practice can be either paid work experience or volunteer work experience.
This is just one of the many additional options to consider. As a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, you might be inspired to continue your education and work toward certification as a CADC or Prevention Specialist. If you are interested in becoming a CADC or Prevention Specialist, our addiction studies program can help you make that dream a reality. At Sober College of Addiction Studies, we offer rolling admissions, so you can enroll and start learning at any time. Simply head to the top of this page, look under the Get Started tab and click on Apply.
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