Millions of Americans struggle with substance abuse issues, and addiction counselors are in high demand. Often known as Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) counselors, these individuals must complete several steps to earn their AOD certification, and Sober College of Addiction Studies can help.
National Versus State Certification
As a new counselor, you will have to apply for certification through your state certification organization, but you also could opt for national certification through NAADAC.
Originally called the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), this organization is the largest national group representing addiction specialists throughout the United States. To better encompass all types of addiction and addiction counselors, this group is now known as The Association for Addiction Professionals, but also known simply as NAADAC.
It can be smart to acquire both a state and national credential as this provides you with wider recognition and credibility. National certification is recognized in most states, and it can signify a higher level of commitment to your career, which can be reassuring to clients as well as potential employers. Of course, it also makes it easier for you to move from state to state and maintain employment.
Types Of Addiction Counselors
AOD counselors are known by several other names, including Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC), Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Counselors, Alcohol and Drug Counselors (ADC), Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC) and more. If you decide to apply for certification through NAADAC, you would also be known as a National Certified Addiction Counselor or NCAC.
Whether you are working toward earning NCAC certification, CADC certification, ADC certification or SUD counselor certification, the requirements to earn certification may be the same even if the names differ. The first requirement is to complete your substance use disorder education, and Sober College is an approved education in most states.
Getting Started: Completing Your Educational Units
Sober College of Addiction Studies is based in California, and we are a CCAPP-approved education provider. However, our curriculum also is NAADAC-approved, which means it can be used to fulfill educational requirements in most states. The only exceptions include Alaska, Montana and North Dakota, which have unique requirements.
In most states, to attain AOD certification, you must complete 315 units of approved education. Course topics range from an overview of drug and alcohol addiction, pharmacology, ethics, case management, counseling and more.
At Sober College, our addiction studies program is 100% online and can be completed in just six months. This offers a much higher level of convenience than a traditional college, and at most universities, it could take several years to complete your studies.
Our tuition also is far lower than you would pay at a traditional college or university. We charge $4,250 for our entire program, with no hidden fees. The only additional expense will be for books, which cost about $300 to $500 in all.
Practicum Experiences
Our program encompasses eight classes, and two of these are Supervised Practicum. The first is a short practicum where you observe the day-to-day routine in an approved facility. Students can get started with their practicum experiences as soon as they complete our first course – Introduction and Overview of Drug and Alcohol Addiction.
The second practicum, which includes a minimum of 255 hours, is essentially an internship. During this second practicum, you must complete all of the 12 Core Functions of Addiction Counseling at your internship site. You must spend at least 21 hours working on each of the core functions, which include everything from patient orientation to counseling to patient assessment and more.
The IC&RC Exam
IC&RC is an international organization that provides testing for several different types of addiction specialists. Our program prepares you to take the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam. This exam has a pass rate of about 70%, and you will be allowed several attempts to pass the exam.
If you do pass after four attempts, typically you will be required to complete 20 more hours of approved education and an additional 100 hours of clinical supervision before attempting the exam again.
Work Experience Hours
The final hurdle for AOD certification is the most time-consuming. In order to become certified, you must complete a specific number of supervised work experience hours. The number of hours needed ranges from about 3,000 hours to 6,000 hours, depending on the level of certification you want to earn and your education level.
For instance, in California, a CADC-I must complete 3,000 hours of work experience, but no college degree is required. A CADC-II must complete 6,000 hours and a CADC-III must complete 4,000 hours. CADC-II’s typically are those who have earned their CADC-I credential and are working toward a higher counseling level, but no college degree is required. CADC-III’s need to have completed a bachelor’s degree.
Other states may have differing hour requirements, but your practicum hours should be included in the total number of supervised work experience hours. You also will be paid for this work and handling all of the typical day-to-day tasks that certified counselors handle. You simply will be working under supervision until your hours are complete.
Earn Your AOD Certification
If you would like to get started on your path toward AOD certification, Sober College offers the ease of online education and, as our program, can be completed in just six months, you can truly take a run leap into your new career. We offer rolling admissions, so you can apply at any time.
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