While work is necessary to pay the bills and take care of our families, wouldn’t it be nice to engage in a profession where you can truly make a difference in people’s lives? As a certified addiction counselor, you can help others heal every day on the job. If you are interested in a career as an addiction professional, there are several career options to consider.
Certified Drug & Alcohol Counselors
A certified drug and alcohol counselor is often just called a CADC. There are quite a few names for this particular job, such as Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC) or Alcohol and Other Drug counselor (AOD). Typically, the educational and training requirements are the same even if the official name differs from state to state.
These addiction counselors generally work either at inpatient treatment facilities, outpatient treatment facilities or perhaps another type of health care facility, such as a hospital. The day-to-day job includes a myriad of tasks including individual and group counseling, patient evaluations, intake tasks, consulting with other professionals, creating long-term recovery plans and much more.
Depending on the type of CADC you opt to become (there are three levels), it takes anywhere from about 18 months to about three years to earn your addiction counseling certification, and this includes your education and required hours of supervised work experience. A college degree is not required, but if you do have a bachelor’s degree or perhaps an associate’s degree in behavioral health sciences or an allied mental health profession, you will be in the lower range of that timeframe.
A certified addiction counselor‘s salary varies from state to state, but the average salary is around $40,000 per year, depending on your location and experience level. As you gain more experience and perhaps move on to more senior levels, this salary can increase. Demand for substance abuse counselors is very high, so finding a job usually is not a problem.
Sober College Can Help!
At Sober College of Addiction Studies, we can provide you with the educational units you need to become any level of a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). We offer rolling admissions, and our program takes only six months to complete. Additionally, you can complete all of your coursework online, which is a great option for busy adults.
Our program includes all of the coursework you need to complete the 315 hours of required education for students wishing to become a CADC-I, CADC-II or CADC-III, as well as helping you complete your 255 required practicum hours. Our curriculum is NAADAC-approved, IC&RC-approved and CCAPP-approved, so we can provide education to students just about anywhere in the United States.
Other Counseling Options
Earning your CADC credential is one option, and it typically is the first step in the career of an addiction specialist. However, you also have several other interesting career options to consider once you become a CADC-I, CADC-II or CADC-II.
For instance, once you’ve obtained CADC certification and have an additional two years of verifiable experience working as a substance use disorder counselor, you can work toward earning your Clinical Supervisor credential. This step also requires 40 hours of additional training, and you must pass the IC&RC Clinical Supervisor exam.
Another option would be to earn your Prevention Specialist credential. This is a person who works to help prevent drug and alcohol abuse and you might work for a community organization or perhaps in local schools to help children and young adults make healthy choices. As with other credentials, this does require additional training and you should take the IC&RC Prevention Specialist exam.
Many individuals within our prison systems suffer from addiction, and a Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional, or CCJP, helps guide people during their incarceration with the hope that you can help them live a better life upon release into society. This credential requires 270 hours of addiction education, as well as a 300-hour, supervised practicum and you must pass the IC&RC CCJP exam.
There are several other specialty certifications that you might consider. These include a Medication-Assisted Treatment Specialist (MATS). Many treatment facilities will provide detox services that utilize medications to help ease the suffering of detox. Additionally, some patients, such as those with opioid addiction, may be treated using drugs such as methadone or naltrexone to prevent relapse. A MATS is a person that could help provide counseling and other services to those undergoing medication-assisted addiction treatment.
An Intervention Specialist (IS) is a person who would be responsible for planning and leading an intervention. A well-planned intervention can be an excellent way to encourage an individual to seek treatment, and if you find, as a CADC, that you have a knack for leading interventions, this might be a certification you would want to earn.
A Note About The IC&RC Exams
Taking the IC&RC exams not only may be a requirement for some state credentials, but if you move out of state, this can protect your employment as these exams are recognized throughout the United States as well as internationally. If you need to transfer a credential, showing proof of that IC&RC exam score will be a must.
When you begin working toward earning a credential, it also is important to select an educational provider that offers IC&RC reciprocity, such as Sober College, as well as NAADAC-approved. NAADAC is the national organization for addiction professionals, and whether you select Sober College as your educational provider or not, it is crucial that you select a school that is approved by organizations recognized throughout the United States, as well as in your home state.
Get Started With Your New Career!
The information above outlines just a few of the many opportunities you might want to consider after earning your CADC credential. If you are ready to get started working toward becoming a certified addictions counselor, you can sign up with Sober College today. Just click on the Get Started tab and you will find information about applying and how to speak with someone about any questions you might have regarding our comprehensive program.
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