If you’ve ever wondered how to become an addiction counselor, the team at Sober College School of Addiction Studies can help. We provide the quality coursework required to become an addiction counselor, but we also wanted to share some facts about this exciting career option.
What Do Addiction Counselors Do?
When you become an addiction counselor, you might think that addiction counseling is the main task in this profession, but this is just part of the equation. Addiction counselors are responsible for everything from creating treatment plans to coordinating services from other health professionals, including doctors and therapists. You help a patient on their journey from intake at a treatment facility all the way through to providing them with a comprehensive recovery strategy and plan that helps them achieve long-term sobriety and success.
Obviously, compassion and counseling skills are essential skills for any addiction specialist, but while counseling – individual, group and family – is a big part of the job description, it’s just one part. An addiction counselor needs to be an organized, efficient person that can handle the plethora of paperwork that accompanies patient care.
During your educational training, you will become familiar with the 12 Core Functions of Drug & Alcohol Counselors, which are all the tasks that a counselor is expected to be able to handle. These functions include:
- Patient Screening
- Patient Intake
- Patient Assessment
- Treatment Planning
- Counseling
- Case Management
- Crisis Intervention
- Patient Education
- Referral
- Record-Keeping & Reporting
- Cross-Consultation
Types of Addiction Counselors
While you may be wondering how to become an addiction counselor, another question might be – what type of addiction professional do I want to be? There are many different types of addiction professionals. This includes counselors, intervention specialists, prevention specialists, peer recovery specialists and more.
At Sober College of Addiction Studies, we help people who wish to become certified drug and alcohol counselors (CADC). This type of addiction professional would handle all of the 12 Core Functions that we discussed earlier. You spend your days working either at an in-patient or outpatient treatment facility working directly with patients and helping lead them to successful recovery.
Once you’ve earned your CADC certification, you also can work toward earning specialty certifications. These include specialties such as a Certified Criminal Justice Addiction Professional (CCJP), Medication-Assisted Treatment Specialist (MATS), Certified Recovery Program Manager (CRPM), Prevention Specialist (PS) and more. Of course, you also can continue in your career as a CADC without earning any specialty certifications.
How To Earn CADC Certification
The first step is to find a school that offers a curriculum approved by your state credentialing board. In California, where Sober College is based, we offer a curriculum approved by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP). However, our curriculum also is approved by the NAADAC, which is the nationally recognized association for addiction professionals.
This means we can serve students outside California with our NAADAC-approved curriculum. Our curriculum also is IC&RC-approved meaning it will help you pass the rigorous IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam, which is a requirement for anyone wanting to earn their CADC credential.
CADC is a common term for an addiction counselor, but some states will use a slightly different acronym, such as Alcohol and Drug Counselor, or ADC. In general, while the names may differ, the credential requirements are the same, and include:
315 Hours of Education
At Sober College, we can provide you with the approved coursework you need to complete these 315 hours. This includes eight classes, six of which are traditional college-type classes, and all are available online. The additional two classes are part of your practicum (internship) experiences.
255 Hours of Practicum Experience
The first practicum experience is more of an observational experience, where you are supervised both by an instructor at Sober College, as well as a supervisor at some type of treatment facility. The second practicum experience is more hands-on, and while you will be supervised by an instructor and a work supervisor, you will be doing actual work. In fact, you must complete all of the 12 Core Functions at this internship site, so this is an excellent opportunity to apply your knowledge in a real work environment.
The IC&RC Exam
To earn your CADC credential, you must earn a passing score on the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam. Not only will your Sober College coursework prepare you for this exam, but we also offer IC&RC test prep materials as an additional study aid.
Supervised Work Experience
There are three levels of CADC – CADC-I, CADC-II and CADC-III. The educational, practicum and exam requirements are identical, but each type of CADC has a unique number of supervised work experience hours that are required in order to earn that credential.
A CADC-I will need to complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience to earn their credential. However, if the CADC candidate has earned an associate’s degree in behavioral science or an allied mental health profession, they only need to complete 2,080 hours of supervised work experience.
A CADC-II must complete 6,000 hours of supervised work experience (regardless of any college degree) to earn that credential and many CADC-I’s will go on to earn their CADC-II credential. Neither a CADC-I or a CADC-II needs to have earned a college degree at any level to become a counselor.
A CADC-III only needs to complete 4,000 hours of supervised work experience. However, this person also must have earned a bachelor’s degree to qualify as a CADC-III.
With all three of these CADC certification levels, it is important to note that your 255 hours of practicum experience will count toward this total. Additionally, once you are working at a facility, this will be paid work. You will be working on all the tasks necessary to become an addiction counselor, but you simply will be supervised by someone with a credential and greater experience.
It is important to note that your credential will expire every two years. To renew this credential, you will need to complete continuing education (CE) units. Your state credentialing board, such as CCAPP, can help you find approved online education options to complete these CE units and there are many helpful and interesting options.
Become An Addiction Counselor – Enroll at Sober College Today!
At Sober College, we offer quality online substance abuse training that can be completed in just six months. Our traditional six-month program includes one class per month as well as your two practicum experiences. We also have a self-paced online program that can be completed in as little as three months, although you also have the option of taking up to 18 months to complete the self-paced program.
We offer rolling admissions, so you can begin your coursework at any time. Instructors are available to assist students daily, and students can engage in weekly online discussions with their classmates as well as their instructor.
Hopefully, this blog helps answer the question of how to become an addiction counselor. This is a rewarding career and in great demand, but if you have any questions about our program, please don’t hesitate to contact an admissions specialist by clicking on the Get Started tab at the top of this page.
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