The NAADAC is a huge resource for people working as drug and alcohol counselors as well as people in other fields related to addiction services. As a person beginning their education, we highly recommend that you take advantage of all that NAADAC can provide for professionals around the United States, including:
1. NAADAC Education & NAADAC Webinars
One focus of the NAADAC has been to create standards for education providers, ensuring that the curriculum and instruction provides enough support in order for a person to learn the skills needed to become an addiction services professional.
In order to be listed with these providers, a college or educational institution must provide proof that its curriculum and instructors meet the NAADAC standards. At Sober College, we provide in-class and online learning options, both of which are NAADAC-approved.
Along with setting standards for education providers, the NAADAC also hosts webinars throughout the year covering a wide variety of topics. For instance, there is a whole series of webinars that deal with the NAADAC Code of Ethics.
A few other recent topics include “Medication Assisted Recovery in Complex Situations,” “Hunger for Healing: Evidence-Based Practice for Binge Eating Disorder,” and “What Addiction Professionals Should Know About Medical Marijuana.”
Webinars last between 30 minutes to three hours, and, best of all, these webinars are free to NAADAC members. In some cases, you can even earn Continuing Education (CE) credits for these webinars, which is something you will need to do after you earn your CADC certification.
2. NAADAC Membership Benefits
Joining the NAADAC is not required for professionals or students, but we certainly recommend it as this group provides so many helpful benefits. Students even enjoy a lower membership rate than professionals, so you can take advantage of all that NAADAC has to offer before you earn your CADC certification.
Your membership includes a free subscription to Advances in Addiction & Recovery, which is the magazine published by the NAADAC. You also enjoy 50% off of a subscription to Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, which offers current information about treatment, research and other important topics.
As we stated above, NAADAC members can receive CE credits for many of their free webinars, and this can save you thousands of dollars as you often have to pay for CE classes and seminars to earn credits. To receive credit, you typically view a NAADAC webinar and then complete an online quiz.
Your annual NAADAC dues include membership with NAADAC nationally as well as with your state affiliate. Through the national website or your state website, you can connect with other professionals and learn about networking events, upcoming conferences and upcoming workshops.
Members also can take advantage of the NAADAC Career Center, where you can find both national and international job openings. Members also are able to obtain reduced rates for professional liability insurance.
3. NAADAC Conferences
In addition to the many helpful webinars, the NAADAC hosts an annual conference and NAADAC members enjoy reduced rates to this conference. For instance, member fees for the three-day conference are $450, while non-members must pay $575. Student members receive a further, $50 discount off these fees.
This six-day conference includes an exhibit hall, a variety of keynote speakers, and dozens of workshops and breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics. During these conferences, you may be able to earn more than 40 CE credits, which is another huge benefit to consider.
4. Get Involved With NAADAC Advocacy
The NAADAC isn’t just providing education and resources for professionals, this group also advocates for patients. If you look under the Advocacy tab on the NAADAC homepage, you will find a current list of bills and acts that are making their way through the legislative process.
You can learn more about how you can support people in need of addiction treatment, recovery support, mental health support and much more. The NAADAC provides you with a quick synopsis of each bill or act, and provides you with a link so that you can find your government representative and contact them to encourage that person to act on behalf of those struggling with addiction or mental health issues.
A Quick Look Back At the NAADAC
The NAADAC has undergone a few name changes, as their focus changed and evolved. This group started out in 1972 as The National Association of Alcoholism Counselors and Trainers (NAACT), but changed its name and its focus a bit in the early 1980s, and became the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.
Today, the NAADAC still uses the same acronym, but it’s now officially the Association for Addiction Professionals. This helps to incorporate a wider range of professionals that offer addiction support and services, including people such as social workers, prevention specialists and even those involved in research about addiction, treatment and related issues.
The NAADAC can be an excellent resource for professionals and students, but if you are just getting started as an addiction counselor, you probably are mainly concerned with your education, and this is where Sober College School of Addiction Studies can help.
We offer NAADAC-approved coursework and training for anyone wishing to attain their CADC-I or CADC-II certification. You can start anytime and finish in just six months. Our online programs are available in almost every state in the country, and we have an in-class option available at our Southern California campus. To learn more about our NAADAC-approved program, you can or click the Get Started tab and fill out our contact form. We make it easy for anyone to jumpstart their new career as a CADC and help others heal.
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