If you are looking for a rewarding, challenging career option that’s in high demand, becoming a Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADC) can be a great option to consider. Here are a few helpful facts to help you better understand this job, the path toward certification, and how Sober College of Addiction Studies can help.
What Is A CADC?
A CADC is a common type of substance use disorder (SUD) counselor, although some states may use a different term, such as a certified SUD counselor or perhaps a Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor (LADC). The names may differ, but the certification requirements tend to be the same from state to state.
What Do CADCs Do?
While the name might suggest that addiction counseling makes up the bulk of the work, that is by no means true. CADCs handle a myriad of tasks, and these are known as the 12 Core Functions of Addiction Counseling. These include:
1. Screening
During this process, a CADC will determine whether or not a person has a substance use disorder and also determine if their facility is a good match for this individual. A CADC will conduct an initial interview where they ask questions about substance use as well as identify any urgent concerns or safety risks. In some cases, you may refer a potential client to a different facility or for additional assessments.
2. Intake
For intake, you gather detailed information about a patient and officially admit them into your treatment facility. This includes completing a myriad of paperwork, including consent forms, as well as collecting medical, mental health, and substance use history.
3. Orientation
Each facility is unique, and patients will need to be informed about treatment schedules, program rules, attendance requirements, and much more. Orientation helps clients feel more comfortable as they will learn about the facility and gain a better understanding of what happens day-to-day.
4. Assessment
While you do some assessment during intake and screening, this is a much deeper dive and includes conducting clinical interviews, evaluating mental health, identifying co-occurring disorders, learning about the client’s family dynamics, and more.
5. Treatment Planning
During this phase, you will develop a structured plan to help your clients reach their recovery goals. Typically, this includes setting treatment and recovery goals. Sometimes these plans will need to be altered as treatment progresses.
6. Counseling
Generally, CADCs will handle individual, family, and group counseling tasks. For instance, you might lead group therapy sessions where you teach coping and relapse prevention skills or perhaps help clients process trauma, as well as learn to recognize triggers and manage stress.
7. Case Management
As you will see further down in the “Referral” section, matching your client with services such as support groups, therapy, doctors, and social services may all be needed. While you need to gather these referrals, you also may need to help your client sign up for programs, make appointments, etc. It also can be important to explain to your client why each referral is helpful and will support long-term recovery.
8. Crisis Intervention
During treatment, it is very common for clients to experience extreme emotional or physical distress, and, as an addiction counselor, you must be prepared for these situations and be able to quickly respond when your client is overwhelmed. In some cases, this may include contacting emergency services or supporting a client during a relapse situation.
9. Client Education
One way an addiction professional facilitates a long-term recovery is by educating their clients as well as friends and family members about addiction and recovery. It is important for people to understand how addiction affects the body and mind, and to provide clients with relapse prevention tactics, how to maintain healthy habits, and more.
10. Referrals
This is similar to Case Management. As a certified addiction counselor, you will need to ensure that your clients have all of the recommendations and referrals they need. For instance, they likely will need to find a therapist or psychiatrist for mental health care. You may need to help them find groups that support recovery, as well as specialists for certain medical conditions. Some clients will need help finding resources for housing and social services.
11. Reporting & Record-Keeping
This is a huge part of every substance abuse counselor’s job, and while counseling skills are important, possessing solid organizational skills is also crucial. In addition to maintaining notes from each client’s counseling sessions, you will need to track client progress and maintain a plethora of forms and confidential records.
12. Consultation
Counselors must work with other professionals to meet the needs of their clients. This includes talking to your supervisor or treatment teams, as well as collaborating with doctors, social workers, and other professionals to ensure that recovery is as successful as possible.
How To Become A Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
At Sober College of Addiction Studies , we can help you get started on your path toward CADC certification. There are several steps you need to take, and the first is the completion of your educational units.
Sober College is a CCAPP, NAADAC, and IC&RC-approved education provider, and our addiction studies program is 100% online. This means our program can be used throughout the United States. The only exceptions include Alaska, Montana, and North Dakota.
In general, most states require at least 300 hours or units of education, and our program includes 315 hours, as we are based in California, and that is our state’s requirement. Our curriculum includes everything you need to know to pass the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam, which is another requirement for CADC certification. Best of all, our program takes just six months to complete.
Additionally, you must complete a practicum, which is an internship where you work at an approved facility and spend at least 21 hours handling/observing each of the 12 Core Functions. Our program also includes 255 hours of practicum experience. Some states do require more than 255 hours, so it is important to study your state’s requirements to ensure that you complete the proper number of hours.
Once you have completed your educational units, practicum, and passed the IC&RC exam, the next step is completion of your work experience hours, some of which will be under clinical supervision. Every state requires a different number of hours for certification.
For instance, in California, you must complete 3,000 hours of work experience to earn your CADC-I certification. A CADC-II must complete 6,000 hours, and a CADC-III must complete 4,000 hours. A CADC-III also must have earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science or a similar field. No degree is required for a CADC I or CADC II in California. Again, the necessary work experience hours for certification vary by state, so please research all of the certification requirements in your state.
Enroll Now at Sober College
If you are interested in enrolling in our certified alcohol & drug counselor program, head to our homepage and go to the Get Started tab. Under that tab, select “Apply” and download our application. We offer rolling admissions, so you can get started with our program at any time!
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