Changing careers can seem overwhelming, but at Sober College we make it as easy as possible to become a certified alcohol and drug counselor or CADC. With our online counseling certificate program, you can complete your educational requirements quickly and for far less money than you’d pay at a traditional college or university.
CADC Certification Requirements
There are several steps that you need to take in order to earn your CADC certification. The first step is to complete your educational units, and, in most states, you must complete 315 units from an approved college or educational provider, such as Sober College of Addiction Studies.
If you wish to earn an online counseling certificate, Sober College can be an excellent option as our program is 100% online. This allows you to learn whenever it’s convenient for you, unlike counseling programs at colleges or universities which typically have set class times. Our program was designed with working adults in mind, providing an optimum level of convenience for those wishing to become certified counselors.
Our online counseling certificate program also can be completed in just six months, and our program also includes the completion of your practicum hours. This is a 255-hour internship that must be completed in order to earn CADC certification, and you can begin working toward completion of these hours as soon as you complete your first Sober College class.
Once you’ve completed your counselor education units and practicum, you can now work at a licensed facility and begin accumulating supervised work experience hours. The number of hours required for counseling certificates varies depending on CADC level and some states require less or more hours than others, so be sure to refer to your state credentialing boards for the exact specifications.
In general, a CADC-I must complete 3,000 hours while a CADC-II will need to complete 6,000 hours. A CADC-III only needs 4,000 hours; however, these candidates must have earned a bachelor’s degree. A CADC-I or CADC-II only needs a high school diploma. Many CADC-I’s will work toward CADC-II certification or, ultimately, completion of a bachelor’s degree to earn that CADC-III certification.
As a side note, if you go on to earn a master’s degree in behavioral science or an allied mental health profession, you can work toward becoming a Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LAADC).
At some point during your initial CADC journey, you also must take and pass the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam. The results of the IC&RC exam often are reciprocal with credentialing organizations in many states and even other countries.
The International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) is a global organization that establishes standards and provides certification exams for various addiction and mental health professionals, including substance abuse counselors. The CADC credential is one of the certifications governed by IC&RC.
Understanding Reciprocity
One concept you will hear about frequently is reciprocity, and, in simple terms, this means that your CADC certification can be valid in multiple states or even internationally.
Reciprocity refers to the process that allows a professional holding an IC&RC-recognized credential, such as a CADC, to transfer that credential to another IC&RC member jurisdiction without having to meet all of the new jurisdiction’s certification requirements from scratch.
When pursuing a career in substance abuse counseling, particularly when working towards earning a CADC credential, understanding the concept of IC&RC reciprocity is essential. IC&RC provides a framework that ensures your credential is recognized across different states and even countries, which is critical if you plan to move or work in various locations.
Sober College’s curriculum is IC&RC-approved and our curriculum also is approved by the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). This is the United States’ top national organization for addiction specialists. Based in California, we also are approved by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP).
Because we are NAADAC-approved and IC&RC-approved this means that our curriculum can be used in most states as well as internationally. Sober College provides a convenient, affordable addiction studies program that can be used by students around the world. To discover if our curriculum can be used in your state, please click on the Locations tab on our homepage and then select “Find A Program Near Me” or check out the section regarding “Counselor Requirements By State.”
Additional Counseling Options
Once you’ve completed your certificate programs and earned your official credential, you will need to renew this credential every two years. To renew, you will need to complete a certain number of Continuing Education (CE) units.
Additionally, as you gain experience, there are many specialty certifications you can earn, based upon your personal interests and strengths. For instance, you might become a Recovery Specialist providing rehabilitation counseling and support for individuals in recovery.
If you wish to help those in the criminal justice system, you might consider becoming certified as a Criminal Justice Addiction Professional (CCJP). If you’d like to focus on helping women struggling with addiction, you might consider becoming a Women’s Treatment Specialist or WTS.
Other options include becoming a Co-Occurring Disorder Professional (CCDP), a Prevention Specialist or perhaps an Intervention Specialist. Earning a Medication-Assisted Treatment Specialist (MATS) is yet another option and there are several others in addition to the options mentioned above.
Enroll At Sober College Today
Take your first step towards becoming a licensed professional counselor! We offer rolling admissions so you can get started on our online counseling certificate program at any time. Just click on the Get Started tab to access our application and select Apply. If you have any questions about our program, select the Speak With Someone tab instead and fill out our quick contact form.
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