At Sober College School of Addiction Studies, we make earning your substance abuse certification as fast and easy as possible. Our comprehensive, quality curriculum is CCAPP-approved and NAADAC-approved, and our program can be completed in just six months. However, before you get started with substance abuse counselor training, there are a few facts you need to know.
- New Students Should Research Substance Abuse Counseling
Earning your substance abuse counselor certification can lead you into a rewarding career where you can help others heal, but before you venture into this new career, it is smart to learn a little bit about the types of jobs available, an addiction counselor salary, training requirements and the typical day-to-day tasks you might have to handle.
For instance, some substance abuse counselors work at inpatient facilities while others work at outpatient treatment centers. Sometimes an addiction specialist will work within the community as a prevention specialist or work in the prison system to help inmates achieve long-term sobriety. There are many interesting options available and it’s always wise to see what types of jobs are available in your area before you get started with training.
Head to sites such as Indeed or Zip Recruiter and take a look at what is available or go to National Association for Addiction Professionals website at NAADAC.org to learn more about various careers. NAADAC is a national organization dedicated to helping addiction professionals as well as advocating for patients. Your state credentialing board also can be a great resource when you are just getting started with substance abuse certification.
- Learn Some Facts About Addiction
Even if you have dealt with addiction on a personal level, it is smart to learn some facts about addiction. For instance, almost half of people struggling with addiction also have co-occurring disorders. This could be a health condition such as diabetes or a mental health disorder such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, etc. When you become a substance abuse counselor, part of your job will be finding resources to help each patient find treatment for addiction as well as all co-occurring disorders.
Another interesting fact is that addiction is that becoming sober is not just a matter of willpower and determination. Many drugs, as well as alcohol, alter the brain, which is why it is difficult to achieve and maintain sobriety. In order to be a proficient substance abuse counselor, it is important to know how substances affect our brain and body.
While you will have patients that abuse a wide variety of drugs, alcohol and opioids tend to be the most commonly abused drugs in the United States. Alcohol is inexpensive and easily accessible, and drinking is a widely accepted social activity. Many opioid users become addicts after being prescribed opioids for pain management. Additionally, many people become addicted to depressants such as sleep medication or tranquilizers and stimulants such as Adderall or Ritalin.
Of course, some of your patients will be suffering from other types of addictions, in addition to some type of substance use disorder. Some patients might have gambling addictions or sex addictions, and a good substance abuse counselor finds good resources to help patients overcome these harmful addictions as well as addictions to drugs or alcohol.
- Find An Approved School
Although Sober College is based in California, we can provide the educational training required for substance abuse counselors in most states. Our training focuses on helping those that wish to become Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors or a CADC.
The term CADC is used commonly in California and many other states, but some states will use a different term for this job, yet the requirements are identical. For instance, in Texas, this job is known as an ADC or Alcohol and Drug Counselor. In Connecticut, this job is called a CAC, or Certified Addiction Counselor, etc.
To ensure that our program works in your state, you will need to head to your state credentialing board’s website and look for approved education vendors. In most states, we should be listed as an approved school for addiction studies. The only exceptions include Alaska, Montana and North Dakota.
- Research Your State Requirements
Completing your educational units is just one step in the process of earning your substance abuse counselor certification. For instance, to earn substance abuse certification in California, students might complete 315 hours of approved education as well as 255 hours of field practicum, pass the IC&RC ADC examination and complete a specific amount of supervised work experience hours.
Students can complete their field practicum at the same time as their coursework, and these practicum hours will be included as part of your required supervised work experience hours, which vary based upon the type of certification you seek to earn.
For instance, in California (and many other states), you can earn a CADC-I, CADC-II or CADC-III credential. The CADC-I credential requires 3,000 of supervised work experience if you have no college degree, and just 2,080 hours if you have an associate’s degree in behavioral science or an allied mental health profession.
With the CADC-II credential, you will need 6,000 hours of supervised work experience regardless of any college degree. Many CADC-I’s go on to become CADC-IIs once they complete the additional hours. A CADC-III will need to possess a bachelor’s degree and complete 4,000 hours of supervised work experience. Keep in mind that most or all of the supervised work experience will be paid work, and you will be handling the same types of tasks that you would if you already earned substance abuse counselor certification.
- Consider Your Future Options
As you start to gain more experience, you may want to branch out a bit and earn some specialty certifications. For instance, you can earn certification as a Medication-Assisted Treatment Specialist (MATS) or work toward earning certification as a Women’s Treatment Specialist (WTS) or perhaps as a Certified Criminal Justice Addiction Professional (CCJP). You also might want to work as a certified recovery specialist or an intervention specialist.
Of course, many people enjoy their work as a CADC and continue in that career for many years. Keep in mind, that all types of substance abuse certifications require renewal and continuing education to keep your credential active. Your state credentialing board often will offer continuing education classes, as well as the NAADAC and many local colleges and universities. Continuing education keeps you up to date on all of the latest research and best practices in your field.
If you want to earn substance abuse counselor certification, the team at Sober College is here to help. We offer online education and rolling admissions so you can get started whenever you want and, as stated at the beginning of this blog, you can complete your coursework in just six months. To jumpstart your new career, just click on the Get Started tab at the top of this page, from there you’ll find links to our online application as well as easy ways to get in touch with a registration specialist.
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