Every occupation has its lingo, and substance abuse counseling is no exception. If you’re interested in taking this career path, learning some of the key terms and acronyms can make this career transition a bit easier. We’ve compiled a short list of the vernacular you will encounter as a substance abuse counselor.
Types of Substance Abuse Counselors
There are many different levels and types of addiction specialists. At Sober College, we offer curriculum and support for those who wish to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor or CADC. This is a common type of counselor, but it often is known by other names, depending on your state. Some of the names include:
- Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUD counselor)
- Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor (AOD counselor)
- Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC)
- Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC)
Typically, the counselors listed above do not need to have college degrees to earn their credentials. All that is required is a high school diploma or the equivalent. Some counselor types do require a bachelor’s degree, such as a CADC-III or even a master’s degree, such as Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LAADC).
Additionally, there are many specializations to consider after you have earned your initial credential. You can remain a SUD counselor or CADC, of course, but you also can branch out and earn specialty credentials such as a Women’s Treatment Specialist (WTS), a Medication-Assisted Treatment Specialist (MATS) or perhaps an Intervention Specialist (IS).
Counseling Organizations
Every state has at least one organization that offers credentials or certification for an addiction counselor. There are also national and international organizations that support counselors as well as providing certification and advocating for those suffering from addiction. Here’s a quick list of just a few of these groups.
NAADAC – Originally called the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), this organization is the largest national group representing addiction specialists throughout the United States. To better encompass all types of addiction and addiction counselors, this group is now known as The Association for Addiction Professionals, but also known simply as NAADAC.
NAADAC provides educational resources for counselors, as well as advocating for patients’ rights. NAADAC also offers credentials for those wishing to become certified as counselors at a national level. Our curriculum is NAADAC-approved, so if you would prefer to earn a national credential instead of, or in addition to, your state credential, our educational units will fulfill NAADAC’s requirements.
IC&RC – This stands for the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium. This is an international organization that provides standardized testing for those wishing to become a substance abuse counselor.
For those wanting to become a CADC or the equivalent, you will need to pass the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam, and Sober College’s curriculum is IC&RC-approved and will provide you with all of the information you need to pass this exam.
IC&RC also offers several other exams including the Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) exam, the Prevention Specialist (PS) exam and the Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP) exam to name a few. Becoming a CCJP or PS are just two of the many specializations you might consider working toward once you earn your initial CADC certification.
NAATP – The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers has been around for more than 45 years, providing support for all types of addiction professionals. Much like NAADAC, they advocate for addiction professionals and patients and host industry events and a national conference, as well as webinars. Attending these events can provide you with the latest innovations in addiction treatment.
SAMHSA – This is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and this agency is run by the U.S. government. This agency was created to support the needs of citizens struggling with addiction as well as mental health disorders. While this is not solely an organization for addiction professionals, it does provide resources and grants for counselors.
ISSUP – The International Society of Substance Use Professionals supports addiction specialists from around the world. ISSUP offers resources for training and professional development, hosts events and much more, allowing for collaboration with professionals across the globe.
State Organizations – Every state has at least one organization that provides resources and certification for addiction counselors. For instance, in Texas, you might become a member of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAAP). In California, you might join and receive your credential through the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP).
Your state organization will do much more than simply provide you with credentials. Membership often includes admission to workshops and conferences where you can increase your knowledge and potentially earn Continuing Education (CE) units. CE units will be required to renew your credential every two years.
Counseling Terminology
If you are interested in counseling as a career, terms such as detox, intervention, recovery and relapse probably are all familiar to you, but here are a few words and phrases that might be less well known.
12 Core Functions – As part of your addiction counselor training, you will need to complete a practicum experience that includes at least 21 hours of concentration in each of the 12 Core Functions of Addiction Counseling. These “functions” are simply the day-to-day tasks that every counselor will handle regularly at a treatment facility. You can learn more about these 12 functions here. (PLEASE LINK TO https://sobercollege.com/addiction-blog/addiction-counseling-understanding-the-12-core-functions/)
Dual Diagnosis – This refers to patients who have both a mental health condition and a substance use disorder. This also is known as co-occurring disorders or comorbidity and it’s extremely common.
You likely will have patients suffering from addiction as well as conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc. To successfully treat the addiction, it’s also crucial to find resources to help with mental health issues as well as any physical health issues – such as pain management.
Harm Reduction – This is a type of intervention aimed at reducing the harmful effects of drug use. For instance, one aspect of harm reduction might be providing Naloxone kits to prevent overdoses or clean syringes to prevent the transmission of blood-borne diseases from non-sterile needles.
Obviously, we hope that every person can find their way to sobriety, but until a person takes that step, harm reduction aims to keep them as safe as possible and to prevent death and the spread of communicable diseases.
Opioid Agonist Therapy – This is a treatment option where we use medication to help a person with an opioid use disorder maintain sobriety. This is sometimes called pharmacotherapy or medication-assisted treatment, and it can be a very effective option for many patients struggling with opioid use. A few examples of these medications include Methadone and Suboxone.
Pharmacology – This is the study of different types of drugs and chemicals and the effects that these substances have on human beings. When you begin your education as a substance abuse counselor, pharmacology will be included in your training. Counselors must have a deep understanding of pharmacology, drug interactions and how medication can support long-term recovery.
Substance Use Disorder – This is the preferred term for the disease of addiction. For instance, rather than labeling a person an addict or user, you might state that a person has a substance use disorder, reducing the negative association and focusing on the disease.
These are just a few of the many terms will become familiar with as you work toward becoming a substance abuse counselor.
Become A Substance Abuse Counselor
At Sober College of Addiction Studies, we can help you get started on your path toward becoming a substance abuse counselor. Our online program takes just six months to complete, and we offer rolling admissions so you can get started at any time.
As stated above, we are CCAPP-approved, NAADAC-approved and IC&RC-approved which means our program by most state certification organizations. The only exceptions are Alaska, Montana and North Dakota.
To enroll in our substance abuse counseling program, just head to the Get Started tab on our homepage and click on “Apply.” If you have questions, you can click on “Speak with Someone” and a member of our admissions team will contact you as quickly as possible.
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