If you’ve ever dreamed of a rewarding career where you truly help others, working as a drug and alcohol counselor can be a great option to consider. At Sober College of Addiction Studies, we can help you fulfill the educational requirements that are part of substance abuse counselor certification. Here’s a quick look at the job itself and the requirements you will need to fulfill in order to become certified.
A Quick Look At Substance Use Disorder Counseling
Alcohol and drug counselors are known by several different names, but most commonly are known as certified alcohol and drug counselors (CADC), licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADC) or perhaps alcohol and drug counselors (ADC). While names may vary from state to state, the requirements for substance abuse counselor certification tend to be identical.
These professionals work in many different settings, including inpatient or outpatient treatment facilities, hospitals, criminal justice facilities, community centers and more. With millions of Americans suffering from addiction, this is a job that is in high demand and a typical addiction counselor salary varies based on your state and level of education. At the entry-level, you can expect to earn perhaps $22 per hour and often more.
Educational Requirements
The first step toward your new career as an alcohol and drug counselor is to complete your 315 hours of addiction studies education, which is what we provide at Sober College. Our program takes just six months to complete and includes eight classes, two of which are known as supervised practicums.
As part of your educational requirements, 255 hours of practical experience (practicum) is required. These hours are essentially an internship where you experience the typical day-to-day tasks that a substance abuse counselor handles.
During this practicum, you must complete at least 21 hours in each of the 12 Core Functions of Addiction Counseling. These functions include everything from patient intake to evaluation to conferring with other professionals and much more. You can begin your practicum experience as soon as you’ve completed your first course – Introduction & Overview of Drug and Alcohol Addiction.
Why Sober College?
Sober College has many advantages over traditional colleges and universities. For instance, we offer rolling admissions, so you can get started whenever it is convenient for you. With a traditional college, you would have to wait for a new semester to begin before getting started.
Our program is entirely online, which is a convenient option for busy, working adults as you can fit your learning into your schedule and don’t have to attend in-person classes. Again, our program can be completed in just six months and not over the course of several years as with many comparable university programs.
The curriculum we provide is the same quality education you would expect from any university or college, and everything we teach will prepare you for both the IC&RC exam as well as your new career as an addiction specialist. Our program is IC&RC-approved, NAADAC-approved and CCAPP-approved, which means it can be used throughout the United States. The only exceptions are Montana, North Dakota and Alaska, which have unique state requirements.
We also offer an easy admissions process. Simply download our application, fill it out and email it to our admissions team. Along with the application, we also will need documentation of your high school diploma or the equivalent, such as a GED.
You also will need to download, print and fill out our payment plan form. The total cost of our program (not including books) is just $4,250, which is far less than you would pay at most colleges and universities. Your total book costs will be about $300-$500 total. You can pay the entire tuition upfront or pay over six months or even 12 months, depending on your needs.
The IC&RC Exam
IC&RC is an international organization that provides testing for several different types of addiction counselors, including CADCs. In order to earn your certification, you must pass the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam. Our curriculum, along with your practical experiences will help to prepare you for this exam.
Work Experience Hours
The final step before applying for your credential is to complete your supervised work experience hours and this will be the most time-consuming aspect of the certification process. However, you will be paid as you complete these hours, they are simply supervised.
In order to become a CADC-I, you must complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience or just 2,080 hours if you have earned an associate’s degree in behavioral science or a similar degree. To become a CADC-II, you must complete 6,000 hours, regardless of any college degree. A CADC-III must complete 4,000 hours, but this level of CADC also requires the candidate to have earned a bachelor’s degree.
It’s important to note that state requirements may vary, and the aforementioned requirements are based on California work experience requirements. Generally, most states require about the same number of supervised work hours, but it’s best to check with your state’s credentialing organization.
Enroll At Sober College Today!
Ready to start earning your substance abuse counselor certification? Both the application and payment plan forms can be found under the Get Started tab by simply selecting the Apply option. If you have any questions, select the Speak with Someone tab and fill out our quick contact form.
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