Becoming an addiction counselor can be a rewarding career where you help others heal every day, and it’s easier than you think to earn your counselor certification. At Sober College, we can help you earn your substance abuse counselor certification online, and completing this online is a great option for several reasons.
- It’s Fast
If you want to earn your substance abuse certification online, our program can be completed in just six months. To become a certified alcohol and drug counselor, you will need to complete 315 classroom hours and 255 practicum hours. This includes six courses and two supervised practicums.
Students will complete all of their coursework online, and they can complete the 255 practicum hours concurrently as they are handling their coursework. Practicum hours are basically like an internship. The first practicum is more of an observational experience, but during the second practicum, you will be taking on a larger role and that includes completing tasks related to all of the 12 Core Functions (please link to https://sobercollege.com/addiction-blog/addiction-counseling-understanding-the-12-core-functions/) of Addiction Counseling.
- It’s Flexible
If you are a working adult with a busy schedule (and aren’t we all?), completing your substance abuse certification online just makes good sense. An online program allows you to work on schoolwork whenever you have time rather than having to attend scheduled classes. You can work on your classes after your regular workday and on weekends, which can make the process much easier.
In addition to our standard, six-month program, we also offer a self-paced program where you can complete your substance abuse counselor certification online in as little as three months. With this self-paced program, you also have the option of stretching out the curriculum and taking up to 18 months to complete your coursework. This self-paced program is ideal for people highly motivated to finish the program quickly for those who simply need a bit more time to complete their studies.
Practicum hours also sometimes can be scheduled on weekends or when you are not normally working. Practicum hours also can include paid or volunteer experiences. The hours do need to be documented and you will need to work or volunteer at an approved facility, but, in some cases, your prior volunteer or paid work might be counted toward these practicum hours, if applicable.
- You Can Learn From Anywhere
While Sober College’s main campus is located in Los Angeles, we make earning your substance abuse certification online easy for people anywhere in the United States. Our curriculum has been approved by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) and the National Association for Addiction Professionals, which is known as the NAADAC.
Additionally, our training courses are IC&RC-approved, which is the origination responsible for providing certification exams for many types of addiction professionals, including a certified drug and alcohol counselor (CADC). This means our curriculum can be used by students in just about every state. The only exceptions include Alaska, Montana and North Dakota, but we can provide curriculum for all other states.
And, of course, because our program is online, all you need is a computer and an internet connection. This allows you complete flexibility. If you have to go on a work trip or are on vacation, you can continue your learning from wherever you might be.
- We Are Online Experts
We’ve been offering our program for substance abuse counselor certification online for many years, and our Moodle platform is user-friendly. While many colleges struggled with online learning during the pandemic, we already had our online system in place and perfected.
Moodle is an excellent system because it keeps all of your work organized, secure and visible to your instructor in real-time. This system also includes helpful time-management tools and interactive assignments, which caters to the varying needs of our students.
Your instructors can be reached 24/7 by email and they provide a 24-hour turnaround time (or less), and you can book phone appointments when needed. Moodle also includes a General Questions discussion forum where students can post questions and concerns and receive responses with 24 hours.
Four Steps To Your New Career
At Sober College, we provide education for substance abuse certification online for anyone wishing to become a CADC. CADCs are sometimes known by other names such as an ADC, which stands for Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Despite the different names, the educational requirements, training requirements and the basic job itself are the same for all of these addiction counselors. Here’s how the process works:
- Complete Your Educational Units
A CADC must complete 315 hours of approved education, which we can provide at Sober College of Addiction Studies.
- Complete Your Practicum Experiences
All CADC candidates must complete 255 hours of practicum experience at an approved facility.
- Pass The IC&RC Exam
While your curriculum provides you with the knowledge you need to pass the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam, we do offer prep test materials to help you prepare.
- Complete Your Work Experience Hours
Once you’ve completed your educational hours, practicum and passed your exam, it’s time to get some real-world experience. The number of hours that you must complete depends upon your CADC level.
A CADC-I must complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience or just 2,080 hours if they have an associate’s degree in behavioral science or another allied mental health profession.
A CADC-II must complete 6,000 hours of supervised work experience regardless of any earned college degrees, but you do not need more than a high school diploma or the equivalent to earn a CADC-II credential. A CADC-III must complete 4,000 hours, but that professional also must have earned a bachelor’s degree.
Keep in mind, that all of your practicum hours will count toward this number of supervised work experience hours. Additionally, these are paid work experience hours, so you will be earning a salary and handling all of the normal, day-to-day tasks that counselors managed, it simply means you will work under a supervisor.
Working as a substance abuse counselor can be an exciting, inspiring career and the need for addiction counselors continues to grow. If you are interested in earning your substance abuse counselor certification online, click on the Get Started tab on our homepage, which provides you with links to our online application as well as other helpful resources.
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