If you are seeking a new career as a substance abuse counselor, you will need to complete several different types of training. At Sober College School of Addiction Studies, we can help with some of that training, as well as giving you a general idea of what to expect during the substance abuse training process.
Step One: Become A RADT
If you live in California, many people dive into substance abuse training by becoming a Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician, or RADT. You don’t have to become a RADT to become a certified alcohol and drug counselor (CADC), but it can provide you with a glimpse of what a career as a certified counselor might look like.
Becoming a RADT is a fairly easy process. You must complete a nine-hour orientation course, complete the RADT application, sign code of conduct documents, provide a copy of your driver’s license and pay a $40 fee. Basically, a RADT is an entry-level person who works at a licensed drug and alcohol counseling facility. This is simply a stepping stone toward becoming a CADC, and, again, this is only a job position available in California so if you live in another state, simply skip to step two or see if your state has a similar type of job position.
Step Two: Complete Your Educational Units
As we stated before, you don’t have to be a RADT to become a certified substance abuse counselor, so for many people, our “Step Two,” will actually serve as your first step. To become a CADC, you must complete 315 hours of “approved” education. This education must be approved by your state credentialing board or the NAADAC, which is a national association for addiction professionals.
At Sober College, our curriculum is NAADAC-approved, as well as approved by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP). The CCAPP is California’s credentialing organization. If your educational units are not provided by an approved education provider, you will not be able to earn your CADC credential.
As stated before, you must complete 315 hours of education as part of your substance abuse training. This includes 60 hours of coursework and 255 hours of practicum, which we will detail below. Our 60 hours of coursework includes the following six classes (The SCSAS simply stands for Sober College School of Addiction Studies):
- SCSAS 101: Introduction and Overview of Drug and Alcohol Addiction
- SCSAS 102: Physiology and Pharmacology of Alcohol and Other Drugs
- SCSAS 103: Law and Ethics
- SCSAS 104: Case Management
- SCSAS 105: Individual, Group, and Family Counseling
- SCSAS 106: Personal and Professional Growth
Step Three: Practicum Experiences
In ordered to become a certified addiction counselor, you need to complete 255 hours of field practicum experiences and this is a crucial part of your substance abuse training. This will be completed either in an in-patient or out-patient facility. At Sober College, we can help you find suitable practicum experiences, and your practicum is listed as courses SCSAS 107: Supervised Practicum and SCSAS 108: Supervised Fieldwork Practicum.
The practicum experience is a bit like an internship. However, during your first practicum experience (SCSAS 107), you mostly will just be observing and taking notes and getting a feel for what a CADC does throughout their day. The second practicum (SCSAS 108) will be a bit more involved and works more like a standard internship. Your responsibilities will be limited, but you will gain some valuable experience and truly learn what it means to be a CADC.
Step Four: IC&RC Exams
IC&RC stands for the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium. This is simply a globally recognized organization that provides testing for those seeking careers as addiction professionals. Your curriculum needs to be NAADAC-approved as well as IC&RC-approved to ensure that you possess the knowledge needed to pass the IC&RC exam.
The IC&RC offers several different international exams, including:
- Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC)
- Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC)
- Clinical Supervisor (CS)
- Prevention Specialist (PS)
- Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP)
- Peer Recovery (PR)
Our curriculum helps prepare you for the first of these exams, the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam. This is the exam needed to become a CADC-I, CADC-II or CADC-III. In addition to provided quality coursework, we also can provide you with IC&RC test prep materials.
Step Five: Supervised Work Experience
To become any level of CADC, substance abuse training must include a set number of supervised work experience hours. All 255 of your practicum hours will be counted toward your supervised work experience hours, and the remainder of the hours will be paid work experience. You earn a salary, but you simply work with supervision until you earn your credential.
In order to become a CADC-I, you will need to complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience, unless you have an associate’s degree in behavioral science or an allied mental health profession. If you have this degree, you only need to complete 2,080 hours of supervised work experience.
A CADC-II must complete 6,000 hours of supervised work experience regardless of their educational experience. A CADC-III only needs to complete 4,000 hours of supervised work experience; however, you cannot become a CADC-III unless you have a bachelor’s degree. You can become a CADC-I or CADC-II without any degree and just a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Many people are daunted by the many hours of work experience needed to become certified but keep in mind, this is paid work. Basically, you will be handling all of the same tasks that you would as a certified counselor, you simply work under a supervisor.
Step Six: Continuing Education
While earning your credential is a huge accomplishment, it is important to note that this credential does expire every two years, and you will need additional substance abuse training. To renew your credential, you will need to complete a set amount of continuing education units (CEUs). These units must be approved by your state’s credentialing organization, such as CCAPP.
In some cases, you might take an online class or a class at a local college for your CEUs. However, there are also conventions and workshops for addiction professionals where you may be able to earn units, as well. While these have been on hold during the pandemic, they will likely start up again in the near future.
Get Started Today!
At Sober College, we make it easier for you to complete your educational requirements for your substance abuse certificate. In fact, with our online program, you can complete your coursework in just six months. We offer rolling admissions so you can start our program at any time.
In addition to our regular online substance abuse training, we also offer a self-paced online program. With this program, you can complete the coursework in as little as three months or take up to 18 months to continue your training, if needed. To enroll or learn more about our program, head to our homepage and click on the Get Started tab, which provides you with contact information and a link to Sober College’s application.
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