Addiction counselors are professional counselors who provide individual counseling, group counseling, and educational services to individuals and families experiencing the effects of alcohol- and drug-abuse addictions.
The curriculum provides the theory, skills, and knowledge necessary for a career in the field of chemical dependency counseling. This program will prepare students to work in human services, mental health, and addiction counseling settings.
The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Mental Health Services prepares students for credentialing as Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors (LCDCs) and to sit for that competency-based exam. The Prevention Specialist Certificate exceeds state-mandated education requirements for credentialing as a Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) and prepares students to sit for a competency-based exam for that credential.
In order to sit for the LCDC exam, students must have a minimum of a two-year degree and at least 270 contact hours (6 courses in alcohol and drug abuse counseling or related courses of 3 credit hours each). In addition, candidates for licensure must have completed at least 300 hours of supervised fieldwork in approved cooperative education, clinical or practicum course. The candidate for licensure must also have 4000 hours of experience in substance abuse counseling prior to sitting for the exam. The student is responsible for the 4000 hours of fieldwork. The Certificate of Completion in Substance Abuse Prevention consists of 6 DAAC courses, 2 specific prevention courses, plus a 120-hour supervised cooperative education class. After the cooperative education class, the student is a candidate for the Certified Prevention Specialist credentialing exam.