Top Substance Abuse and Addictions Counseling Certificates

ECC's human services-substance abuse counseling certification trains students to become addiction recovery counselors. Graduates with certification qualify to assist people through private practice or in substance abuse treatment centers. Experienced instructors in the human services field teach the curriculum.

Students learn to conduct systemic analyses of service needs and understand the interaction between human systems, from the individual to societal. Participants also examine their own values, personalities, reaction patterns, and limitations, to better understand how they might interact with clients struggling with addiction and recovery issues. The program also includes field seminars for hands-on experience.

Courses Include

• Issues in Human Services
• Introduction to Group Processes
• Basic Substance Abuse Pharmacology
• Special Populations
• Intro to Psychology

Unique Features

• Cost: $132-$396 per credit depending on location and format (online vs. on campus)
• Credits Required: 38 credits
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Additional accreditation is through the Illinois Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse Counselor Certification Board (IAODAPCA), the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC), and the Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE).

Taught through the Alexandria campus, NOVA's substance abuse rehabilitation counselor certificate prepares enrollees to assist clients through the process of rehabilitation and recovery from substance abuse disorders.

The curriculum introduces students to substance abuse and its relationship to quality of life. Coursework focuses on the history of alcohol use, the concept of chemical dependency as a disease, and research efforts tied to genetic determinants. The program also teaches students how to encourage addicts to get help and understand the processes behind successful interventions.

The program includes an internship with supervised didactic and experiential learning. Coursework also fulfills the Virginia state educational requirements for substance abuse counselor certification.

Courses Include

• Basic Counseling Skills
• Developmental Psychology
• Group Dynamics
• Effects of Psychoactive Drugs
• Case Management and Substance Abuse

Unique Features

• Cost: $180 per credit (in-state) / $360 per credit (out-of-state)
• Credits Required: 37 credits
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Situated in the far west Chicago suburbs, WCC's addictions counseling certificate of achievement prepares individuals for employment as alcohol and other drug abuse (AODA) counselors. The curriculum provides education and field training for those interested in serving those with substance abuse disorders and struggling with psychoactive substances. Students with prior and/or additional education may complete this program to become AODA counselors.

The curriculum qualifies students to sit for the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) exam. Both classroom instruction and course-related field experience may also be applied toward WCC's associate in applied science degree in human services.

Courses Include

• Survey of Human Services
• Group Dynamics
• Psychopharmacology and the Addictive Process
• Clinical Skills for Addiction Counselors
• Crisis Intervention

Unique Features

• Cost: $4,020 for full program (in-state) / $10,719 (out-of-state)
• Credits Required: 33 credits
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Programmatic accreditation is through the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association (IAODAPCA)

Based in Toms River, OCC offers a certificate of completion in addictions counseling that helps students become credentialed as a certified alcohol and drug counselor in New Jersey. Emphasizing ethics and legal conduct, the program prepares students to meet the psychological and physiological challenges involved with treating addiction disorders.

The State of New Jersey Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiner's Alcohol and Drug Counseling Committee and Addictions Professional Certification Board of New Jersey approved the specialized courses for the required 270 education hours.

The curriculum trains students to treat substance abuse disorders and provide resources and support to all stakeholders involved. Participants also learn the importance of documentation and ethical aspects of addiction counseling, as well as legal conduct. Graduates can work in positions as counselor interns in community treatment settings.

Courses Include

• General Psychology
• Addictions Disorders and Recovery Supports
• Addiction Counseling Skills
• Addiction Counseling Methodology
• Assessing Addictive Disorders

Unique Features

• Cost: $175 per credit (in-county) / $193 per credit (out-of-county) / $270 per credit (in-state)
• Credits Required: 24 credits
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

The mental health, substance abuse counseling, level 2 certificate offered through San Jac prepares students to provide specialized services to individuals and families experiencing the impact of substance abuse. Graduates from the Texas school's program learn to identify and administer assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of those struggling with substance abuse disorders.

All students take part in a required internship/capstone experience within a substance abuse facility where they apply their learnings to real-world scenarios. Students come away from the program with the skills and ethics to work in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, research facilities, pain management clinics, and counseling centers.

The program includes 4,000 hours of paid work experience, meeting the educational and employment requirements needed for graduates to become licensed chemical dependency counselors.

Courses Include

• Introduction to Social Work
• Pharmacology of Addiction
• Ethics for Social Service Professionals
• Addicted Family Intervention
• Behavior Modification with Cognitive Disorder

Unique Features

• Cost: $78 per credit (in-district) / $135 per credit (out-of-district) / $210 per credit (out-of-state)
• Credits Required: 33 credits
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)