Cheap On;ine Addictions Counselor program?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by warguns, Dec 8, 2015.

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  1. warguns

    warguns Member

    Also know as Drug and Alcohol Counselor certificate program

    Penn Foster had a program but I don't see it currently listed
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'm not clear on which level you're seeking. A cert program doesn't necessarily even require a Bachelors degree but there are also post Bachelors certs and post Masters certs.
     
  3. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Before you enroll in any program, make sure it meets the credentialing requirements for your state. Regional accreditation is a good step, but there are a large number of state approved certificate programs not offered by accredited colleges and universities. On the flip side, just because a program is offered by a college or university, that doesn't necessarily mean it is licensure qualifying in your state.

    That said, California Southern has a grad cert in Addictions counseling.

    City Vision College (DEAC) also has a certificate.

    But if your goal is to be credentialed, then this is a bad way to shop for programs. Many states just have a list of approved programs or, at a minimum, their requirements to accept a program. Get those requirements and then look for programs that match. Finding a whole bunch of programs and trying to whittle it down is just a waste of time.
     
  4. graymatter

    graymatter Member

    Of the addictions counseling programs that I'm associated with, this is one of them:
    Substance Abuse Counseling | Ohio Christian University
     
  5. warguns

    warguns Member

    cleap addction counseling cert

    Thanks for responding. I'm looking for an independent certificate. I already have a degree or two.
     
  6. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  7. warguns

    warguns Member

    I'm the OP. I apologize for being unclear. By an "independent certificate", I mean one that is not part of a degree.

    Also, I'm looking for a program that meets the California requirements.
     
  8. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Will I really surprise you if I tell you that California is a bit "weird" about some of their requirements? This isn't specific to the topic at hand.

    Anyway, California actually recognizes three separate boards for Addictions Counseling:

    Addiction Counselor Certification Board of California
    Affiliated with California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators (CAADE)
    Accredited Program – Certified Addiction Treatment Counselor / expires – 9/30/17
    caade.org

    California Association of DUI Treatment Programs (CADTP)
    Accredited Program – Certified Alcohol & Other Drug Counselor / expires 8/31/18
    California Association of DUI Treatment Programs | CADTP

    California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP)
    Accredited Program - expires 4/30/17
    www.ccapp.us

    Each one is going to have different requirements.

    For everyone's convenience I've summarized a few relevant snippets, but ultimately you need to decide which path you wish to take:

    CAADE
    Their list of accredited programs is here. They don't appear to accredit any certificate program all of their licensure programs are degree based.

    For CADTP, their entry level certification is Alcohol/Other Drug Counselor (CAODC) and the requirements are:

    They do not appear to accredit schools or programs (except for Continuing Education) so your certificate might conceivably work if it meets the classroom hour requirements.

    CCAPP has a number of certification tiers. The lowest is Registered Alcohol Drug Technician I which appears pretty easy to obtain since it is a trainee level:

    The next tier up is also a trainee level certification:

    To get to the baseline counselor certification (Certified Addiction Specialist) you need:

    CCAPP accredited a large number of programs. The most obvious certificate program that they accredit (which is available by DL), however, is California Southern's Certificate in Addiction Studies. Their website does NOT indicate that the Certificate in Chemical Dependency and Alcoholism is approved for certification but that could be some poor webmastering. If you are considering that program I would check with California Southern and CCAPP first.

    Other CCAPP Accredited programs (not offered by accredited colleges or universities) include:

    This one or any other school appearing as "Valid" on this list. You may note that Penn Foster was previously accredited but it appears they discontinued the program. Still, there appear to be a number of web based options out there for you.

    This is somewhat weird because California is recognizing three separate certification bodies which appear to all qualify an individual to work in a licensed treatment facility. Normally a state picks one path so it's a bit of a more complicated situation.

    When I earned my credential in PA it was also a bit more straight forward. Much like the above, I was hired with minimal training as a "Trainee" and my work experience met one of the requirements to be fully credentialed. And since there was only one credential with only one list of approved providers it made life a lot easier.

    In any case, sorry for the lengthy and somewhat complex response but the reality is that I can probably show you all sorts of programs in New York that would likely not help you achieve your goal.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 9, 2015

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