Substance Abuse Counseling Certificate - Chicago Campus

Program Overview

The Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling is designed to provide education and training in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of alcohol and other drug abuse (AODA) disorders. Specifically, the coursework provides education in the theories, techniques, and core functions of substance abuse counseling, focusing on evidence-based research and best-practice standards. This, combined with the specialized practicum supervision and experience for entry-level practice in AODA or mentally ill substance abuser (MISA) clinical programs, provides advanced alcohol and other drug abuse counselor training.

Credentials

This certificate program is accredited as an Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor Training Program by the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc. (IAODAPCA). This certification process is based on the Illinois Model for Certification of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselors.

This certificate program can be taken as part of the student’s graduate studies at either the master’s or doctoral level. The 500-hour practicum in substance abuse counseling is taken as an advanced clinical practicum.

Students may elect to take only the substance abuse counseling courses without the practicum as an emphasis. In this case, they are ineligible to sit for the IAODAPCA, Inc., certification examination for Illinois.

Non-degree-seeking students already with a counseling, social work, or psychology bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree can enroll in the program for a Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling. The certificate is awarded after completion of the required coursework and the 500-hour practicum.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants to this program are required to have:

A baccalaureate or higher degree earned from a college or university regionally accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or an equivalent degree from an international college or university.
A minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate and graduate coursework. Exceptions may be made for applicants who demonstrate improved academic performance or academic ability in other ways.
Students who are currently enrolled in Adler degree programs will be exempted from the interview process. However, approval from their respective Program Directors and Faculty Advisors will be needed in order for them to add the CSAC program to their current program of study.
Applicants who solely want to enroll in the CSAC program and are not seeking any degree program will be invited in for a personal interview, if approved, as the final step in the application process.

Completion Requirements

Satisfactory completion of all required credit hours of program coursework
Satisfactory completion of all practicum and seminars
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher of all coursework
Submission of completed Graduation Application and full payment of all outstanding tuition and fees

Course Requirements

The Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling requires the following 12 credits of coursework:

*Courses denoted with an asterisk are substance abuse counseling practicum prerequisites, which students need to complete prior to their substance abuse counseling practicum. Students are required to attain a grade of B or higher in these courses. Students will need to retake the courses with a B- or lower grade prior to, or concurrently with, their practicum and attain the required passing grade.

One of the Following:

PCO 438 - Introduction to Addictive Disorders *
MAT 520 - Introduction to Addictive Disorders Credits: 3 *
COUN 630 - Addiction Counseling *
PSY 709 - Diagnosis and Treatment of Addictive Disorders *
MCFT 538 - Addictions and Family Systems *

And One of the Following:

Specialized Practicum for Substance Abuse Certificate

In addition to the specialized coursework, students pursuing the Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling will acquire and develop practical skills in the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) core functions through specialized field placements.

Students should expect to spend from 10 to 20 hours per week at a MISA/AODA-approved practicum site and mustconcurrently enroll in two semesters of practicum and seminars during their field training. A minimum of 500 total clockhours of practicum is required.

The Coordinator of the Substance Abuse Counseling Program and the Director of Training work in collaboration withcertificate students to identify clinical experiences that will meet the required training hours and experiences.

Students who are currently enrolled in a degree program at Adler and are already placed into a MISA/AODA-approvedclinical training site may apply their hours to this certification program, depending on the approval of the ProgramCoordinator and the Training Director. Students who are currently enrolled in a degree program at Adler and in practicum/internship and are not placed into a MISA/AODA-approved clinical training site may not apply their hours to thiscertification program. They will need to enroll in the Substance Abused Counseling Practicum and Seminars listed below andattain additional required practicum hours.