How to Become a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor

You must be sober for at least two years to become certified as a substance abuse counselor.

If you are a recovering addict or someone who is interested in helping people with drug and alcohol counseling, becoming a certified substance abuse counselor may be for you. Substance abuse counselors work in detoxifying clinics and counseling treatment programs. They help people reach their goals of becoming sober and reentering the world. If you are a recovering addict, many states require that you be sober for two years before becoming a substance abuse counselor.

Instructions

1. Find your state guidelines. Each state is different in their certification practices. Some states call this certification a Licensed Addiction Counselor and others call it a Certified Addiction Counselor. Your state requirements will also determine how many credits you need to obtain for licensing.

2. Go through a training program. Many training programs are available to aid in the process of substance abuse counselor certification. If you are already a licensed counselor, some classes such as ethics may not be necessary for you to take.

3. Obtain supervised substance abuse hours. Find a supervisor who already has her substance abuse certification. The best way to do this is to obtain employment or volunteer at a substance abuse agency.

4. Get a provisional license. You receive this after you have completed your training program. Apply through your state's website. Once you obtain this, you will need to continue obtaining supervised hours to get your full license.

5. Take the certification test. You can take this through the National Certification Commission. This is a written test.

6. Apply for the full license. Once you have passed the test and completed up to 6,000 supervised hours (depending on the state), you can apply for your full license. Fill out the application without any errors, otherwise it will be sent back to you.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to keep the same supervisor for all of your hours. This will make it easier when applying for your full license.

References

• Degree Directory: Addiction Counseling
• National Certification Commission: Certification
• Degree Finder: Become a Drug and Alcohol Counselor

Resources

• All Psychology Schools: Substance Abuse Counselor Careers