Overview
This position is ideal for the type of person who wishes to make a difference in others' lives. Substance abuse counselors must be skilled at communicating and assessing client needs on an individual level. Recovery plans take into account age, education, family, and level of addiction, as well as factors like occupation and income.
And beyond that, sadly, this is a field that likely will remain in high demand. So, with the right education and a clear picture of the requirements ahead, you could be well on your way to a rewarding career in chemical dependency counseling.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) over 15,000 mental health counselors, 6,000 rehab counselors and 9,600 substance abuse counselors are actively employed in Pennsylvania. Average salaries range from $37k to $39k, slightly higher than the national average.
In many cases, substance abuse counselors will oversee the detox and rehab process, but they also provide ongoing care after treatment. Duties include evaluating the problem, leading group therapy sessions, teaching healthy coping mechanisms, and helping patients find jobs and get their career back on track.
What the actual job will look like depends heavily on your education and experience.
All substance abuse counselors can expect to assess clients' addictions and behaviors, as well as any other underlying mental health issues. From there, the counselor will develop a plan of action aimed at benefitting not only the client, but their family, friends, and employer.
Addiction counselors often work one-on-one with clients in a therapeutic setting. Here, they'll work to uncover the triggers or causes of alcoholism or drug abuse. Substance abuse counselors without a master’s degree will need to work under supervision, while those with an advanced degree may work on their own.
Pennsylvania Licensing & Certifications for Associates & Independent Counselors
Pennsylvania has four primary levels of certification. Each level has a different set of requirements they must meet, but the main difference lies in candidates’ education level and how many hours of supervised practice they must complete to earn their certificate.
Here is a look at the options:
Certified Associate Addiction Counselor (CAAC)
This addiction credential does not require a degree, is international in scope and reciprocal, and meets the state staffing requirements.
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
This counseling credential requires a bachelor's degree. Because the certification process is done in conjunction with the IC&RC, Pennsylvania substance abuse counselors earn an internationally-recognized certification.
Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC)
Candidates must have a Master's degree or higher to qualify for this credential, as well as pass the IC&RC exam.
Associate Addiction Counselor (AAC)
Available to newer addiction counselors wanting to begin the process of working toward full certification. This designation isn’t necessarily specific to the type of degree you’ve earned; rather, it’s a starting point for those looking to obtain any of the certs outlined above.
It’s worth pointing out that while there are opportunities at all levels, more doors will open for you depending on whether you’ve got an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree. The primary distinction is, your degree level will determine how many working hours you’ll need before you can become a certified chemical dependency counselor in the state of Pennsylvania.
- Associate’s degree: minimum 3,640 hours
- Bachelor’s degree: minimum 1,820 hours
- Master’s degree: practical course hours may meet the requirement, but this is decided on a case by case basis.
If your human service experience weren’t in an alcohol or drug abuse counseling environment, you'd be required to complete a training program to make up any differences. Many general counselors go on to obtain their substance abuse certification.
Education Requirements
Becoming a licensed advanced counselor in Pennsylvania means candidates must complete a master’s or doctoral program in counseling or behavioral sciences. Education must be completed at an accredited college or university.
The program should consist of 60 semester hours, spread out between topics like human growth and development, group work, career and lifestyle development, research and program evaluation and professional orientation.
As a point of reference, you can take a look at the 049 Pa. Code § 49.2. This document outlines the full range of subjects that make up an acceptable program. Additionally, you'll need 100 hours of practicum, as well as an internship of 600 or more hours.
Still, going through all these rungs of the educational system, but the Certified Associate Addiction Counselor (CAAC) level, again, you won’t need a bachelor’s degree. Still, you’ll need to meet some other criteria before you’re eligible to get out there in the field.
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) Licensing Credential
If you’re going in with a bachelor’s degree, you’ll likely explore getting your Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) credential.
- To earn the CADC credential, you'll need to have completed a bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university.
- You must also complete 300 hours of education specifically geared toward counseling and addiction. These educational requirements are similar to those linked to the CAAC certification.
- Additionally, the candidate must obtain 4,000 hours of work experience in substance abuse counseling. If you have a master's degree, the number of hours will be reduced.
- Candidates must pass the IC&RC exam.
Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC) Licensing Credential
To become a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC), you’ll need to have a master’s degree. Here’s a look at the requirements for this designation:
- A master’s degree, minimum, in a behavioral health field, with emphasis on counseling. Degrees must, of course, be earned at an accredited college or university.
- 24 credit hours of counseling related coursework—While the pennsylvania certification board doesn't specify the classes needed, they must be directly related to treatment services, behavioral assessments, and diagnostics. It's also worth pointing out that entry-level courses like psychology 101 don't count toward said coursework--you'll need hands-on experience in this particular field.
- Minimum of 3200 hours of supervised work, specifically in substance abuse counseling, completed in 24 months or less.
- 100 hours spent working under clinical supervision
- 1600 hours working directly with clients
- And finally, passing the exam.
Your degree must be in the mental health field--in counseling, general psychology, marriage and family studies, substance abuse, rehabilitation, or another related area. The other part of this is, your degree must be earned at a regionally accredited institution.
CACREP Accredited Online Certification
Two types of accreditation are recognized in the United States; institutional and specialized. Institutional accreditation takes the entire institution into account while the specialized focus on professional preparation programs. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is a specialized accreditation that focuses on master’s and doctoral degree programs in counseling at colleges and universities worldwide. Only already-accredited institutions are eligible for CACREP review. The review for accreditation will center on programs offering graduate degrees in counseling.
Choosing a CACREP-accredited program ensures that the program meets the highest of quality standards. Many counseling specialties are accredited bythe CACREP, including addiction counseling and alcohol and drug counseling. Accredited addiction counseling programs prepare individuals to work with those affected by addictive behavior and their families. Addictive behaviors include alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, sex, and anything else that negatively affects your personal or work life by creating addiction behaviors.
CACREP-accredited programs will focus on treatment models and the phases of addiction including prevention, recovery, and relapse prevention. These 60-semester hour programs will include the application of interventions. When students choose a CACREP-accredited program they can be confident that:
- the program meets or exceeds national standards
- the program will focus on professional counseling rather than psychology oreducation
- the program has an excellent reputation
- CACREP graduates statistically receive higher scores on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE).
- the requirements for licensure will be met.
Renewal and Continuing Education
The Pennsylvania Certification Board does require that alcohol and drug counselors take courses to stay up to date on the current best practices. What’s nice about the board’s site is, they’ve made it really easy for alcohol and drug counselors and candidates to sign up for courses, directly from the site.
Additionally, if you’d rather take a course at a another institution, you can check your desired classes in the Board’s database to see if it qualifies as continuing education.
Salary Expectations
Finally, if you’re considering this career path, know that you’ll truly need to be passionate about making a difference in the recovery community. This is difficult work and you might not always take home the biggest paycheck. Salaries, on average, stay within the $35k-$40k, but that’s accounting for those with an associate degree, bachelor’s, and master’s. Of course, you can improve your outcome (and desirability) by earning a master’s degree or higher.
With that in mind, Pennsylvania substance abuse counselors stand to make a big difference--helping clients through the recovery process, and the subsequent maintenance stages that will keep them moving forward in their lives.