In order to obtain the Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
Associate (CADCA) credential through CAADAC, credentialing
candidates need to accomplish the following:
For many, this is the entry point to the drug/alcohol profession,
though there are options. According to CAADAC's website (
www.CAADAC.org),
here are the various steps that are available (along with some of
my own comments):
Registered Student (RS)
- Enrolled in alcohol and drug studies program
- Sign a Code of Ethics / Submit appropriate fees
(This credential is not required, but many programs do hire
counselors-in-training who are registered and thus have shown they
are actively taking coursework towards credentialing.)
Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor Associate (CADCA) - Outlined
above
(The normal starting point for many individuals.)
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor-I (CADC-I)
- Meet all requirements of a CADCA
- Provide documentation of 4,000 hours or two (2) years
full-time supervised work experience
- Pass ICRC Case Presentation Method of Oral Review Examination
- Submit appropriate fees.
(Many students have already been working in the field for some
time without credentialing and as such, already are able to
document a substantial number of hours. If you have 4,000 hours
of documentable work experience, you may be able to apply for this
credential and NOT need to obtain the CADCA first.)
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor-II (CADC-II)
- Meet all requirements of CADC-I
- Provide documentation of 6,000 hours or three (3) years
full-time supervised work experience (supervised by at least a
CADC-II)
- Submit appropriate fees.
(Again, if you have been working in the field for more than three
years without a credential, you may be able to apply directly for
this level of credentialing.)
The vast majority of students will be in pursuit of the CADCA
credential. That means that once you've wrapped up your 270 hours
or more of basic education, the biggest need that yet remains is the
45-hour practicum course. So,
beginning on December 1, 2009, we will start sign-ups for this new
course offering that will fulfill the 45-hour practicum
requirement. Here's how it will work:
Unlike our other coursework, this course will be both GUIDED and
PACED - in other words, you will be working under specific, set
assignments on a weekly basis, requiring you to log on to an
electronic classroom to obtain each week's assignment. This
site will be proctored by an instructor who will be available to
answer questions, provide further guidance, and track your
progress though both your readings, course assignments, tests
(yes - like our other coursework you will be doing a test of
your knowledge - this time in the form of a mid-term and final
exam), and your onsite hours. While you will be supervised
directly by your worksite, we will require periodic reporting of
your efforts and achievements in order to insure that you are
successful in completing a minimum of 255 hours on-the-job.
There will be some built-in flexibility to account for holidays,
vacations, sick-time, etc., and to give you ample time to log
your 255 hours. What this means is that you will have 20 weeks
to complete 15 weeks of assignments! This was a major concern
by many, especially those gathering hours in a part-time basis
rather than having the opportunity of doing this full-time.
Two texts will be required for the course - one that you can
download from the internet, the other that you must buy from any
book vendor. The first is "TAP 21: Addiction Counseling
Competencies - The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of
Professional Practice," and can be downloaded at this location:
http://www.nattc.org/resPubs/tap21/TAP21.pdf. The other is a
book by Corey and Corey, "Becoming a Helper." We will be
working out of the
fourth edition of this text in order
to make it more affordable for students. You can find copies at
a variety of locations, including eBay and Amazon.com. Try
using this link to Amazon.com -
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Helper-InfoTrac-Marianne-Schneider/dp/0534356141.
There were a large number of both new and used copies of this
book at some very reasonable prices. Plan on obtaining both
texts as soon as you can - you will need them to begin the
class.
Once a student has signed in for 15 class sessions, completed
all assignments, passed both the mid-term and final, and
documented at least 255 hours onsite, they will receive a
certificate of completion for the 45-hour class. This class
will then also appear on the official transcript that you'll be
submitting to CAADAC with your portfolio.
This course is a flexible-entry course - you can begin at any time
once we have you registered AND once you have submitted your site
verification form to us (you can download this form at the
following website:
Practicum Site Approval Form). The cost of this course is $440, but if you
are already using a student discount, you can use that discount
code to reduce your cost. The course will be open to DLCAS.com
students AND to any others working on their hours but unable to
find a course locally to fulfill this requirement.
You can sign up at any time and start at any time, but you WILL
NOT be able to begin the classroom portion of the course until you
have located your practicum site and submitted your practicum site
verification form to DLCAS.com. Finding a site will be your task
- each student is responsible for locating a treatment program or
agency where they can complete their practicum.
Finding a practicum is much like the job application process -
indeed, some students will find positions in the field that will
serve as their full-time job as well as their practicum/work
experience site. Others may be volunteering their time in order
to obtain the necessary training and experience.
Treatment sites vary in types of clients, therapy approaches,
supervisors, student requirements, application deadlines and
starting dates. The agencies also vary in terms of their
application process-most will require a personal interview.
Students should familiarize themselves with various agencies and
apply to programs which fulfill their training needs and career
goals. Students may not have placements in agencies where they
would have a supervisory (administrative or clinical) relationship
with a friend, relative or former employer.
Students should begin their practicum search as soon as possible.
Many agencies can and do hire interns or "counselors-in-training"
and are fully prepared to assist those seeking training in
obtaining the experiential knowledge that counselors require.
However, such positions my be limited and may not be available in
all treatment settings, so don't rule out volunteer positions if
you find them.
Once verification is received (the form you need will be provided
to you once you register for the course) we'll send you
instructions and the link for the online classroom, and you'll
begin that part of the work. Then, over the course of 20 weeks,
you'll receive instruction on becoming a counselor; what the
general knowledge, skills, and attitudes are for professionals in
the field; and complete assignments that will help prepare you to
become a professional in the field AND for the required testing
that comes as you advance towards you California credential
(you'll take a written and oral exam that are administered by
CAADAC and have been developed by the International Certification
and Reciprocity Consortium).
