DLCAS Recommended Curriculum for Students in California

In California, the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors offers a variety of credentials for professionals who work with the chemically dependent population. Their primary entry-level is the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Associate (CADCA), followed by the credentials Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor-I (CADC-I) and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor-II (CADC-II). Most individuals will begin with the CADCA credential, then upgrade to CADC-I and CADC-II once they have work experience in the field (4,000 for CADC-I and 6,000 for CADC-II). Some individuals who have been working in the field without credentialing may be able to apply directly for the CADC-I or CADC-II credential and by-pass CADCA. Regardless of the credential, the minimum educational requirement needed for any of these credentials is 315 hours - a minimum of 270 hours of drug/alcohol education, and a 45-hour practicum course that also includes 255 hours of supervised work experience in the core functions of counseling.

In cooperation with CAADAC, DLCAS.com has devised a basic curriculum to fulfill this basic educational requirement. It has been structured to cover CAADAC's requirements that a minimum of 45 hours be taken in each of the following academic content areas:

The following is our recommended curriculum to fulfill these basic requirements. It does NOT include the 45-hour practicum course that is also required - that will be available to you once you have completed the basic training hours. And yes - we know that this curriculum is more than the minimum 270 hours of training that is required. We have designed this curriculum to meet the hours required, but also for two additional considerations:

When registering for coursework, our staff will work with you to make course recommendations should you already have some training hours and do not need an entire curriculum as outlined below. For a printable copy of this curriculum, CLICK HERE.

One questions we get more than others - is there an order that I should follow when taking these courses? While our coursework is both self-guided and self-paced, there are some recommendations we do make as you start this curriculum. First, start with the course "Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling." This is an excellent course to start you on your path as it provides a broad overview to many key issues and elements of the drug/alcohol counseling profession. Once done, you should consider taking "Basic Pharmacology." Again - this sets the stage with information about the various drugs of abuse that we deal with in the field, covers information about each category of drugs, dependency issues, detoxification needs, etc. After that, consider working through the courses in the Physiology and Pharmacology area, followed by the Individual, Group, and Family Counseling area. After that, you can pick and choose the course titles that you'd like to work through on your way to completing this curriculum.

We also offer discounts for multiple courses/hours of training. Contact our business office at 866 431-4240 for more details.

ACADEMIC CONTENT AREA: Introduction and Overview
Individual Courses
Understanding the Addictive Process	3
Sexuality and Intimacy in the Recovery Process	3
Substance Abuse Treatment and Domestic Violence – Batterers	3
The Twelve Step Experience - A Course for Professionals	6
HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases	3
Substance Abuse and the Asian/Pacific Islander: The Population and the Problem	3
Chemical Dependency and the African American: Counseling Strategies and Community Issues	3
Chemical Dependency and the Hispanic/Latino - The Population	3
Counseling Alcohol and Drug Dependent Men - Insights and Interventions	3
Counseling the Chemically Dependent Woman	3
Substance Abuse and Disability – Overview and Identification	3
Substance Abuse and Older Adults – The Population and the Problem	3
The Minnesota Model	6
TOTAL HOURS FOR CONTENT AREA:	45
ACADEMIC CONTENT AREA: Physiology and Pharmacology of Alcohol and Other Drugs
Individual Courses
Detoxification: Identification of Need and Therapeutic Interventions	6
Detoxification: Special Needs and Considerations	6
Alcohol the Chemical	3
Basic Pharmacology	15
The Science of Addiction: Drugs and the Brain	3
The Science of Addiction: Basic Pharmacology	6
The Science of Addiction: The Terminology of Addiction	3
The Science of Addiction: Dependence Disease Treatment	3
TOTAL HOURS FOR CONTENT AREA:	45
ACADEMIC CONTENT AREA: Law and Ethics
Individual Courses
Counseling Functions: Screening & Patient Placement for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders	15
Counseling Functions: Crisis Intervention	3
Basic Ethics for Addiction Professionals	12
Confidentiality Requirements for AOD Professionals	9
ASAM 101 - Basics on Understanding and Using ASAM Patient Placement Criteria, Revised Second Edition	3
Diagnosing Substance Abuse and Dependence: Using the DSM Structure	10
TOTAL HOURS FOR CONTENT AREA:	52
ACADEMIC CONTENT AREA: Case Management: Assessment, Orientation, Treatment Planning and Relapse Prevention/Aftercare Planning
Individual Courses
Counseling Functions: Treatment Planning and Documentation	10
Creating Motivation for Change in Substance Abuse Treatment	15
Relapse Prevention Services	3
Counseling Functions: Case Management and Referral Services	12
Hepatitis C - Information for Counselors	3
Co-occurring Disorders: The Prevalent Disorders	12
TOTAL HOURS FOR CONTENT AREA:	55
ACADEMIC CONTENT AREA: Individual, Group and Family Counseling
Individual Courses
Counseling Functions: Basic Counseling Information - Group Counseling Skills	12
Counseling Functions: Basic Counseling Information - Individual Counseling Skills	15
Counseling Functions: Working with Families - Guidelines and Techniques	15
Group Drug Counseling	6
TOTAL HOURS FOR CONTENT AREA:	48
ACADEMIC CONTENT AREA: Personal and Professional Growth
Individual Courses
Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling	15
Ethical Issues in the Prevention and Treatment of Addiction: Personal and Professional Conduct	6
Ethical Issues in the Prevention and Treatment of Addiction: Conduct to Professional Peer Relationships	3
Human Development: Perspectives on Addiction and Recovery	12
Adolescent Development	3
Core Anger Management Skills for the Substance Abuse Professional	4
The Science of Addiction: Research	3
TOTAL HOURS FOR CONTENT AREA:	46
TOTAL CURRICULUM HOURS	291