DLCAS Recommended 270 Hour Curriculum

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 - at least 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 270-hour 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 domains:

The additional hours above this 225 requirement can be taken in any domain in order to fulfill the 270 hour requirement.

The following is our recommended curriculum for 270 hours of training (actually 272 hours of training). 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. These courses have been designed to not only prepare you for with the information you'll need to become an effective counselor, but also to assist you in passing your written credentialing examination. 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 270 hours of training. In states where the educational requirement is higher, we will also recommend other coursework to add to this curriculum design. 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 Education Domain, followed by the Counseling Domain. 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 866 471-1742 for more details.

COURSE TITLE	HOURS
ASAM 101 - Basics on Understanding and Using ASAM Patient Placement Criteria, Revised Second Edition	3
Co-Occurring Disorders: The Prevalent Disorders	12
Counseling Functions: Screening & Patient Placement for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders	15
Counseling Functions: Treatment Planning and Documentation	10
Detoxification: Identification of Need and Therapeutic Interventions	6
Detoxification: Special Needs and Considerations	6
Diagnosing Substance Abuse and Dependence: Using the DSM Structure	10
HOURS - ASSESSMENT DOMAIN	62
Counseling Functions: Basic Counseling Information - Group Counseling Skills	12
Counseling Functions: Basic Counseling Information - Individual Counseling Skills	15
Counseling Functions: Crisis Intervention	3
Counseling Functions: Working with Families - Guidelines and Techniques	15
Creating Motivation for Change in Substance Abuse Treatment	15
Group Drug Counseling	6
Relapse Prevention Services	3
Understanding the Addictive Process	3
HOURS - COUNSELING DOMAIN	72
Counseling Functions: Case Management and Referral Services	12
Expanding the Role of the Clinical Supervisor in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling	9
Hepatitis C - Information for Counselors	3
HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases	3
Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling	15
Treating HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse	6
HOURS - CASE MANAGEMENT DOMAIN	48
Alcohol the Chemical	3
Basic Pharmacology	15
Diagnosing and Treating Co-dependence	6
Minnesota Model, The	6
Sexuality and Intimacy in the Recovery Process	3
Substance Abuse Treatment and Domestic Violence - Batterers	3
The Science of Addiction: Drugs and the Brain	3
Twelve Step Experience - A Course for Professionals, The	6
HOURS - EDUCATION DOMAIN	45
Basic Ethics for Addiction Professionals	12
Chemical Dependency and Asian/Pacific Islanders Part 1	3
Chemical Dependency and the African-American Part 1	3
Chemical Dependency and the Hispanic/Latino - The Population	3
Confidentiality Requirements for AOD Professionals	9
Counseling Alcohol and Drug Dependent Men - Insights and Interventions	3
Counseling the Chemically Dependent Woman	3
Multicultural Counseling -The New Paradigm for Substance Abuse Professionals	3
Substance Abuse and Disability Part 1	3
Substance Abuse and Older Adults Part 1	3
HOURS - PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY DOMAIN	45

TOTAL CURRICULUM HOURS:	272