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AllCEUs

Addiction Counselor Certificate Training

Since 2006 we have helped thousands of clinicians in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, South Africa and more become certified by NAADAC and IC&RC or licensed by their state board of alcohol and drug abuse counselors.

 

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Mental Health Professional Certificate Training

How Do I Become an Addiction Counselor and What are the Requirements?

With the increasing need for addiction treatment services, the demand for qualified professionals is at an all-time high.  In most states, you can get certified as an alcohol and drug counselor or recovery peer specialist with only a high school diploma and addiction-specific training.

AllCEUs offers training for a variety of different certifications ranging from peer specialists and behavioral health technicians to licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADC).

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Step 1 Determine what board in your state certifies or licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselors.

Many states have both certification and licensure boards.  Some states require a bachelors degree for licensure but not certification.  (See list below)

Step 2 Determine the requirements of your state to become licensed. 

Many states only require a high school diploma and 270-360 hours of addiction-specific training offered by a NAADAC or IC&RC approved addiction education provider. (See the list below)

Step 3: Find Affordable Training

Many organizations like Job Corps, goodwill, Catholic charities, Salvation Army, Tennessee job training programs online, and others offer workforce development courses and career readiness certificates to start a new career. Unfortunately, despite the high demand for substance abuse counselors and an amazing job outlook according to the Bureau of Labor statistics, most of them do not offer addiction counselor adult education training programs

At AllCEUs, careers begin here for people wanting to help end the opioid epidemic epidemic and participate in the American recovery initiative.  AllCEUs is a NAADAC and IC&RC approved education provider and offers the entire addiction counselor training program online.  With AllCEUs, you can complete your addiction-specific academic training and begin the paid internship for your new career in as little as ten weeks. Our $399 tuition is all-inclusive.  There are no books to buy. Tests and certificates are included. 

Step 4: Find a job at a treatment facility for your internship hours.

These entry level positions often have a title of specialist or technician, however, if you have already completed all of your academic training, you can often apply for licensed substance abuse counselor jobs as a prelicensed substance abuse counselor.  You will receive supervision on the job for your licensure hours.

Step 5: Take Your Exam

Once you have completed all of your training you will apply to take your licensure or certification exam. We know it has been a while since you started your initial training, so we offer an Addiction Counselor Exam Review with over 1200 questions and unlimited practice tests to help you prepare.   Even if you did not do your initial training with us, you can purchase access to the addiction counselor exam review.

 

 

List of states and links to substance abuse counselor certification and alcohol and drug abuse counselor licensure boards

  Alabama:

  Alaska:

  Arizona:

  Arkansas:

  California:

  Colorado:

  Connecticut:

  Delaware:

  Florida:

  Georgia:

  Hawaii:

  Idaho:

  • Licensing/Certification: Idaho Board of Alcohol/Drug Counselor Certification (IBADCC)
    https://ibadcc.org/

  Illinois:

  Indiana:

  • Certification: Indiana Counselors Association on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ICAADA)
    https://icaada.org/

  Iowa:

  Kansas:

  Kentucky:

  Louisiana:

  Maine:

  Maryland:

  • Certification: Maryland Addiction and Behavioral-health Professionals Certification Board (MABPCB)
    https://www.mabpcb.com/

  Massachusetts:

  Michigan:

  Minnesota:

  Mississippi:

  Missouri:

  Montana:

  Nebraska:

  Nevada:

  New Hampshire:

  New Jersey:

  New Mexico:

  New York:

  North Carolina:

  North Dakota:

  Ohio:

  Oklahoma:

  Oregon:

  Pennsylvania:

  Rhode Island:

  South Carolina:

  South Dakota:

  Tennessee:

  Texas:

  Utah:

  Vermont:

  Virginia:

  Washington:

  West Virginia:

  • Certification: West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction & Prevention Professionals (WVCBAPP)
    https://www.wvcbapp.org/

  Wisconsin:

  Wyoming:

 

Credentials that can be obtained without a bachelors degree in each state

  1. Alabama: Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC)
  2. Alaska: Chemical Dependency Counselor I (CDC I)
  3. Arizona: Licensed Substance Abuse Technician (LSAT)
  4. Arkansas:
    • Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
    • Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC)
  5. California:
    • Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor I (CADC I)
    • Certified Addictions Treatment Counselor (CATC)
    • Substance Use Disorder Certified Counselor (SUDCC)
  6. Colorado:
    • Certified Addiction Technician (CAT)
    • Certified Addiction Counselor I (CAC I)
  7. Connecticut: Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC)
  8. Delaware: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  9. Florida: Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC)
  10. Georgia: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor I (CADC-I)
  11. Hawaii: Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC)
  12. Idaho: Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselor (CADC)
  13. Illinois: Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC)
  14. Indiana: Certified Addiction Counselor I (CAC I)
  15. Iowa: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  16. Kansas: Addiction Counselor (AC)
  17. Kentucky:
    • Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
    • Registered Alcohol and Drug Peer Support Specialist (RADPSS)
  18. Louisiana: Registered Addiction Counselor (RAC)
  19. Maine: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  20. Maryland: Certified Supervised Counselor – Alcohol and Drug (CSC-AD)
  21. Massachusetts: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  22. Michigan: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  23. Minnesota: Alcohol and Drug Counselor Technician (ADCT)
  24. Mississippi: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  25. Missouri: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  26. Montana: Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC)
  27. Nebraska: Provisional Alcohol and Drug Counselor (PLADC)
  28. Nevada: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Intern (CADC-I)
  29. New Hampshire: Certified Recovery Support Worker (CRSW)
  30. New Jersey: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  31. New Mexico: Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (CADAC)
  32. New York: Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)
  33. North Carolina: Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC)
  34. North Dakota: Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC)
  35. Ohio: Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA)
  36. Oklahoma: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  37. Oregon: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor I (CADC I)
  38. Pennsylvania: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  39. Rhode Island: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  40. South Carolina: Certified Addiction Counselor I (CAC I)
  41. South Dakota: Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC)
  42. Tennessee: Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Level I (LADAC I)
  43. Texas: Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC)
  44. Utah: Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor (CSUDC)
  45. Vermont: Apprentice Addiction Professional (AAP)
  46. Virginia: Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC)
  47. Washington: Substance Use Disorder Professional Trainee (SUDPT)
  48. West Virginia: Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC)
  49. Wisconsin: Substance Abuse Counselor-In-Training (SAC-IT)
  50. Wyoming: Certified Addictions Practitioner Assistant (CAPA)

This list represents the entry-level credentials in each state that typically require a high school diploma or equivalent, along with addiction-specific training. Requirements may vary, and some states may have additional prerequisites or alternative pathways. Always verify current requirements directly with the state's licensing or certification board.

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Do I need a degree

No.  Anyone can take our courses.  Each state sets its own rules about what certifications and licenses you can get without a degree.

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Is there a high demand for this job

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a faster-than-average growth rate for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors. This means job security and numerous opportunities in various settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and private practices.  Do a search on Indeed or go to your local Career One Stop or American Jobs Center to discover how many open opportunities there are to be a substance abuse counselor.  (Example: So far each week in 2024 there have been over 130 jobs available, many with significant signing bonuses.)

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What does your program cover?

Our program covers all 8 practice domains and 12 core functions of addiction counseling including addiction theory, counseling techniques, documentation, treatment planning, group therapy, assessment and ethics. It is designed to meet the educational requirements for NAADAC and IC&RC certification

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How long have you been providing this training?

AllCEUs has trained over 3,000 people to become substance abuse counselors since 2007.

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Do I have to go to class?

Our multi-media courses are designed to be done when you want and where you want.  Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes “DocSnipes” is available via email and text for students 7 days a week.

Free Courses

Want to try us out?  You can take Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (2 Hours) for FREE! (Note: You can only take the course once.)