Substance abuse counselors must be dedicated to helping people. These counselors sometimes present workshops intended to prevent addictive behaviors and help people cope with loved ones struggling with addiction. These presentations require good organization and communication abilities. Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Community College indicates successful students welcome challenges and understand the need for commitment to the educational program and subsequent job. Graduates need to be prepared to work with client in crisis situations.
Associates of Arts (AA) degrees in substance abuse counseling require approximately 60 credits to complete, about half of those in general education courses. These include college composition, math, social studies, arts and humanities, laboratory science and physical education. Students can choose courses within some of these categories such as either financial math or college algebra. General education courses allow students to transfer the AA degree if they later decide to pursue a bachelor's degree.
Within the substance abuse counseling major, required courses include assessment, treatment planning, counseling practice, case management, individual therapy, family and community counseling, professional readiness and responsibility, pharmacology of addiction, multicultural counseling, family intervention, current issues in counseling and special topics in alcohol and substance abuse counseling. Programs generally culminate with a practicum or other type of clinical experience to allow students to apply the knowledge and skills learned under the direct supervision of a trained professional counselor.
Completion of the associate degree, including the practicum component, may lead to certification or licensure as a substance abuse counselor. For instance, graduates of the program from Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Community College in Hayward, Wisconsin, can receive the Alcohol and Drug Counselor credential from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium upon passing the organization's exam. Completion of the program at Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas, allows students to apply for Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor status from the state.