Certificate in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Addictions Counseling

Empower others to confront and overcome their addiction.

The Certificate in Addictions Counseling program is designed to provide convenient, high-quality specialized training for mental health providers who seek to offer services that work to meet the critical needs of the regional and national substance use crisis and enhance their requisite skills for work in addiction counseling.

The certificate program enables clinicians to better understand specialized issues related to addiction counseling, current treatment trends, and advocacy efforts, enhance communication with, and effectively support persons presenting with addiction treatment needs to support their recovery efforts more effectively. The program is open to those with a graduate degree in an allied mental health profession. The certificate program can be tailored to individual needs based on the courses offered below. All courses are consistent with CACREP accreditation requirements.

This program is NOT designed to lead to state licensure. This degree is offered by Antioch University's New England campus.

Program Overview

Enrollment in this certificate program begins with a review of prior graduate transcripts and professional goals outlined in the essay. As required in the essay, students must demonstrate knowledge about their state’s licensing board requirements and the courses needed. Depending on professional, educational, and clinical backgrounds, credit requirements will vary for enrolled certificate students (e.g., the certificate may be anywhere from 9-15 credits). Students will be enrolled based on current availability for the semester and provided with a certificate program plan outlining course and credit requirements upon admission.

Those needing more than 15 credits for licensure are encouraged to apply to the CMHC’s 60-credit hour CACREP accredited master’s Program. All Post-Master’s Certificate students completing more than 9 credits are required to complete the program’s orientation within or before the first semester, this is a 0 credit, 0 cost orientation that has vital information about the program.

While this certificate may provide the academic requirements for licensure, completing the certificate does not guarantee licensure. Graduates of this certificate program may still need to meet additional state requirements that include passing a licensure exam, background checks, completion of clinical supervision requirements, etc. Students will need to work with their state licensure board for specific requirements. 

Total Credits for the Addictions Counseling Certificate – 12 credits

Certificate Requirements

Curriculum

Plan of Study

Please choose four from the following credits – 12 credits 

Each course is three-semester credits and is offered in an online format.

• COUN-6122 Addictions Counseling (3)
• COUN-6262 Integrated Approaches to Addiction Counseling (3)
• COUN-6662 Family Counseling Approaches to Addictions (3)
• COUN-5632 Psychopharmacology (3)
• COUN-6132 Process Addictions (3)
• COUN-6142 Social Justice and Advocacy in Addiction Counseling (3)

Career Outlook

This certificate will educate and train students and practicing professionals in substance abuse counseling and prepare these persons for credentialing as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) and Master Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (MLADC), respectively. While this certificate will provide the academic requirements for licensure, graduates of this certificate program may still need to meet additional state requirements that include passing a licensure exam and the completion of their clinical supervision requirements.