Addiction Counseling Certificate

School: Business and Professional Careers
Academic Dept: Professional Careers
HEGIS: 5506

Important Note about Program Requirements

The requirements listed below are for students entering into this program from Fall 2022 to Summer 2023. Students who entered the program during a prior semester will find their specific requirements listed in the Catalog under which they entered. Archived Catalogs are accessible through the dropdown menu above.

Program Description

The Certificate in Addiction Counseling provides all 350 alcohol and drug-specific class hours needed to apply for the CASAC (Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor). It also provides 320 of the experience hours needed. Additional experience hours will be required for full certification by New York State Office of Addiction Service and Supports (OASAS). The number of required experience hours is based on the highest degree held in addition to the CASAC. Some of these courses are applicable to the Certified Prevention Specialist and Certified Prevention Professional certificates.

The Addiction Counseling curriculum includes afternoon and evening in-person classes and some on-line classes. Addiction Field Experience (Internship) is arranged in certified addiction treatment programs and supervised by AC professors. Current employment may be approved for field experience. Enrollment in Internship courses requires permission of the Curriculum Chair. Students in recovery from their own alcohol or other substance use disorder (AUD/SUD), or the effects of another family member’s AUD or SUD, may take classroom courses, but one (1) year of recovery is required before being eligible for an Internship placement.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, a student will:

Demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of ethical and effective addiction counseling using organized, clear and precise written and oral communication skills.

Program Map

The academic map below presents the recommended plan of study and will guide you through your program in a timely manner. Click the course abbreviations for full course descriptions. A course may be critical because it is a pre-requisite, requires a minimum grade, or because it is only offered once a year. Missing a critical course may push back your graduation date. Meet with an Academic Counselor or Faculty Advisor to ensure you are on track to complete your program.

Critical Courses should be taken in the order shown to stay on track and graduate on time.

Semester 1

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
AC 102	✔		3
AC 110	✔		3
AC 111	✔		3
AC 202	✔	✔	4
CHEM 145	✔		3
Semester Total Credits			16

Semester 2

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
AC 101	✔		3
AC 103	✔		3
AC 201	✔		3
AC 203	✔		3
AC 204	✔	✔	4
Semester Total Credits			16

Minimum Total Credits: 32

Gainful Employment Disclosure

For information about graduation rates, the median debt of students who have completed this program, and other important information please visit Chemical Dependency Counseling Certificate - GE Disclosure. For an overview of all gainful employment disclosures at Westchester Community College, visit www.sunywcc.edu/gainfulemployment.

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