New Jersey

What does an Addiction Counselor in New Jersey do? What is Their Job Role?


Every day, the national drug addiction epidemic gets worse and worse. Rates of addiction are through the roof and overdose rates are obscene. The opioid crisis is just one of many public health problems, including alcoholism, methamphetamine, and addiction to benzodiazepines.


For this reason, the nation needs more and more interventions to come to the aid of the thousands of families, friends, businesses, and entire communities that are riddled with addicts. You can help solve the problem by becoming a substance abuse counselor. With the proper credentials you can help people find the solutions they need to surmount their chemical dependencies.


Though the general pathway to licensure as a counselor is fairly uniform across the states, each state has a specific set of criteria they use when licensing its substance abuse counselors. In New Jersey you still have to satisfy criteria pertaining to academics, experience, and examinations. This page will help you discover exactly what you need to become a substance abuse counselor in New Jersey.


Overview


Substance abuse counseling is more of a calling than a job. Practitioners work hard to achieve state licensure and they continue working hard to maintain their licenses. It's a career that requires passion and dedication, because working with addicts is not easy.


Many counselors have been through the wringer of addiction and have emerged on the other side of that dark chasm. They have found a new life and a new happiness that they wish to instill in others. Others may have been touched by addiction in other ways, such as a family member who struggled with alcohol, or a friend who overdosed on prescription pills.


Work Environment


One of the chief places you might envision a substance abuse counselor working is in a rehabilitation center. If you have been through rehab you may have been inspired by some of your counselors and wish to now walk in their footsteps. Others are also considered chemical dependency therapists, such as mental health nurses, and even medical doctors who focus their practice on addictionology.


If you choose to work in a rehabilitation center, you have a wide range of options. Some centers are housed on sprawling campuses and include things like equine therapy, meditation classes, yoga, and nutritional approaches to addiction. Some programs are conducted at sea, where addicts learn to work as part of a team that manages a sailing vessel across vast stretches of ocean. There are also wilderness encounter organizations that help people achieve sobriety through a rigorous encounter in nature.


Addictions counselors also work in private practice. Perhaps you would like to work in a small, tastefully-decorated office where clients come for weekly sessions, or in a practice with a few other counselors.


Some private-practice counselors also do things like teach DUI classes to help inform offenders about the realities of alcoholism. Others work with attorneys to help their clients stay on track with pre-trial activities such as community service, counseling, and 12-step meetings.


Duties


Substance abuse counselors have many different sorts of duty. They more often are found utilizing the methods of psychotherapy to help clients get to the underlying root of their addiction. This might be in a hospital-type setting or private practice.


You could also find yourself working with the families of addicts as a part of your career. After all, addiction is known as a family disease and the work you do with a family could be just as beneficial for an addict as a one-on-one relationship.


Substance abuse counselors also teach. In a rehabilitation setting, they might teach academic-style classes that address relapse. There are a number of steps that typically come before a relapse and patients in a rehabilitation center will need to learn them prior to discharge. You can also teach things like the chemical impact of mind-altering substances on the brain and body, or the biology of addiction.


Is Substance Abuse Counseling for You?


You might think that there's a specific type of person who is best-suited to substance abuse counseling. However, counselors are a very diverse group. After all, they need to reflect the population at large. There need to be lots of former addicts, but also people with a more active lifestyle, or whose sexual orientation makes them more trusted by their clients.


What these counselors have in common, however, is a passion for helping people escape a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. They all thus have a tolerant attitude towards the addict and see that their problem is not one of morality, but of body and spirit. They might see that we all use various crutches to get through life, but substance abusers simply choose mind-altering substances rather than shopping or overeating to assuage their negative feelings.


Counselors also need to have a large dose of patience and tolerance. Addiction is not solved overnight and many, if not most, addicts will relapse at some point. Therefore, it's important to see therapy and rehabilitation as a marathon, not a sprint. You might also need to have a great deal of tolerance and compassion for addicts who may have acted very poorly in their using days. Some addicts resort to all sorts of lying, stealing, and cheating so that they can get another fix. Rather than taking a moralistic approach to these things, you will find it more helpful to see the bad behaviors as symptomatic of the addict's larger problems.


New Jersey Licensing & Certifications for Associates & Independent Counselors

In New Jersey, you can work with addicts as either a CADC or a LADC. A CADC is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, while a LADC is a licensed professional. The two credentials are quite different in how they are achieved.


Education Requirements


New Jersey's two levels of substance abuse counselor have very different educational requirements. Since the CADC is more readily attainable, many pursue that as a first step on the way to full licensure.


CADC Education Requirements


The CADC does not require that you have any special degree, or any degree whatsoever. Rather, New Jersey only asks that you complete 270 hours of education in the field of drug and alcohol addiction. You might take courses through a local college or university, or you might find an institution that has been approved by the NAADAC. Your education should cover five broad content areas which are covered in 54 hours each. Here are two examples of a content area and its required topics:


Assessment - Topics


  • Initial interviewing

  • Differential diagnosis

  • Physiology of addiction

  • Biosocial assessment

  • Diagnostic summaries

  • Compulsive gambling


Case Management - Topics


  • Community resources

  • Consultation

  • Documentation

  • HIV Resources


The other three content areas are: counseling, client education, and professional ethics/responsibility.

LACD Education Requirements


In order to become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, New Jersey requires that you have a master's degree. While it is preferred that your degree be in counseling or a related field, you can also supplement another master's degree with 18 semester hours of graduate-level counseling courses. You can spread your courses over the following topic areas:


  • Helping relationship

  • Counseling profession

  • Theory and practice

  • Lifestyle/career development

  • Human development/ maladaptive behavior

  • Individual assessment

  • Social and cultural foundations

  • Research and evaluation

  • Group therapy

  • Pharmacology and physiology


CACREP Accredited Online Certifications


Two types of accreditation are recognized in the United States; institutional and specialized. Institutional accreditation takes the entire institution into account while the specialized focus on professional preparation programs. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is a specialized accreditation that focuses on master’s and doctoral degree programs in counseling at colleges and universities worldwide. Only already-accredited institutions are eligible for CACREP review. The review for accreditation will center on programs offering graduate degrees in counseling.


Choosing a CACREP-accredited program ensures that the program meets the highest of quality standards. Many counseling specialties are accredited by the CACREP, including addiction counseling. Accredited addiction counseling programs prepare individuals to work with those affected by addictive behavior and their families. Addictive behaviors include alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, sex, and anything else that negatively affects your personal or work life by creating addiction behaviors.


CACREP-accredited programs will focus on treatment models and the phases of addiction including prevention, recovery, and relapse prevention. These 60-semester hour programs will include the application of interventions. When students choose a CACREP-accredited program they can be confident that:


  • the program meets or exceeds national standards

  • the program will focus on professional counseling rather than psychology or education

  • the program has an excellent reputation

  • CACREP graduates statistically receive higher scores on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE).

  • the requirements for licensure will be met.


Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners

Professional Counselor Examiners Committee

Alcohol and Drug Counselors Committee


The New Jersey Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners is host to regulatory committees including the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee and Alcohol and Drug Counselors Committee. The purpose of the Alcohol and Drug Counselors Committee is to:


  • Protect the health, safety, and welfare of New Jersey citizens

  • Regulate Alcohol and Drug Counseling professionals

  • Investigate complaints regarding any unprofessional conduct by Alcohol and Drug Counselors

  • Enforce disciplinary action for unethical or unlicensed practices


Address

124 Halsey Street, 6th Floor

P.O. Box 45007

Newark, New Jersey 07101


Phone

(973) 504-6415


Website Address

https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/adc/Pages/default.aspx


Licensure:

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

  • Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC)


New Jersey is a state that has two levels of safeguarded titles for Chemical abuse Counselors. The certification is known as the Qualified Alcohol and also Drug Therapist (CADC) and also the licensure level is described as the Accredited Alcohol and likewise Drug Counselor (LADC). Both require that you fulfill specific demands for education as well as learning, training in addition to experience.


The remainder can be in a self-help team or teams of your finding. You require to efficiently pass the IC&RC Composed along with Dental Examinations. You can find the CADC application here. The LADC needs to please all the demands of the CADC over with the following distinctions.


Team Writer Chemical abuse specialists in New Jacket task with customers to help them address in addition to overcome dependencies to materials such as alcohol and also medications. They develop therapy strategies, supply one-to-one as well as team counseling services, as well as additionally stroll along with their clients as they recoup. These specialists need to hold bachelor's levels at minimum, in addition to licensure in their state.


Material misuse counselors in New Jacket have to fulfill certain academic needs, which vary depending on whether the candidate wishes to hold CADC or LCADC licensure. Counseling prospects require a significant teaching fellowship as well. Pupils who desire to go after line of work as substance abuse specialists in New Coat need to consider the sticking to scholasticism along with fieldwork demands.


Trainees that hold a regionally acknowledged companion or bachelor's degree pertinent to alcohol as well as drug counseling could accredit for certification. Those with a high establishment diploma or equivalent may take 270 hrs of coursework authorized by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) or the National Company of Alcoholism along with Medication Abuse Therapists (NAADAC).


The National Council is a not-for-profit organization that supplies training in addition to examinations to mental wellness and health experts and advocates for mental health plans. It makes use of an annual meeting, a work board, in addition to specialist improvement opportunities. Part of the National Institutes of Health as well as health, NIAAA carries out and also maintains research studies associated with alcoholism.


New Jacket alcohol and drug therapists are credentialed by the Alcohol as well as additionally Drug Therapist Board. In order to be credentialed, one needs to fulfill education and learning, training, and likewise managed experience needs. As quickly as these needs have been fulfilled, the candidate will be composed in addition to dental analyses. Master's degree therapists are offered the Licensed Medical Alcohol as well as Medicine Specialist (LCADC) credential.


An in-state student will come under state territory while working to meet experience demands. Capella College makes use of an on-line MS in Addiction Investigates as well as likewise a PhD in Addiction Psychology. University likewise supplies 3 on the net CACREP-accredited programs: MS in Clinical Mental Wellness Counseling, MS in Institution Counseling, in addition to PhD in Counselor Education as well as Supervision, along with a COAMFTE-accredited program, MS in Marital Partnership and Household Members Treatment.


There are many different substance abuse counseling careers in New Jersey. If you are a registered nurse, a social worker, a drug treatment specialist, a therapist, an executive coach, an addiction therapist, a marriage and family therapist, a psychologist, a marriage and family therapist in New Jersey, a medical doctor, a psychiatric nurse, a psychologist in New Jersey, a clinical social worker or a mental health professional, there is a career for you. All you have to do is find one.


In order to become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey, you must undergo a number of different and specialized courses. The first step is to have a certification from one of the agencies that offer these courses. The next step is to sit for a test that certifies you as a certified substance abuse counselor. Once you are certified, you can become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey.


Becoming a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey is a very rewarding career and an ideal career for people who have an interest in helping people. You will need to be able to deal with people and understand people well in order to be a good substance abuse counselor. The requirements to become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey are a four-year degree at an accredited university or college, a certain amount of clinical experience, a certain amount of education from a certified course and a certain amount of training at a recognized substance abuse counselor school.


The amount of education required to become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey will vary depending on your state of residence and the specific course and program you are taking. You must have the proper degree and a minimum of twelve months of training before you can become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey.


The number of clinical years of experience needed to become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey is three years. The number of years of clinical training required to become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey is three years, but not more than six years.


As a certified substance abuse counselor, you will be responsible for helping a variety of different people, and you will be required to help them with a variety of different problems. You will need to understand addiction, family dynamics, alcohol and drug abuse and other issues that affect a person. You will need to know how to work with people who are willing to take the right steps to get help for their problem, and how to get people to do the right thing.


There are many substance abuse counselor schools that will train you to become a certified substance abuse counselor. The coursework can be completed through online programs. There are also many community colleges and vocational schools that offer the coursework that is needed to become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey. These courses are often offered through an interdisciplinary approach, which means you will study different areas of substance abuse counseling.


If you are not sure which course you need to take to become a certified substance abuse counselor in New Jersey, you can get information on the course that is offered through the Counseling and Psychological Services Administration (CAPA) website. The information provided there can give you all of the information you need to decide which course is right for you.


You can work with adults who are dealing with mental health issues, or with children who have behavioral problems. You will also be able to work with teens, and people who are dealing with a range of substance abuse related problems, and with mental health issues. You will also be able to work with people who are in jail or prison, and with people who are on probation or parole.


You can also work for community services or law enforcement. and with children's programs. You will be able to work for the Department of Social Services, and even the Department of Corrections.


There are many counselors out there that are working to help people become certified substance abuse counselors in New Jersey, and a few of them have been in the field for a long time. If you are interested in working for a substance abuse counseling agency, you can work your way up through the ranks by taking courses and getting certified as a certified counselor. The longer you work in the field, the better prepared you will be for the positions that are available for you.


Counselor Testing & Examination Process


In New Jersey, and other states, you must take a written exam prior to achieving either credential the state offers. You must also take an oral exam, for either the certification or license. The oral exam is administered by the Addiction Professionals Certification Board, Inc. The written exam is overseen by the NAADAC, a national association for addiction professionals.


Clinical Supervision Explained


Each level of addictions counseling requires that you undergo a period of clinical supervision. For the CADC, you will need 1,500 hours of relevant experience in the field. You will also need 300 hours of supervised time. To satisfy the state's board, your supervisor must be a licensed professional with current credentials registered with the state. During your 300 hours, you will cover the 12 core functions of a substance abuse counselor.


During this 300-hour period, you will want to log your time working on each of the 12 functions so you have a record to show the licensing board, or anyone else. This will help you and your supervisor make the most of your supervised time.


Typically, your 1,500 hours will be accrued over the course of twelve months. If you need to take time off or work part-time, the state has an allowance for that. Your hours must be logged within five years of your initial application for the credential. You will also need to attend 30 12-step meetings, including five from each:


  • Alcoholics Anonymous

  • Narcotics Anonymous

  • Al-Anon


For the LACD, you will likewise need 300 hours of supervised time and attend 30 12-step meetings.


Renewal and Continuing Education


To maintain your license or certification with the state of New Jersey, you must take continuing education units (CEUs.) The goal is to ensure that you are actively engaged with remaining up-to-date with your profession. You can study hot topics in addiction treatments and ensure that you provide the very best care to your clients.


For the CADC, you need to complete 60 hours of CEUs every licensing period. LACDs are required to complete 40 hours every licensing period. Note that a licensing period is two years. Your CEUs must be relevant to your profession and can be administered by an accredited college or university, or through a recognized professional association, such as the NAADAC.


Potential Counselor Career Path Options


  • Addiction Counselor

  • Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor

  • Behavioral Health Specialist

  • Certified Addiction Drug and Alcohol Counselor

  • Chemical Dependency Counselor

  • Mental Health Counselor

  • School Counselor

  • Substance Abuse Counselor


Associations & Organizations


To find CEU options, professional development opportunities, and fellowship with colleagues, it's recommended that you join a professional association. Consider the following:


  • New Jersey Counseling Association

  • New Jersey NAADAC

  • National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers


Through the professional camaraderie and support of an association you will become the best possible counselor you can be.