The Substance Abuse Counseling major equips students entering the addiction recovery field. To be licensed in the field of chemical dependency counseling in Ohio, three requirements must be met:
- Completion of education specific to chemical dependency counseling. The BA degree in Substance Abuse Counseling meets more than the minimum hours required. Ohio Christian University’s degree program is designed to meet this requirement of chemical dependency counseling education.
- Appropriate supervision of chemical dependency counseling while employed in a treatment facility. For many students, this process begins after completion of the major.
- Successful completion of the licensure test that is administered by the State of Ohio.
Students are eligible to apply to the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals board for Certified Chemical Dependency Assistant status (CDCA) once they have completed 40 clock hours of chemical dependency training in specific areas. The CDCA is required to seek entry level employment and to begin supervision required prior to taking the State test for licensure. (Refer to ocdp.ohio.gov/, in the Certification and Licensure tab, follow instructions to download the CDCA Forms. Students should contact the appropriate state licensure board to learn of requirements unique to a particular state. The names of the boards can be found online at the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium at www.internationalcredentialing.org.
Objectives:
Upon graduating from the program, students should be able to:
- Integrate Christian principles in critical thinking and decision-making to the study of substance abuse counseling.
- Appraise the needs of persons through use of assessment techniques, diagnostic criteria, and treatment planning.
- Utilize appropriate counseling techniques with individuals, families, and groups.
- Apply chemical dependency interventions, knowledge of drugs, and ethical codes of conduct.
