Chemical Dependency Counseling, Certificate

Contact Information

Program Requirements

Typical Program (Full-Time Day)

Typical Program (Part-Time Evening)

Degree/Certificate:     Certificate
HEGIS Code:             5506
SUNY Code:              4016
Major Code:              CDC

The Career

The United States Department of Labor projects an annual growth in social services jobs, including employment in the field of chemical dependency counseling. The New York State Department of Labor has projected the annual need for 230 human services employees in Western New York.

The certificate program in Chemical Dependency Counseling is designed to prepare students for careers in case management and counseling of chemically dependent individuals and their families. Upon completion of the certificate program, the graduate will have acquired the necessary education and skills to be an effective employee in an entry-level position in the field of chemical dependency.

The graduate will also have completed the necessary educational requirements for eligibility to sit for the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counseling (CASAC) exam through the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). Internship opportunities afford the student excellent skill training and job opportunities for completion of employment requirements for the CASAC.

Students should be aware that completion of this certificate will meet CASAC educational requirements but not employment requirements. The New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services currently requires 6,000 documented work hours in an OASAS-approved work setting prior to being eligible to take the CASAC examination.  OASAS will waive six months of the work requirement if a student has completed an associates degree, one year if the student has completed a bachelors degree and OASAS will waive two years of the work requirement if the student holds a masters degree in a related field.

The SUNY Niagara Approach

SUNY Niagara’s Chemical Dependency Counseling certificate program is the only one of its kind in Western New York.

Classes will focus on the following:

	*	Addictive behaviors and various treatments utilized with chemically dependent persons
	*	Pharmacological effects of alcohol and substance abuse
	*	Understanding the various special populations associated with chemical dependency
	*	Issues of ethics, confidentiality and counselor/client relationship; individual and group counseling skill training as well as counseling theory with chemically dependent persons
	*	Application of the principles of developmental and abnormal psychology

The faculty members at SUNY Niagara maintain a stellar reputation inside the classroom as well as in clinical settings.

The program is offered in both day and evening formats on the SUNY Niagara Sanborn campus. Additionally, a number of the required courses in the curriculum are also offered online.  In addition, students will complete up to 200 hours of field experience in faculty-approved internship settings located throughout Western New York. Settings such as schools, hospitals, clinics and rehabilitation centers will be used to provide students with applied learning experiences, under the guidance of expert supervision. Students will work directly with chemically dependent individuals in developing the helping skills necessary to work with this population.

Students wishing to attain an associate degree may do so by continuing study in the Associate of Arts in Human Services program or in the liberal arts associate degree program or Associate in Applied Science in Individual Studies.

SUNY Niagara provides both academic and personal support to students. In addition to the academic foundations courses, students are able to improve their skills by receiving assistance in the Learning Commons located in the library. Academic Counseling is available in Student Development (A131) and from the student’s academic adviser.

Admission

Students admitted in fall, spring and summer.

The Chemical Dependency Counseling program is offered as a full-time day program, part-time evening program or online program. Because of the sequencing of courses, it may take longer than eight semesters to complete the part-time evening program or four semesters to complete the full-time day program if a student begins in a spring semester.

Program Goals and Objectives

• To prepare students with the necessary qualifications for entry-level positions in the field of chemical dependency counseling

Program Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate familiarity with an overview of the chemical dependency counseling services systems
• Discuss professional ethics as they relate to chemical dependency counseling services
• Acquire first-hand experience helpful toward career development
• Integrate classroom learning with field experience
• Demonstrate an understanding of addictions