At a glance
All courses within the program will be offered online, with the exception of “Skills Seminars,” which allow students to practice what they have learned. Course topics range from overview of the addictions field; to individual counseling; to assessment, evaluation, and problem identification; and more.
Alfred State and the Center for Community Education and Training (CCET) will be offering a 350-hour credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor Training Program beginning Aug. 1.
All courses within the program will be offered online, with the exception of “Skills Seminars,” which allow students to practice what they have learned. Course topics range from overview of the addictions field; to individual counseling; to assessment, evaluation, and problem identification; and more.
During the three, six-hour Skills Seminars, a New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse-approved instructor will meet with a group of students to perform mock counseling sessions, review case studies, and provide hands-on instruction in the 12 core functions of a substance abuse counselor. The seminars will be held at Alfred State.
The program also includes a clinical internship component if the student is not currently working in the field. Students must finish the program within one year of application in order to receive a certificate of completion.
Those who complete the 350 hours of education and training through Alfred State are eligible to submit the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)/CASAC-Trainee Application for approval to the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).
Wendy Dresser-Recktenwald, senior director of Human Resources and the Center for Community Education and Training, and CASAC program director, said, “We have been working on this program for a full year, carefully transitioning traditionally offered course work to an online format. This allows us the ability to reach out to nontraditional students who can take the course work on their own time from anywhere. There is such a need in our three-county area for credentialed counselors, especially in light of the opioid epidemic.”
For more information or to register, contact the Center for Community Education and Training by calling at 607-587-4015 or emailing ccet@alfredstate.edu.