Certified Alcohol & Drug Counseling (CADC)

Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselors are integral in the Alcohol & Drug treatment process. Through individual and/or group therapy, those in this profession provide support, education, and guidance to persons suffering from drug, alcohol or other substance use disorder.

The CADC course offered at CFCC covers the entire 270 instructional hours necessary for the North Carolina Addictions Specialist Profession Practice Board (NCASPPB) certification exam. The course instructors will assist students in registering with the NCASPPB, but it is the student’s responsibility to be informed of all requirements and obligations related to the exam and CADC licensure.

This course is delivered in a hybrid format, with in-person classes held twice a week, and mandatory asynchronous coursework completed online during the week.

The CADC course covers the following topics to prepare students for their certification:

• Introducing students to the academic program, career, and Professional Board of CADC.
• Covering basic alcoholism and drug addiction knowledge, traditions and philosophies of 12-step, and other recovery support groups in relation to the client, family, and community.
• Introducing students to the ethical considerations required for certification by the NC Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board that define the conduct of counselors.
• Providing students with an in-depth overview of infectious diseases, blood-borne pathogens, nicotine use, and the link between drug use and co-occurring disabilities.
• Introducing students to the process and tools through which the Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADC) collaborates with the client and others to gather and interpret information for the formation of a diagnosis based on the criteria in the DSM V (Screening).
• Teaching students how to analyze and interpret the data they have gained to determine treatment recommendations and document their findings appropriately. This includes the procedure that the counselor and client develop treatment goals based on the clients’ identified strengths and weaknesses (Intake).
• Helping students collaborate with clients in identifying the strategies needed to attain those goals (Assessment).
• Increasing students’ awareness of methods to protect client rights to privacy and confidentiality in the preparation and handling of records, especially in relation to the communication of client information with third parties (Documentation).
• Teaching proven strategies to safely defuse anxious, hostile, or violent behavior at the earliest possible stage. Emphasis will be on assessing the risk for escalating behavior, appropriate interventions, and the use of nonphysical methods of management. Enhancement of verbal and non-verbal communication is a focus. (Crisis Planning and intervention).
• The NCASPPB requires students pursuing certification to complete a 300-hour supervised practicum experience. The specific site is based on the students’ professional interests. Faculty will assist the student in identifying possible locations, but it is the responsibility of the student to secure a site and supervisor and have it approved by the NCASPPB. The 300 hour supervised practicum is in addition to the 270 instructional hours provided in this course. (Practicum).