Treasure Valley Community College now offers entry-level courses towards becoming a Substance Abuse Counselor. In order to obtain an Oregon Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor I (CADC) or Idaho Student of Addiction Studies (ISAS) -- a number of other requirements must be fulfilled.
Academic Requirements: All the necessary courses to prepare for testing for your certification will be offered each year at TVCC. The following list of courses must be successfully completed to meet the academic requirements. These courses are state approved in Oregon and Idaho. During the 2010-2011 school year, most courses will be available in the classroom and by web delivery. Interested students must apply to the college, take a placement exam, and meet with a TVCC advisor before registering. For the Ontario campus call 541-881-5816 or 541-881-5755 to schedule an appointment. For the Caldwell center, call 208-454-9911 or 208-455-6821. Live courses meet every other weekend during the term.
| Course # | Course Title | Credits | Term |
| HSER 101 | Pharmacology
| 3
| Fall/Spring |
| HSER 102 | Drug Use, Misuse and Addiction | 3
| Fall |
| HSER 200 | Alcohol/Drugs and the Family | 3
| Fall |
| HSER 202 | Counseling Techniques I | 4 | Winter |
| HSER 228 | Screening/Assessing Skills | 4 | Winter |
| HSER 224 | Group Counseling Skills (not available on the web) | 3
| Spring |
| HSER 226 | Ethics for Addiction Counselors | 3 | Spring |
| HSER 248 | Infectious Diseases
| 2 | Summer |
| HSER 219 | Case Management
| 3 | Summer |
TBA
| Practicum Work Experience (when available)
| 3-6 | Varies |
* NOTE: to take on-line courses, you must have good computer skills and access to the Internet.
During or after completion of the academic courses, practicum hours are also required. A student must be placed in a licensed treatment facility under the supervision of a certified counselor. In order to apply for the state examination, Oregon requires 1000 practicum hours and a letter from your supervisor documenting those hours and verifying completion. Idaho required 300 practicum hours and three letters of reference must be provided: (1) a letter from your direct supervisor for practicum hours; (2) a letter from a Certified Alcohol and Drug counselor (CADC) with proof of Idaho certification; and (3) a letter of character reference from a peer familiar with your work and /or knowledge of drug/alcohol field.
After you successfully complete all of the above requirements, you are ready to test for the entry-level exam: In Oregon, the NCAC I National Certification Exam, and in Idaho, the ISAS (Idaho Student of Addiction Studies) exam for Idaho only. After successfully completing all the requirements, you still are not classified an Addictions Counselor who may practice without a supervisor. In both Idaho and Oregon you still need to be supervised for at least 6,000 hours or equivalent to three years of experience before being eligible to test for the CADC II in Oregon and the CADC I in Idaho. Only after you complete the continued educational requirements, experience requirements and the testing requirements will you be considered a certified Addictions Counselor and able to practice without supervision.
For more information on the Addiction Studies Program and registration, please call (541) 881-5756 or (541) 881-5755 in Ontario. (208) 455-6840 or (208) 455-6821 in Caldwell or see our website: www.tvcc.cc.
