What Do You Need to Do to Become a Substance Abuse Counselor?
When you’re preparing for a career, a solid job market forecast is always encouraging. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be some 85,000 job openings for addiction counselors and similar professionals every year through 2033. That kind of demand is practically unheard of in the American economy.
But that statistic is nothing more than a razor-thin silver lining to a decades-long crisis.
By 2036, the US Health Resources and Services Administration expects the country to have 125,000 fewer addiction counselors than it needs. That’s not just a gap. That’s a giant void that could swallow up entire communities. Underserved populations will feel it the most, but even those with the means to afford expensive treatment options will have to wait – and waiting is something chemical dependency doesn’t do.
“The addiction crisis demands more than just warm bodies. It needs counselors who combine clinical expertise with genuine compassion. The path isn’t easy, but for those called to this work, it’s profoundly rewarding.”
— William White, MA, Emeritus Senior Research Consultant, Chestnut Health Systems
Table of Contents
- Get Familiar With Your State’s Addiction Counselor Credentialing Agency and Laws
- A Word on Professional Titles for Addiction Counselors
- Step 1: Earn a Degree in Addiction Studies, Addiction Counseling, or a Related Discipline
- Step 2: Gain Post-degree Experience Hours
- Step 3: Take Your Final Exam
- Step 4: Find a Position That Complements Your Talents and Passion
- Step 5: Keep Learning and Expanding Your Skill Set
- Frequently Asked Questions
Now more than ever, people need someone to guide them out of the shadows. They need addiction counselors who have both the hard-won life experience and know-how to usher them along on the road to recovery. It’ll take a concerted, society-wide effort to turn the tide completely, but by becoming an addiction counselor, you have a chance to be a part of that solution.
Get Familiar With Your State’s Addiction Counselor Credentialing Agency and Laws
Before you do anything else, find out what agency offers addiction counselor credentials in your state and get to know the laws. There are no universal standards or federal laws that outline the requirements to become an addiction counselor, so regulations and requirements vary from state to state.
The terms licensure and certification are often used interchangeably, but there are important differences to be aware of.
Understanding Licensure vs. Certification
An addiction counselor license is issued by a state government agency, often the same board that grants licensure for licensed mental health counselors (LMHC), marriage and family therapists (MFT), and other similar professions in social and mental health services. It’s a credential that gives you the legal authority to provide addiction counseling services, and in states where it is offered, it’s illegal to practice without it. Importantly, state licensure comes with title protection, meaning only licensed professionals are legally allowed to refer to themselves as addiction counselors.
Addiction counselor certification is typically issued by a nonprofit industry organization, almost always a local affiliate of one of the two agencies that help set standards and administer exams in the field, most often the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), and sometimes the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). Certification demonstrates that you’ve gone through a specific training and qualification process that is at least generally aligned with NAADAC or IC&RC standards. Unlike a license, certification isn’t legally required or enforced by state government, but employers will virtually always insist on it, only hiring counselors who are certified.
It’s worth noting that some state government agencies do use the term certification for some license levels. But you will only find the term license used when a state government agency is involved in issuing the credential and regulating the field.
“The distinction between licensure and certification might seem like semantics, but it has real implications for your career mobility and scope of practice. Always verify your state’s specific terminology and requirements before making educational decisions.”
— Linda Kaplan, CAE, Executive Director, NAADAC
The Role of NAADAC and IC&RC
The NAADAC and IC&RC are the biggest standards-setting and examination organizations in addiction counseling. In fact, even where state regulations exist, state government boards model their licensing laws after IC&RC or NAADAC standards.
Whether your state regulates and licenses addiction counselors or defers to a non-government professional association to handle the process, becoming an addiction counselor follows the same general steps:
- Get the right kind of training and education.
- Complete a certain number of supervised experience hours after you finish your education.
- Pass a final exam.
Those steps form the framework, but the details and requirements within each step can be vastly different from state to state.
In 31 states, a government agency regulates the field, requiring addiction counselors to become licensed. In 19 states and DC, credentialing is handled through member boards of the IC&RC or NAADAC.
Among these 31 states, you’ll find some that issue licenses at multiple levels, authorizing addiction counselors with varying levels of education and experience with different levels of authority, up to and including independent practice without oversight. Others on this list may only offer licenses for independent practitioners, allowing entry and mid-level addiction counselors to practice under the license of the clinic or supervisor they work for.
| Region | States |
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States That Offer Just Certification
In the remaining 19 states plus the District of Columbia, the profession is industry-regulated, with state member boards of either the IC&RC or NAADAC offering the certification that local employers expect candidates to hold. In some states, there are local affiliates for both boards, giving you the option to select between the two.
| Region | States |
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The IC&RC is the more common of the two, so there’s a good chance you’ll be taking the IC&RC’s exam and earning certification aligned with those standards. But if both organizations offer certification in your state, there are a few differences to consider.
If you plan on moving around, IC&RC-affiliated organizations tend to have stronger reciprocity policies. On the other hand, though, the NAADAC offers national-level certification and has a more active professional community.
Another fundamental difference is that the NAADAC offers national-level certification. This means you can go through their central agency to get certified. The IC&RC doesn’t provide this option. You can only become certified through one of their local affiliates, so it’s only an option if they have a presence in your state.
A Word on Professional Titles for Addiction Counselors
Another thing you’ll discover as you explore addiction counselor certification and licensing laws is that there’s a huge variation in professional titles. In some states they’re called alcohol and drug counselors. Others use the term addiction counselor or chemical dependency counselor. More recently, substance use disorder (SUD) counselor has come into popular use, a term that uses less stigmatizing language and that reflects the changing attitude about the nature of addiction.
Once again, don’t get too caught up in the details. All of these titles refer to the same type of professional.
“Language matters in recovery. Terms like ‘substance use disorder’ help us move away from shame-based approaches to treatment. As counselors, the words we use can either build bridges or walls with our clients.”
— Dr. Nora Volkow, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
Increasingly, though, more and more organizations are starting to favor SUD counselor. Words like addiction and abuse come with negative connotations and a sense of inherent judgment. That’s the last thing someone seeking help needs to feel in a supposedly safe space.
It may seem like a small detail, but this signals a new direction for the field as a whole. As the decades have passed, our understanding of addiction has expanded from something caused by a moral failing or character flaw into something more clinical — a disease that can be treated objectively and with the full backing of a full array of research and evidence. As a provider yourself, dispelling stigma in your community will be a powerful way to bring more people to recovery.
Step 1: Earn a Degree in Addiction Studies, Addiction Counseling, or a Related Discipline
Whether you live in a state that requires licensing or not, you’ll need a lot of drive and empathy to support your clients in recovery. But when it comes down to it, those traits need to be backed up by a set of well-developed skills and a firm understanding of the psychology, sociology, and biology behind substance use disorders.
That means your first order of business is getting a degree in addiction counseling, addiction studies, or even a more general but related field like psychology or counseling.
State laws will have a major influence on what level of degree you can or should get. Most states have multiple levels of addiction counselors, each with their education requirements and duties. Some have one level. We’ll cover both of these factors as we discuss your degree options.
Associate Degrees in Addiction Counseling
In some states, including Washington where the fentynal crisis has reached almost unmanagle proportions in the big metros of Seattle and Tacoma, you can become a full addiction counselor with just a two-year associate’s degree. However, for the most part, this will qualify you for an assistant, associate, or level I addiction counselor position. Under those titles, you won’t be able to work unsupervised or diagnose patients, so your duties will be limited to screening new patients, coordinating referrals, and running group meetings.
That’s not to say entry-level counselors aren’t important. They play an integral role in supporting fully-credentialed counselors and making sure patients don’t fall through the cracks.
Keep in mind, though, that in many states, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement to become an addiction counselor at any level. However, if associate-level credentials are available in your state, an associate degree in addiction counseling is a great and accessible way to enter the workforce, help people, and gain experience.
Bachelor’s Degrees in Addiction Counseling
In the recovery world, a bachelor’s degree is seen as the standard. In pretty much every state, a bachelor’s earns you the title and duties of a full addiction counselor.
The only thing you won’t be able to do with a bachelor’s degree in addiction counseling in a lot of states is run an independent practice. For that, you’ll need a master’s degree. However, in a select few places, such as California, DC, and Tennessee, bachelor’s-prepared counselors can work independently after gaining a couple years of experience.
“A bachelor’s degree provides the perfect balance of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. It’s comprehensive enough to prepare you for the complexities of addiction treatment while getting you into the field faster than a master’s program.”
— Dr. Thomas McLellan, Founder and Board Chair, Treatment Research Institute
But even if a bachelor’s degree won’t get you to the highest level of addiction counselor in your state, if that’s your eventual goal, go for a bachelor’s.
Curriculum-wise, it’s a comprehensive option. Over four years, you’ll get a broad yet in-depth education in counseling techniques, pharmacology, ethics, and all the essentials. You’ll even spend a couple of semesters doing fieldwork and practicing your skills under the guidance of experienced counselors. And if you pick up some interesting electives or a minor in psychology, biology, human services, or even a foreign language, you can build a unique skill set you can take to any number of recovery support organizations.
Master’s Degrees in Addiction Counseling
If you want full flexibility in your career and duties, earn a master’s of addiction counseling. A master’s is required for the highest level of certification and licensure in the majority of states. But even if you can attain that status in your state without a master’s, the advanced curriculum of a master’s program can prepare you to serve clients with the most complex needs.
If you already have a bachelor’s in addiction counseling or a similar field, you’ll be a great candidate for the most competitive master’s programs. If not, though, that’s okay — most master’s programs in addiction counseling accept students from diverse academic backgrounds.
Master’s programs in addiction counseling usually take two years to complete. If you don’t already have experience in the field, you might need to take some prerequisite courses, but before long, you’ll be diving into:
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Treating co-occurring disorders
- Pharmacology
- Clinical assessment and diagnosis
- Research
- Administration
- Treatment program evaluation
Like bachelor’s programs, master’s programs also include an in-depth fieldwork experience. Some programs even offer specializations in serving adolescents, the elderly, people coping with overwhelming trauma, and other high-needs populations. Even if your chosen master’s program doesn’t offer full-blown degree specializations, you’ll get the chance to at least take some specialty classes in those subjects. You won’t find a lot of bachelor’s programs that offer those options.
Pairing a More General Degree With a Certificate in Substance Use Disorder Counseling
Addiction counseling degree programs are way more common than they were even a decade ago. That being said, there are plenty of reasons why the idea of getting a degree in the subject isn’t right or possible for you. Maybe you don’t have the time. Maybe there aren’t any near you and you haven’t found the right online option. Or maybe you just want to keep your options open and study something with a wider focus.
If any of those statements apply to you, there’s another option to consider – earning a certificate in addiction studies, substance use disorder counseling, or a similar field.
Certificates can be earned independent of any other college degree, or can be an add-on to the college education you might already have They’re available at all academic levels, from undergraduate certificates for those with no other college education to post-baccalaurate options for those who have a bachelor’s in another field. They are even available as graduate and post-graduate options for those who are already in the field and looking to take advanced courses as a way to upskill or specialize. In most cases, they usually require taking an extra 18 to 24 credit hours of classes, all dedicated to addiction treatment.
You can earn a certificate in substance abuse counseling if you have no college education at all or, or pair it with a degree in psychology, social work, marriage and family counseling, or really any other related or unrelated discipline.
| Primary Degree | Certificate Focus | Career Advantage |
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Step 2: Gain Post-degree Experience Hours
While the fieldwork you’ll complete during your studies will start bridging the gap between theory and practice, it’s not quite enough. Every person you serve will have their own story and struggles. Learning how to handle every little permutation of the recovery process will take time.
After graduation, that’s the next thing you’ll work on. Before becoming a full-fledged addiction counselor, you’ll gain even more insights by earning post-degree experience hours.
How many experience hours you’ll need depends entirely on regulations in your state. Typically, though, states require addiction counselors-in-training to earn somewhere between 2,000 hours (one year) and 6,000 hours (three years) of experience before submitting their final applications. At this stage, you’ll work with an experienced counselor who will guide and evaluate you as you sharpen your skills.
“Your supervised experience hours are where the real learning happens. Textbooks can teach you theory, but sitting across from someone in crisis teaches you humanity. Embrace every challenging moment—they’re shaping you into the counselor your future clients need.”
— Mary Woods, LCADC, Clinical Supervisor with 20 years’ experience
This is where earning a higher-than-minimum degree can pay off in a tangible way. A lot of credentialing agencies offer reduced experience hours requirements to future addiction counselors with bachelor’s degrees and above. That can shave a year or two off the time it takes to get licensed or certified.
Structuring Your Experience Hours
As you earn your post-degree experience hours, you’ll do everything a fully-certified or licensed counselor does. But to make sure you’re on the path to becoming a well-rounded professional, your credentialing agency may say you need to dedicate a specific number of hours to each task.
While not universal, it’s not uncommon for credentialing agencies to require counselors-in-training to do 100 hours of treatment planning, 100 hours of counseling, 100 hours of clinical assessment, and so on before they earn their full credentials. Your supervisor will evaluate you on each skill. You’ll have some extra experience hours to fill afterwards, so your supervisor will also help you decide which skills you should spend some extra time with.
| Activity | Minimum Hours | Skills Developed |
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| Individual Counseling |
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For the most part, you’ll work independently, but you’ll also meet and work with your supervisor regularly — usually for an hour for every 40 or so hours you put in with clients. They might watch you work, invite you to watch them work, teach you new techniques, or just help you through a new challenge you’re facing with your current caseload.
Finding Somewhere To Do Your Post-degree Experience Hours
When it comes time to find somewhere to earn your experience hours, you don’t have to go it alone. Talk to your degree program’s career advisory team, reach out to addiction counselors you met during your practicum, or ask your instructors for recommendations.
Quality supervision sites include:
- Residential treatment centers
- Outpatient clinics
- Hospital behavioral health units
- Community mental health centers
- Correctional facilities
- Veterans Administration facilities
- College counseling centers
Step 3: Take Your Final Exam
A person battling addiction is no different than someone with a broken bone. In both cases, they need to know that whoever they’re entrusting their well-being to is truly as competent as they say they are. Your final exam is your chance to prove you’re that person.
You can only take your final exam after you’ve completed all other requirements. To register, contact your local addiction counselor credentialing agency whether that’s a state government agency or a local chapter of the NAADAC or IC&RC.
Exam Options, Format, and Administration
Despite each state having their own addiction counselor requirements, one thing is consistent: all states use either NAADAC or IC&RC exams. That’s true whether you need to get certified or licensed in your state. Some agencies even accept exams from both organizations.
But in addition to figuring out which organization’s exam you can take in your state, you’ll also need to determine which level of exam you need to take.
NAADAC Exam Levels
The NAADAC offers three exams. Each one is designed for addiction counselors with a specific level of education and training:
- National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level I (NCAC I) Exam for counselors with high school diplomas, GEDs, and associate degrees.
- NCAC II Exam for counselors with bachelor’s degrees.
- Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) Exam for counselors with master’s degrees.
IC&RC Exam Levels
The IC&RC only has two levels of exams:
- Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) Exam for counselors with high school diplomas, GEDs, associate degrees, or bachelor’s degrees.
- Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) Exam for counselors with bachelor’s degrees or master’s degrees.
Unlike the NAADAC, the IC&RC lets their local affiliates set their own eligibility standards. That means that in one state, you might need an associate degree to take the ADC exam and in the neighboring state, you might need a bachelor’s.
“Don’t let exam anxiety derail your career. These tests are designed to confirm what you already know, not trick you. Focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing facts, and you’ll do fine.”
— Dr. Jessica Martinez, Exam Prep Instructor and Former IC&RC Board Member
NAADAC and IC&RC exams are both made up of 150 multiple choice questions, come with a three-hour time limit, and are administered by computer. All states have multiple approved testing sites. Some allow you to take your exam at home under the supervision of an online proctor.
Exam Content and Preparation
Content-wise, NAADAC and IC&RC exams are extremely similar but not completely identical. The education and experience you’ll gain up to this point will definitely be helpful, but you’ll also want to make sure you understand the nuances of the specific test you’ll be taking.
NAADAC Exam Content
For every level, NAADAC exams include questions covering five major skill areas:
| Content Area | NCAC I | NCAC II | MAC |
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Generally speaking, all NAADAC exams place more emphasis on treatment planning and counseling practices than anything else. The high-level MAC exam tends to have more questions about ethics and professional practices than the NCAC I or II exam. Conversely, the NCAC I and II will test your knowledge of client orientation more than the MAC exam.
IC&RC Exam Content
The IC&RC approaches exam content and question selection a little differently than the NAADAC. On the standard ADC exam, questions are drawn from four domains:
- The science behind addiction and comorbid conditions
- Assessment and screening
- Treatment, counseling skills, and making referrals
- Ethics and legality
On the higher-level AADC exam, the IC&RC again formulates questions based on four domains, but slightly different ones:
- Screening, assessing, and engaging clients
- Planning treatment, collaborating with other professionals, and making referrals
- Providing counseling and education to clients, their loved ones, and communities
- Ethics and professional responsibilities
The differences are subtle, but important to note. For one thing, the ADC exam will test you on making referrals to other professionals. The AADC exam will, too, but it’ll also ask you about collaborating with other professionals as a highly-trained addiction counselor. You’ll also notice how both exams cover counseling skills, but the AADC exam is a bit more comprehensive in scope.
Come test time, you can check out the NAADAC website or IC&RC website for prep materials, but your local credentialing agency may have more resources including free practice exams.
Step 4: Find a Position That Complements Your Talents and Passion
Once you’ve taken all of these steps, you’re ready to get fully licensed or certified as an addiction counselor. Submit your final application and all supporting documents to your local credentialing agency and start your job hunt. The organization you complete your field experience hours at is a natural place to start. Because they’ve already built connections and ingrained themselves in the community, many counselors stay on after earning their full credentials.
If you want to look elsewhere, your options are by no means limited. Given the ongoing shortage of addiction professionals in America, in-patient rehabs, detox centers, hospitals with behavioral health units, prisons, residential treatment communities, and more all need highly-trained counselors who can hit the ground running. You’ll have room to go where you feel called most.
“The beauty of this field is its diversity. Whether you thrive in the intensity of inpatient detox or prefer the long-term relationships of outpatient care, there’s a setting that matches your strengths. Don’t be afraid to try different environments early in your career.”
— Robert Ashford, MSW, Recovery Researcher and Advocate
| Setting | Client Population | Typical Responsibilities |
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| Residential Treatment |
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Step 5: Keep Learning and Expanding Your Skill Set
To maintain your license or certification, you’ll need to complete a certain number of continuing education (CE) hours each year. This can vary depending on what state you’re in or what agency you’re certified through, but 20 to 40 hours is a common requirement. Most credentials need to be renewed every two years.
But continuing education hours aren’t just about meeting an arbitrary requirement. They’re about learning how to help new people in new ways.
It may be tempting to just get your CE hours out of the way, but take the time to think about what you don’t know and what your patients need. Maybe your area is seeing an uptick in overdoses amongst teens. Maybe you read an article about a novel new form of behavioral therapy and think it could really help one of your struggling clients. Either way, seek out opportunities that will really and truly make you a better provider.
Continuing Education Opportunities
The good news is that there are so many ways to earn CE hours these days. The IC&RC and NAADAC offer a wide range of in-person and online classes, but so do plenty of community centers, nonprofits and charities, professional organizations like the American Psychological Association, and a wide range of other providers. You can even earn hours by:
- Working on research projects
- Teaching classes
- Going to seminars
- Reading peer-reviewed articles
- Attending professional conferences
- Completing specialized training programs
Before starting, check if your credentialing agency has a list of approved providers. Each agency has its own policies about what does and doesn’t count as continuing education.
Seeking New Opportunities
The best part about getting licensed or certified as an addiction counselor is that it provides you with a linear path to career advancement. If you start at the bachelor’s level, go for a master’s and either move up in your current agency or start a new one somewhere with a growing need for recovery professionals. In this much-needed sector, you don’t have to wait around for promotions — identify a need and fill it.
“After 15 years in direct practice, I transitioned to training the next generation of counselors. The field needs experienced professionals in education, research, and policy roles. Your counseling experience is invaluable in these positions.”
— Dr. Kelly Johnson, Director of Addiction Studies Program
If you don’t see yourself staying in a counselor position, America needs more than frontline counselors to combat its substance use disorder emergency. It needs clinical researchers to discover new treatments, educators who take their knowledge into their communities, and administrators who keep their organizations running smoothly and advocate for large-scale reform. As an experienced counselor, you can be the perfect fit for all of these positions and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I become an addiction counselor if I’m in recovery myself?
Yes, many successful addiction counselors are in recovery. Most states require a period of sustained recovery (typically 2-5 years) before you can become certified or licensed. Your lived experience can be a valuable asset in connecting with clients, though it’s not required for the profession.
What’s the difference between state licensure and certification?
Licensure is a legal requirement issued by state government that allows you to practice and use the title “addiction counselor.” Certification is a professional credential from organizations like NAADAC or IC&RC that demonstrates competency but may not be legally required. In states with licensure, you need a license to practice. In states without licensure, employers typically require certification.
How long does it take to become a fully credentialed addiction counselor?
The timeline varies based on your education level and state requirements. With a bachelor’s degree, expect 5-6 years total (4 years education + 1-2 years supervised experience). With a master’s degree, it’s typically 6-7 years (4 years bachelor’s + 2 years master’s + 1 year experience).
Can I specialize in treating specific populations?
Absolutely. Many counselors develop specialties through additional training and experience. Common specializations include adolescents, veterans, LGBTQ+ populations, professionals in recovery, women, elderly clients, and those with co-occurring mental health disorders.
What if I already have a degree in psychology or social work?
You can often add addiction counseling credentials through a certificate program (18-24 credit hours) rather than pursuing another full degree. Many states accept related degrees as long as you complete addiction-specific coursework and meet all other requirements.
Is online education accepted for addiction counseling degrees?
Yes, accredited online substance abuse counseling programs are widely accepted. Ensure any program you consider is accredited and meets your state’s educational requirements. You’ll still need to complete in-person fieldwork hours regardless of whether your coursework is online.
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information about becoming an addiction counselor. Requirements change frequently and vary significantly by state. Always verify current requirements with your state’s licensing board or certification agency before making educational or career decisions. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute professional or legal advice.