Common Questions About Online Degrees and Certificates in Addiction Counseling

Addiction is a complex problem—emotionally, biologically, and systemically. There are many methods of treatment, and many paths to beginning a career in the field and advancing through it. That’s even before you get to all the more basic questions about higher education in general and what to expect when earning a degree online.

All these factors mean you’re likely coming here with questions that go beyond just wanting to know about the top online addiction counseling certificate and degree options available today.

What Are the Organizations that Offer Approvals or Accreditations for Drug and Alcohol Counselor Degrees and Certificates?

Substance abuse counseling is a regulated profession in most states, requiring certification or licensure at various levels of responsibility. In many cases, the requirements for those credentials will include an education that meets the standards of state government licensing agencies.

In other states, the field is more industry-regulated, with a nongovernmental professional association handling the certification that the state and employers recognize as the bar for professional practice. In these cases, the nonprofit is almost always an affiliate or chapter of one of the two major national standards-setting agencies in the field – usually the IC&RC (International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium) and sometimes NAADAC (National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors), now referred to as just the Association for Addiction Professionals). These are the same organizations that design the exams used in states where a government agency handles licensing, so although the qualifications can be very different state to state, the core knowledge and skill requirements are relatively consistent.

Most state licensing bodies and nonprofit certification agencies allow you to submit your degree or certificate transcripts for approval. In a field with so many training options, this is a standard process. Many also have a pre-approved list of schools that have designed programs around state-specific certification and licensing requirements. The NAADAC also maintains a list of schools it recognizes. None of these lists are exhaustive, though. With a tremendous number of addiction treatment certificate and degree options at every level offered through respected colleges, universities, and proprietary schools, there is no one program-level accreditation in the field to look for and no official comprehensive list to make your selection from.

Still, you can look to your state licensing office or nonprofit credentialing body for a list of schools they have pre-approved, and for an understanding of the approval process for schools that aren’t on their list.

You can also look to these national accreditation agencies as a general reference point for the the kind of programs available in substance use disorder treatment, and degrees in social work or counseling with a concentration in addictions:

• NAADAC – The Association for Addiction Professionals
• NASAC – National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission
• CSWE – Council on Social Work Education
• NBCC – National Board of Certified Counselors
• CACREP – Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs

Many of the programs on our list have earned one of these accreditations. Even an accreditation that isn’t specific to substance abuse counseling, like those from CSWE or CACREP, can indicate a level of training and competency that will serve addiction counselors well. In all cases, this type of program-level accreditation tells you that an independent professional body has evaluated and approved curriculum, instructors, and other key factors of the program.

There is also the IC&RC (International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium), which doesn’t approve or accredit courses but whose state member boards are often the authority for credentialing counselors. Those state affiliates may individually pre-approve certain programs within their state for ease of determining qualifications.

Any school you may be considering will be very happy to answer questions about how their programs align with the certification or licensing requirements in your state.

Do I Need an Addiction Counselor Degree for Entry-Level Roles in the Field?

It depends on the state. An associate degree or higher is not always required for entry-level counseling roles or other jobs working in the treatment of substance use disorders. Still, all states require at least some sort of post-secondary education, with a non-degree certificate program often getting the job done. This is true even for non-counseling jobs in the field, including in peer support roles, which tend to have the lowest educational requirements in the industry.

But for more advanced roles, and for credentials that permit you to practice independently, a degree is almost always a part of the process. That means a degree offers the right path for career-focused professionals.

What Are the Drug and Alcohol Counselor Degree Requirements for Different Credentialing Levels?

SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, defines six roles in the career ladder for substance use disorder treatment. You’ll find that extends to addiction therapy in general, although different states have different requirements and may have more or fewer designated credentials.

• Peer Recovery Specialist (non-counseling role) – No Degree Required, but Certificate or Training Program is Standard – Available in 47 States
• Substance Use Disorder Technician (non-counseling role) – Associate Degree or Certificate in Addiction Counseling – Available in 22 States
• Associate Substance Use Disorder Counselor – Associate Degree or Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling – Available in 31 States
• Substance Use Disorder Counselor – Bachelor’s Degree – Available in 46 States
• Clinical Substance Use Disorder Counselor – Master’s Degree – Available in 40 States
• Independent Clinical Substance Use Disorder Treatment Counselor/Supervisor – Master’s Degree – Available in 37 States

It’s common for professionals in the field to work their way up the credential and degree ladder over the course of their careers. 

What is the Purpose Behind Substance Abuse Counselor Certification and Licensure?

Certification and licensure simply refer to a standardized process for vetting candidates qualified to treat people struggling with addiction. It’s a very big deal for a few key reasons:

• It offers the assurance to patients and families that certified or licensed practitioners are trustworthy, properly trained, and vetted professionals who are qualified to help deal with addiction issues
• Addiction is a complex condition with many factors, so its treatment should be restricted to the domain of informed, educated therapists
• Employers in the industry rely on certification as an assessment of the skills and abilities of potential new hires at various levels

Standardized certification meets the needs of all these stakeholders, and the process of becoming certified gives substance use disorder counselors the training and confidence to deal with even the most challenging cases. 

How a Degree Can Reduce Barriers to Entering the Field

In all states, certification or licensure in an actual counseling role requires a considerable number of supervised hours of counseling experience, usually equivalent to between one and three years of fulltime work. Most states, even those that don’t expressly require a degree for entry-level counseling credentials, put so much value on the skills and knowledge that come from a degree program, they typically reduce the number of supervised hours dramatically according to the degree a candidate holds. That can also mean entering the field with a higher level credential that grants more practice authority.

In New York, for example, if you meet the minimum education requirement with a certificate alone, you would be required to complete 6,000 hours of supervised experience – that’s three years full-time. But an associate degree will shave off 1,000 hours, a bachelor’s degree will save you 2,000 hours, and a master’s would reduce the requirement by 4,000 hours. In Texas, holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree will make you entirely exempt from having to complete the 3,000 supervised hours that would be required if you met the state minimum with an associate degree.

Beyond that, degree programs, even online drug counseling degrees, often include an internship or field training course, which can get you even further ahead of the game in accumulating any remaining supervised hours you need to become credentialed.

Can I Earn Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor Certification with an Online Degree or Certificate?

Each state sets their own criteria for awarding licenses or certification, including educational standards. None of them, however, discriminate against online substance abuse counseling degrees. In fact, in some states, such as California, most substance use disorder education happens through online resources.

Since you will take the same coursework, meet the same grade and testing standards, and develop the same skill levels as students in traditional programs, your online bachelor’s in substance abuse counseling, master’s degree or certificate will carry the same weight when it’s time to get licensed.

Of course, qualifying for drug and alcohol counselor certification or licensure also depends on meeting face-to-face experience requirements, something that until recently wasn’t so easily done online. COVID-19 created a big shift in expectations around counseling service delivery, however, and many states have created options that allow supervised treatment to be conducted at least partly through videoconferencing.