Becoming a Substance Abuse Counselor in Florida

Find Programs for Substance Abuse Counseling Degrees in Florida

With its rapidly growing population and its bustling tourism industry, Florida is a state that has been hugely affected by the increasing availability of illicit drugs in the United States. Regardless of efforts to slow the flow of drugs into this state, addiction rates continue to increase each year.

Because of this, the largest behavioral healthcare facility in Florida recently received a grant of $1.5 million to provide treatment for substance abuse disorders to low-income residents and those incarcerated for drug offenses (WUFT, 2016).

It you are looking for a psychology career that improves people’s lives and positively influences the state of Florida, you may be a great candidate for a certified addiction counselor degree.

Check out your options by contacting substance abuse counselor certification Florida programs today.

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Substance Abuse Counselor Training in Florida

New students or those who have an Associate’s degree may get their start in the field of substance abuse counseling with a Bachelor’s degree. This degree provides a broad foundation of general education before exposing you to different treatment options, research findings, and addiction theories.

At some schools, you can earn a Florida substance abuse counselor degree online. However, since this degree involves a significant amount of clinical experience, you do need to complete your clinical rotations at an approved site near you.

Bachelor‘s-Level Substance Abuse Counseling Courses

• Fundamentals of Substance Abuse Counseling
• Professional Skills for Addictions Counselors
• Counseling Approaches for Substance Abusers
• Spirituality and Counseling

Master’s in Substance Abuse Counseling—Florida Requirements

Another option to consider is a Florida certified addiction counselor graduate program. To qualify for admission to this type of program, you must already have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. While some schools require a degree in psychology or a similar field, others accept students with training in other areas.

Over a period of two years, you can plan to earn up to 50 credits while taking a wide range of substance abuse treatment and intervention courses. Clinical experience is a core part of this degree, with many schools requiring several hundred hours of training prior to graduation. Requirements are similar for those wanting to earn a Florida graduate certificate in addiction and recovery.

Addiction Counselor Florida Graduate Courses

• Foundations of Counseling in Substance Abuse
• Research and Program Evaluation
• Psychopathology
• Ethical and Professional Standards
• Treatment Planning
• Diagnosis, Appraisal, Assessment, and Testing
• Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Substance Abuse

Substance Abuse Counselor Careers in Florida

After you have met the requirements for substance abuse counselor certification in Florida, you may start working to get the supervised work experience you need for certification.

The Florida Department of Children and Families has three levels of licensure, and all three require supervised work experience.

• To become a CAS, you need 2000 hours of supervised work experience.
• The next level of certification is a CAC, which requires 4000 hours of experience and an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree.
• The final certification level is a CAP. You need either a Bachelor’s degree and 6000 hours of supervised experience or a Master’s degree and 4000 hours of supervised experience.

Clearly, students begin building their substance abuse counselor careers prior to certification, which is why it is important to get targeted experience that uses your education to its fullest potential.

Those who become substance abuse counselors in Florida earn an average salary of $45,100 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). O*Net expects job openings to increase 26% in this field by the year 2024 (2016).

You may also look into becoming a substance abuse social worker. The average annual salary in this career path is $41,020 (BLS, 2016). Demand for social workers may swell 24% by 2024 (O*Net, 2016).

This is the time to find out how you can earn an accredited counseling degree and serve patients all over Florida. Whether your patients struggle with addiction to alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription drugs, or other substances, they deserve the best chance possible at beating their addiction.

Find out how you can give patients a fighting chance by reaching out to Florida counseling degree programs on the list below.

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