Description
This program is designed to prepare students for a future in addictions counseling after completing the baccalaureate in Social Work or another relevant field.
Addictions counseling is a challenging and rewarding field for which entry-level employees are often not well prepared. In New York State, oversight of treatment for substance use disorder is by the New York Office of Alcohol & Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). The credential for drug and alcohol counselors is the Credentialed Alcohol & Substance Abuse Counselor, commonly known as the CASAC. Completion of the full CASAC involves three components: education, an exam, and experience working in the field. This program when successfully completed provides the education component, following which the student is eligible to apply for the designation of Credentialed Alcohol & Substance Abuse Counselor-in-Training (CASAC-T). The program is designed around the 12 Core Functions designated as essential by the New York State Office of Alcohol & Substance Abuse Services. These core functions are addressed in seven substance abuse treatment (ACD) counseling classes. Six of these are 3-credit courses; the seventh is a 6-credit course that includes a 300 hour internship.

Program Learning Outcomes
1. Initial screening of potential clients as to their need for further evaluation and diagnosis.
2. Intake: collecting of necessary personal information, explanation of confidentiality laws, obtaining of appropriate release of information signatures.
3. Orientation: clarify rights and responsibilities of both client and treatment facility, facility rules, tour appropriate areas, explain treatment process, help client to understand what is expected, and what s/he may expect.
4. Assessment, Evaluation and Intervention: Take an appropriate psychosocial history; develop a diagnosis based on current DSM criteria, help client to understand the damage that addiction may be doing to physical, family and career life.
5. Referral: Be able to appropriately match client diagnosis and symptoms to treatment facility and program level. Be familiar with other area programs and facilities that client may need beyond substance abuse treatment and be able to make appropriate referrals.
6. Treatment Planning: Be able to: develop client treatment plans, including long-term and short-term goals and the areas of life specified by OASAS; involve client in the development of the treatment plan; keep treatment plans updated.
7. Counseling: Be able to: select the appropriate counseling model(s) for a situation; use one-on-one and group counseling skills, including empowering clients, focusing on strengths, and keeping the focus on the client's agenda, not the counselor's.
8. Crisis Intervention: recognize and appropriately respond to signs of relapse, suicidality, depression. Be able to appropriately call on others for assistance when the situation is beyond his/her abilities to handle
9. Patient Education: Counselor will be able to: help client to understand the processes of addiction, withdrawal, relapse, and recovery; be able to convey this information in terms understood by clients and in one-on-one, in group or in front-of-the room environments.
10. Case Management: Be able to understand, and where appropriate assist client with, processes in which the client may be involved in the areas of social services, legal, health care, and mental health care.
11. Reporting and Record Keeping: Be able to keep succinct but complete and coherent records regarding all client interactions for the well-being of both client and agency. Be capable of objective reporting and of knowing what should be included.
12. Consultation with Other Professionals: Be able to work in the substance abuse field as a team member. Discern when to call on supervisor or other experienced staff for assistance. Develop a file of others who can be called on as needed, within appropriate confidentiality procedures.

Employment Potential
For related jobs: Career Coach
Occupational Resource: https://www.onetonline.org

Distribution Requirements	Credit Hours
FIRST SEMESTER:
HUM 100 Exploring Human Services*	3
ACD 140 Alcohol/Chemical Dependency and the Human Service Worker (grade of C or higher required)	3
ENG 101 College Composition (grade of C or higher required) OR ENG 200 Advanced Composition (grade of C or higher required)	3
MTH 160 Statistics I	3
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology	3
First Semester Total:	15
SECOND SEMESTER:
HUM 109 Introduction to Helping Skills (grade of C or higher required)	6
ACD 142 Alcoholism/Chemical Dependency and the Family System	3
ACD 143 Alcoholism/Chemical Dependency Counseling Skills (grade of C or higher required)	3
BIO 133 Human Biology AND BIO 132 Laboratory to Accompany Human Biology	4
Second Semester Total:	16
THIRD SEMESTER:
ACD 144 Alcoholism/Chemical Dependency/Substance Abuse Group Counseling Skills (grade of C or higher required)	3
ACD 241 Alcoholism/Chemical Dependency - Treatment Modalities	3
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychological Studies	3
SPC 141 - Interpersonal Speech Communication OR SPC 142 - Public Speaking OR SPC 144 - Communication and Crisis	3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - WORLD LANGUAGES (SUNY-WLNG) ELECTIVE	3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION HUMANITIES (SUNY-HUMN) ELECTIVE	3
Third Semester Total:	18
FOURTH SEMESTER:
ACD 245 Special Issues in the Field of Alcoholism/Chemical Dependency/Substance Abuse	3
ACD 246 Alcohol/Chemical Dependency - Internship Seminar	6
HUM 218 Working with Trauma Informed Care Skills	3
SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION - SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUNY-SOCS) ELECTIVE	3
Fourth Semester Total:	15
TOTAL CREDITS:	64

*COS 101 or COS 133 (or other program-specific college success course) will be subbed for HUM 100 if previously completed. Students who took COS 101 (or other one credit college success course) may need an additional two credit elective (ACD, ECE, or HUM recommended) to meet the minimum 60 credit requirement; see success coach/advisor or department chair.
Revised 08/04/2026

2026 - 2027