Addiction and Recovery Counseling Certificate of Acheivement

The Certificate in Addiction and Recovery Counseling is designed to prepare individuals for work in alcohol, drug and other addictions counseling. The program emphasizes a public health approach that addresses community, social, and individual level factors in addiction while providing certificate candidates with a strong background in treatment modalities, health education and prevention, professional and ethical responsibilities, and client advocacy. Courses are sequenced based on knowledge and skills that are acquired as students move through the program. 

The pre-requisite to the program, HLTH 100, Introduction to Drug and Alcohol Studies, is offered every semester. Other courses are offered either on a semester or annual basis. Please consult the current class schedule to confirm course availability. 

The Addiction and Recovery Counseling Certificate is accredited by an external accreditation agency. For more information, see the "Overview of the College" section of this Catalog.

We anticipate that between 20 and 25 students will complete their drug and alcohol counseling certificate program every year.  We have experienced an increase in enrollment each year and anticipate continued growth of at least a 10% growth rate.  Upon program completion, students will be eligible to take their state license to practice as a drug and alcohol counselor.

The goal of the Addiction andRecovery Counseling (ARC) Program (previously known as: Drug & AlcoholStudies Program) is to prepare students to become counselors with strong competencies in drug and alcohol addiction, prevention and treatment. We focus on meeting the needs of diverse and low-income urban communities, using a harm reduction approach.  This will be accomplished through the completion of the Addiction and Recovery Counseling (CTE)Certificate program.

 

Learning Outcomes,

Upon completion of this certificate program, students will be able to:

 

• Distinguish the ethical skills necessary for professional employment as a substance use treatment counselor in health care settings

• Explain the content and skills necessary for the CertifiedAddiction Treatment Counselor Certificate exam

• Synthesize client-centered counseling skills, harm reduction and motivational counseling concepts, and cultural humility

• Integrate substance use and recovery research into professional practice.          

Professional Skills for Addiction and Recovery Counselors

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
HLTH 30 HLTH 70 HLTH 78 HTLH 90B HLTH 91C HLTH 75 HLTH 77 HLTH 83 HLTH 73 HLTH 86 HLTH 79 HLTH 79W	Drugs and Society Physiological Effects of Addiction Ethics and Drug Counseling  Harm Reduction and Health Hepatitis ABCs Treatment Modalities Co-Occurring Disorders Motivational Counseling  Case Management Group Treatment for Recovery Professional Skills for Addiction and Recovery Counselors Addiction and Recovery Counseling Work Experience	3 3 2 .5 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3	Y1 Y1 Y1 Y1 Y1 Y1 Y1 Y2 Y2 Y2 Y2 Y2

Admissions:

Admission to the program is based on: The completion of prerequisite course HLTH 100, Introduction to Drug & Alcohol Studies (1unit) with a grade of C or higher.

Requirements for the Certificate of Achievement:

The certificate requires the completion of 31.5 units with a grade of C or higher in all course work. At least 20.5 units and both internships must be completed at City College of San Francisco.   Students must also receive a “Satisfactory”performance grade from their internship site supervisor at the end of each semester.

Internship:

Students must complete two full semesters of internship of at least 125 hours each semester with a state-licensed substance abuse services agency. Preparation and supervision for the field work experience will be provided in the lecture Internship class: HLTH 79. The minimum time for completion of this certificate is 4 semesters. Completion time will vary based on student preparation and number of classes completed per semester.

First Year Courses:

HLTH 30 - Drugs and Society

HLTH 70 - Physiological Effects of Addiction

HLTH 78 - Ethics and Drug Counseling

HLTH 75 - Treatment Modalities

HLTH 77 - Co-Occurring Disorders

Second Year Courses:

HLTH 73 - Case Management/Individual Intervention

HLTH 79 - Professional Skills for Addiction and Recovery Counselors

HLTH 83 - Motivational Counseling Skills

HLTH 86 - Group Treatment for Recovery

Required fieldwork/capstone course taken in second year:

HLTH 79 Professional Skills for Addiction and Recovery Counselors

HLTH 79W - Addiction and Recovery Counseling Work Experience

Can be taken anytime:

HLTH 90B - Harm Reduction and Health

HLTH 91C - Hepatitis ABCs

As with CCSF, the ARC program is committed to serving the needs of its diverse community and developing collaborations with community agencies and employer partners. The ARC program works with employers to provide students with internship opportunities and employment. The ARC program conducts regular program assessment and makes modifications accordingly and is committed to providing students with pathways to further their careers and education.

City College San Francisco has the most affordable (free for SF residents) drug and alcohol counseling program in the Bay Area. It is also the only program in San Francisco offering this certificate. Other programs offering this program are within 22 to 45 miles of CCSF. Public transportation is limited to these schools from SF. The Drug and Alcohol Counseling certificate is needed in San Francisco to meet the needs of the community by providing ease access to the college using public transportation. This program also helps to meet employment needs of many SF employers working in the field of Drug and Alcohol treatment and prevention. Similar Programs at Other Colleges in Service Area Cal State East Bay (Hayward) Christian Institute (Santa Clara) College of San Mateo (San Mateo) Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill) San Jose City College (San Jose) Santa Rosa Jr. College (Santa Rosa) The Camp AOD Academy (Santa Cruz) University of California Berkeley Extension (Berkeley) University of the Pacific (Stockton) We reached out to Angela Stocker, Chair of the Addiction Studies department at College of San Mateo (http://collegeofsanmateo.edu/aods/) and have not received a response. Contacted Angela Stocker, Chair of the Addiction studies program at the College of San Mateo. Dates of contact were 2/26, and 2/28, no response as of 3/4.