Addiction Education Programs

Depending on the program of study, students work with either the Program Director or the Field Placement Coordinator to identify sites.  The timeline of placements is flexible, but students complete their field training in their last year of the program(s).  Length of placements depends on program but can occur in summer, fall, and/or spring semesters.  

Students will need to prepare a personalized cover letter and updated resume prior to placement into the field.  Sites may require additional application materials. 

Our addictions programs are located at Anna Maria College's Paxton Campus, and our graduate certificate courses are a combination of online and on-ground courses.  On-ground courses run in the afternoons/evenings with some weekend intensives.  These course day/time offerings are designed to help accommodate the schedules of working professionals. There are about ten students in the program per year, and about 5 are placed in internships each year. 

Our graduate certificate provides coursework in general counseling as well as addictions counseling.  Eligible students are encouraged to continue their training by entering into the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program, which fulfills the educational requirements for Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) in Massachusetts.  This potentially prepares students for dual-licensure as a Licensed Drug & Alcohol Counselor (LADC) as well as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the Commonwealth.  For students who have not yet earned an undergraduate degree, Anna Maria College also offers an undergraduate-level minor in Addiction Studies which includes a track that prepares students for licensure as a LADC.  This minor is part of our general degree program and can be taken alongside any major at the College (e.g. Psychology, Human Services, Social Work). 

Certificate students are expected to directly provide clinical services to people in the community at large.  As such, they're expected to build these clinical skills at their field placements through the support of site supervisors and college faculty.  Students will complete the bulk of their coursework prior to entering the field, and courses are designed to give students theoretical and practical knowledge before entering into their internships. 

Typically, students complete their field training in the fall or spring semesters, but students occasionally complete their internships in the Summer 2 semester (July-August). 

Days/times of internship hours depends on the site.  Students are required to participate in a weekly group supervision seminar that is run at the College.  The Practicum/Internship seminar runs in the evenings (7:00-9:00 pm) so that internship students can still work and attend an evening class.  The seminar provides peer and faculty support surrounding internships and provides students with additional internship skills (e.g. support on writing clinical documentation, case study presentations, etc.). Other specific requirements are dictated by the clinical sites themselves. 

• Supervisors are expected to be "qualified" based on the definitions set forth by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  See the Mass.gov website for updated definitions and requirements of site supervisors.  Program Director and/or Field Placement Coordinator can answer questions about whether a site would be considered appropriate for a student field placement. 

The Black Addiction Counselor Education Program (BACE) is established to train Black people in the area of addiction/mental health treatment, while creating access to addiction treatment credentials: Licensure and Certification. Moreover, by providing technical assistance, capacity building, and support to MDPH-BSAS funded organizations, this program will increase the publicly funded treatment system’s capacity to provide culturally competent services to Black populations, thereby addressing health disparities and their impact on Blacks in the Commonwealth. 

Located in Springfield and Boston, as well as online, BACE enrolls up to 25 students per class. 

This program focuses on the CEU's required for application for Certification and Licensure. Those individuals not working in the field are directed to various agencies to volunteer or to apply for internship to begin work experience hours required. 

Admission to the Black Addictions Counselor Education Program is determined without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin. Individuals of color, especially those who identify as Black or African American, are strongly encouraged to apply. 

NECC Certificates: Career Starters for Addiction and Recovery Counselors

With this program, students gain understanding in areas such as sociology, physiology of substance abuse, psychology, case management, and law and ethics.

Approved by the Council of Standards in Human Services Education, NECC’s program is based on the National Addiction Counselor Competencies and the National Support Skill Standards. Upon completion of this 35-credit program, you can begin working as a licensed drug and alcohol counselor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in a wide variety of settings, including outpatient treatment centers, residential treatment facilities, community shelters, hospitals, correctional facilities, and more.

What you’ll get from our Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling program

Learn SUD Essentials in a Supportive Environment

Immerse yourself in the substance abuse world, as you learn how to observe, assess, and evaluate individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). Gain insights into the latest counseling techniques, treatment modalities, and professional behavior standards. Build essential skills that will allow you to provide therapeutic services to individuals, groups, and families, preparing you to embark down a variety of career paths, including education, outreach, prevention, and detoxification.

Gain real-world experience through practicums supervised by licensed professionals, preparing you to embark on your exciting career journey.

Prepare for a Great Career in the Addiction Recovery Field

At NECC, we’re here to help you build a skill set that’s in demand. Whether you see yourself as the next great substance abuse counselor, peer recovery coach, clinical supervisor, or other addiction recovery professional, we’ve got you covered. While guiding you every step of the way, our experienced instructors will show you how to:

• Observe, assess, and evaluate individuals with SUD
• Apply counseling techniques, treatment modalities, and professional behavior standards
• Benefit from supervised practicum exercises in substance abuse treatment environments
• Become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• Work in a variety of treatment settings, including outpatient centers, hospitals, residential facilities, correctional facilities, community shelters, and more
• Hands-On Learning
• Through interactive classes and workshops, you’ll practice what you’ve learned in real-life scenarios, as well as projects that connect you with others in the local community.

Flexible Schedules

With a mix of online and on-campus options, NECC makes it easy for you to fit study into your life, not the other way around. Once you’ve completed our Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling Certificate program, you’ll be able to pursue immediate employment or apply your credits towards an associate degree in Human Services from NECC.

This Program is designed to prepare the student for licensure and credentialing in an Addictions Counseling Career. With completion of all coursework and the final supervised work in the Practicum, the student will have completed the requirements to sit for the Massachusetts Counseling exam (LADC).

Students are screened throughout the fall semester before being placed in an internship experience. 

Students should have an appropriate resume and submit it to the ACE Director and have it available when interviewing for a practicum site. 

Approximately 25 to 30 students are enrolled, with 15 to 20 in internships. 

This is a comprehensive educational program preparing students to enter the addiction counseling field. 

To be eligible for an internships, the student needs to have successfully completed the first semester of the ACE program which includes: Use & Abuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs in Society; Counseling the Chemically Dependent Individual; Co-occurring Disorders.

The majority of internships are completed in the Spring semester beginning in January. 

Classes during the spring semester occur on Wednesday evenings. 

Supervision from WSU includes a Supervision/Ethics Course from January to May on either Thursday evenings or Saturday mornings. 

WSU prefers that students if in recovery are in recovery for approximately 2 years and must have at least a GED or High School Diploma.