Tennessee Addiction Counseling Schools & Licensure Information

Licensure

The governing body over drug abuse and addiction counselors in Tennessee is the Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors. They set requirements for drug and addiction counselors in the state. The Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors is also in charge of interpreting the laws and regulations by which counselors would need to abide by, and investigating violations or misconduct and disciplining those who have been found to violate the "Practice Act".

Education Requirements

270 classroom contact course training, which can be obtained through training courses, workshops, or going to schools providing curriculum that fulfills the 12 primary functions:

Screening
Intake
Orientation
Counseling
Case management
Crisis intervention
Assessment
Treatment planning
Client education
Referral
Reports and recordkeeping
Consultation with other professionals

Experience Requirements

6,000 hours of clinical supervision required. This requirement can fulfilled by working under the supervision of licensed counselor who has a "Certificate of Qualified Supervision" in a drug treatment or rehabilitation facility

For more information on education & experience requirements needed visit http://health.state.tn.us/boards/A&D/education.htm

Schools that offer Drug Abuse or Addiction Counseling Programs

Southwest Tennessee Community College

They offer a "Substance Abuse Counseling Technical Certification" course which covers 100% of the education requirement (12 primary functions). The program is 23 Credit hours, which based on the current 2013 tuition schedule of (135.00 per credit hour for In-State Students $557 per credit hour for Out-Of-State Students) should run about $3,500-$5,000 for the program for In-State Students and $13,000+ for Out-Of-State Students. To get more information this program visit: http://catalog.southwest.tn.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=1&poid=119

Some Classes Include:

Orientation to Function of Substance Abuse Counselor
Adult Development
Counseling Theories
Methods of Substance Abuse Treatment
Ethics for Substance Abuse Counselor

University of Memphis

Degree Offered: BPS (Bachelor of Professional Studies) with Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services as a Concentration

Program Information: http://www.memphis.edu/ugcatalog/collegeprog/univ_college/alcohol.php

Some Classes Include:

Social Response to Human Need
Human Interactions
Alcohol, Culture and Biology
Drug Addiction and Alcoholism
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services
Alcohol, Drugs and Behavior