Addictions Students pursuing this specialty are prepared to work with addictive disorders including gambling, and also mental and emotional disorders which often accompany drug and alcohol abuse. The curriculum is based on nationally validated competencies for addictions counselors.
Students can emphasize work with adults or with children, adolescents, and families.
Internship placements allow students further opportunities to specialize, if they wish, in work with specific populations such as women, persons in correctional facilities and programs, adolescents, and members of ethnic minority groups. Students completing this master's degree program are prepared to pursue certification as drug and alcohol counselors and also as Licensed Professional Counselors or other master's level certification as mental health counselors. There is a growing shortage of counselors prepared with graduate-level knowledge and skills in addictions treatment. One in ten adults in the U.S. is addicted to alcohol or drugs according to the best existing research. Drug and alcohol abuse is a critical risk for teen-agers.