MOHAVE COUNTY – Mohave Community College’s Substance Abuse Counseling program recently received accreditation by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC).
MCC is one of only 29 colleges in the country to have earned this specialized accreditation. NASAC is an accreditation organization for higher education addiction studies programs.
The college Substance Abuse Counseling program is competency-based, which means students can work at their own pace, and quickly advance forward from one class to the next by proving they know the material.
“When students graduate from a competency-based education program, employers will know the students had to demonstrate competency or mastery for each and every content area,” Substance Abuse Counseling Program Coordinator Lori Howell.
The program offers an Associate of Arts in Substance Abuse Counseling and a post degree Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling.
“The substance abuse counseling degree offers many options for employment in any field requiring knowledge of substance use, such as psychology, social work, criminal justice or any occupational field in which one works with people,” said Howell.
Substance Abuse Counselors also find employment as behavioral disorders counselors and addiction counselors working with individuals, families and groups to assist people recovering from substance use disorders or other damaging behavioral disorders.
The associate degree is a two-year program, and since it is competency-based it can be completed faster by accelerating the completion of coursework as well as taking summer courses.
The degree and certificate program are online and self-paced, which is a format that works well for all students, especially those with busy schedules and those who want to finish faster. Students also have access to an Academic Success Coach who guides them throughout their degree and coursework.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 398,000 jobs are projected to be available from now until 2029 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Mohave County has dramatically decreased the number of opioids being dispensed from 2015 to 2019, but it has consistently held the slot for having a high opioid dispensing rate in Arizona.
For more information on MCC’s Substance Abuse Counseling program visit, www.Mohave.edu/substance-abuse-counseling.
The next classes at MCC begin on January 19. You can apply for free at the college website www.Mohave.edu or call 866-MOHAVECC (866-664-2832) for assistance.
