2023 Best Online Substance Abuse Counseling Degrees in Colorado

No matter where you live in the U.S., you can earn a traditional or online substance abuse counseling degree. Once you graduate with your bachelor's degree, you'll be ready to start building one of many possible careers in substance abuse counseling.

If your career goal is to provide substance use counseling in Colorado, you could start working on earning certification as either a Certified Addiction Technician (ACA) or a Certified Addiction Specialist (ACC). A substance abuse counseling bachelor's degree will qualify you for either of these two levels of certification. However, you'll need a master's or doctoral degree in substance abuse counseling or behavioral science to qualify for the highest level of licensure — the Licensed Addiction Counselor (ACD).

If you're interested in helping others but don't want to pursue a clinical counseling role, you have several other options available. You might go to work as a community health worker, running a program to assist people who are suffering from addiction. You could also find employment as a  health education specialist who develops educational campaigns on the dangers of drug misuse. 

Later, after you've acquired several years of work experience, it might be possible to move into a managerial position in a public health government agency or nonprofit organization.

Professionals who provide substance abuse counseling in Colorado are divided into three main tiers: Certified Addiction Technician (ACA), Certified Addiction Specialist (ACC), and Licensed Addiction Counselor (ACD). Becoming a substance abuse counselor at any level in the state will involve completing college coursework, accruing supervised training hours, and passing two exams.

One of the main distinctions between the three substance abuse counseling certifications is educational level. To become an ACA, you need a high school diploma or the equivalent, as well as some college coursework. To become an ACC, you need a bachelor's degree in substance abuse counseling or a similar behavioral science subject. Finally, to become an ACD, you need a master's degree or doctorate in counseling or behavioral science.

When you apply for certification or licensure, you'll need to show that your college coursework covered specific topics. The exact requirements vary by level, but in general, you'll need to show you've studied treatment models, counseling skills, case management, pharmacology, co-occurring disorders, professional practice and ethics, and more.

If you haven't yet completed your degree, be sure to choose an institutionally accredited school. To help meet certification requirements, you may also want to select a program that has been accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). For your convenience, there are many substance abuse counseling bachelor's degrees, substance abuse counseling master's degrees, and affordable substance abuse counseling master's degrees available online. 

In addition to this formal education, you'll also need to complete a certain number of hours of supervised clinical practice, again based on your certification level. You and your supervisor must follow specific guidelines for documenting your hours.

Finally, you'll need to pass two exams. All applicants must take the Mental Health Jurisprudence Exam. The other test varies depending on which level of certification you're seeking, but all three exams are administered by the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). ACA candidates must pass the National Certified Addiction Counselor (NCAC) exam level I, ACC candidates must pass the NCAC level II, and ACD candidates must pass the Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) exam.

The Colorado State Board of Addiction Counselor Examiners requires several other documents before approving an application for certification or licensure. Once you've been approved, your certification or license needs to be renewed every other year.

If you're a chemical dependency counselor from another state, you may be eligible to provide in-person or online substance abuse counseling in Colorado. You'll need to submit an application to the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE) to have your current credentials reviewed.

In Colorado, substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health therapists earn a mean annual salary of $59,860. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there were 13,030 professionals working in the state in 2021. However, that number is expected to increase by 35.7% between 2020 and 2030, creating many new opportunities for credentialed counselors.