2023 Best Online Substance Abuse Counseling Degrees in Kansas

If you live in Kansas and you've earned either an in-person or online substance abuse counseling degree, you can pursue a variety of career options. One of the most common is to become a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) working in treatment facilities under the supervision of more experienced addiction counselors. To advance to the next level — a Licensed Master's Addiction Counselor (LMAC), you'll need a master's degree.

Currently, there are approximately 1,820 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors at work in Kansas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they earn a mean annual salary of $52,480. ProjectionsCentral expects the number of substance abuse counseling jobs in Kansas to grow by 15.5% through 2030.

Rather than provide direct counseling services, you may be interested in a nonclinical role that still allows you to support people struggling with substance use disorders and other addictions. For example, if you become a community health worker or health education specialist, you may devote your time to overseeing drug use prevention programs or designing educational programs for the public. With several years of experience, you may qualify for higher-paying management positions in health or community services agencies.

In the state of Kansas, the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (KSBSRB) sets the guidelines for residents who want to become substance use counselors. There are three possible levels of substance abuse counselor licensure in the state:

• Licensed Addiction Counselors (LAC), who must practice in a supervised treatment setting
• Licensed Master's Addiction Counselors (LMAC), who have a slightly broader scope of practice as they accumulate the required hours of experience to become an LCAC
• Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselors (LCAC), who can practice independently without supervision

To become an LAC, you must first earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in addiction counseling, social work, or a similar field. Your program's curriculum must contain courses in addiction treatment, counseling, pharmacology, ethics, and more, as well as 600 hours of clinical practice in addiction counseling. You'll also need at least 100 hours of supervised work experience. Finally, you'll need to pass the Level II exam sponsored by the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC).

To earn certification as an LMAC, you'll need to have completed a master's program that included courses in individual and group counseling, treatment planning, ethics, and more. You'll also need 500 hours of clinical practice in addiction counseling and a passing score on the MAC exam, also sponsored by NAADAC. After being certified as an LMAC, you'll need to complete two years of supervised training with an LCAC.

Obtaining certification as an LCAC requires a master's degree or doctorate in a clinical behavioral science discipline. Your graduate studies must include coursework in counseling and research, as well as 350 practicum hours and 35 hours of supervised clinical experience. Additionally, you'll need to provide documentation of 2,000-4,000 hours of work experience, of which 750-1,500 hours must be in direct treatment or assessment activities. LCAC certification also requires a passing score on the NAADAC's MAC exam.

All three levels of certification to provide substance use counseling in Kansas require a degree from an institutionally accredited college or university. Similarly, our lists of the best online substance abuse counseling master's degrees and the most affordable online substance abuse counseling master's degrees contain only accredited programs. 

In Kansas, substance abuse counseling certification needs to be renewed every two years. All certified counselors must complete 30 hours of continuing education to renew their licenses.

Yes, in Kansas, substance use counselors who are certified and in good standing in other states may be able to earn certification by reciprocity. If you have earned only a bachelor's degree, you can apply for certification as an LAC. If you hold a master's degree or doctorate, you can apply for LCAC certification. You'll need to demonstrate to the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board how your current certification aligns with Kansas state counseling certification guidelines.

The amount of time it takes to become a substance use counselor in Kansas depends on a number of factors, such as the level of certification you're seeking and the amount of time it takes you to complete your college education. To obtain the lowest LAC level, you'll need to earn a bachelor's degree, which often takes four or five years for full-time students. To become an LMAC, you'll need a master's degree, which requires an additional two or three years of full-time study. You'll then need to complete two additional years of supervised training to become a full LCAC.