2023 Best Online Substance Abuse Counseling Degrees in Montana

Serving your community by providing face-to-face, telephone, or online substance abuse counseling in Montana is just one of several career options available to you once you've completed an in-person or online substance abuse counseling degree program. Although you don't need a degree to become a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC), a bachelor's or master's may make you a more attractive job candidate for higher-level positions. 

According to data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 1,910 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors working in Montana, and they earn a mean annual salary of $48,690. More state funding, among other factors, should lead to a 20.8% increase in the number of jobs for counselors in Montana through 2030.

You may also be interested in nonclinical roles, such as becoming a community health worker or a health education specialist. You could go to work for a local or state government agency or nonprofit organization where you'll be involved in operating education, prevention, and treatment programs. With experience, you may qualify for managerial positions that typically feature higher incomes.

The Board of Behavioral Health (BBH) is the governing body that oversees substance use counseling in Montana. The board provides a simple checklist that explains how to become a substance use counselor, including specific certification requirements. 

This state's substance abuse counseling certification system is straightforward. There is just one category — Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) — but many ways to meet the requirements for licensure.

For example, you do not necessarily have to have a college degree to become a LAC. However, you do need to attend an accredited college or university where you take specific courses in human behavior, psychology, psychopathology, abnormal behavior, and counseling theory. You'll also need to take classes in chemical dependency assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and documentation, co-occurring disorders, ethics, and more.

In addition to educational requirements, you'll need to accumulate 1,000 hours of supervised addiction counseling experience. To complete your application for licensure, you have the option of taking any one of several possible exams: Level 1 or Level 2 exam sponsored by the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), the Northwest Certified II exam, the Southwest Certification II exam, or the ADC or AADC exam sponsored by the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC).

Although a bachelor's or master's degree is not required, having a more advanced education may qualify you for higher-paying roles in leadership positions. If you'd like to earn a master's degree online, you may be interested in the accredited options on our lists of the best online substance abuse counseling master's programs and the most affordable online substance abuse counseling master's programs. 

No, Montana does not offer reciprocity for substance use counselors from other states. However, if you are a licensed alcohol and drug counselor in good standing, your background may qualify you for licensure in Montana. You will, however, have to retake one of the licensing exams accepted by the state licensing board.

In Montana, you could conceivably become an addiction counselor in as little as three years. You'll need about two years to complete the required college coursework and another year to acquire the 1,000 hours of supervised work experience. However, if you plan to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree, it is likely to take about seven years to complete your education and work experience.