A Survey of Training Needs of Experienced Certified Addictions Counselors

Abstract

The alcohol and other drug abuse field has, more often than not, determined the topics of education and training be directed by published authors and associated authority figures. Rarely do workshop instructors ask the field what they would like to see presented, or how they prefer the information to be conveyed. A recent survey was conducted by The Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Chemical Abuse Certification Board to address these questions. The results indicate a preference for training topics that encompass cultural issues, alternative forms of treatment and relapse prevention. The preferred style of delivery was that via discussion groups and lectures. Data such as this needs to be weighed into future drug and alcohol education.

The Pennsylvania State University's Chemical Dependency Counselor Training Program: Addressing the Needs of Educators and Addiction Specialists

“…He further noted that, of those AOD abuse counselors with a higher level of formal education, 21% held a bachelor's degree, 40% had a master's degree, and only 3% had earned a doctorate. The results of a recent survey of Pennsylvania Certified Addictions Counselors (Taleff, 1996) agree with these data. This survey found that of the 208 participants attending two separate state conferences, 25% had a high school diploma or an associate's degree, 38% had a bachelor's degree, and 35% held a master's degree.…”

Counselor assessments of training and adoption barriers

“…Moreover, state or licensure requirements are major considerations when these professionals make choices about continuing education (Taleff, 1996). For example, in a distance-learning program conducted by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center of New England (Hagberg, Love, Bryant, & Storti, 2000), 55% of clinicians reported that they applied the training toward certification/licensure.…”