Substance Use & Recovery Graduate Certificate

About the Program

The Department of Counseling and Human Services within the College of Education at UCCS offers students who have been accepted into the Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Services program the opportunity to seek certification as a Licensed Addictions Counselor (LAC) candidate upon graduation. The university curriculum is designed to meet the core curriculum standards set forth by the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH). The UCCS Substance Use and Recovery Counseling program has maintained the status NAADAC Approved Provider since 2016. For further information regarding NAADAC’s Approved Education Provider programming, see the NAADAC Approved Education Provider landing page at http://www.naadac.org/providers. Students may complete the Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Services and the addictions emphasis simultaneously. UCCS is one of the few Master of Arts degree programs in the state of Colorado that embeds the competencies to meet LAC credentialing.

Focus of Study

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs Substance Use and Recovery Counseling undergraduate and graduate programs maintain rigorous, high-quality coursework, that exceeds the requirements for the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) curriculum. The Substance Use and Recovery Counseling program is a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, and all courses attend to the requirements outlined by NAADAC, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (as outlined in the SAMHSA Practitioner Education Expansion grant). Our program recognizes that addiction counselors and the clients they serve are multicultural beings whose identities and lived experiences significantly impact the treatment process. Thus each class attends to the knowledge, skills, and awareness necessary to provide culturally responsive, clinically competent care to persons from all backgrounds. Students completing these courses will cultivate increased awareness, cultural humility, and cultural empathy through reflective practice. Additionally, students will engage in experiential activities and skills-focused role-play assignments; these activities enable the instructor to provide timely feedback regarding the use of clinical skills, and professional development. All Substance Use and Recovery Counseling courses train students in the use of trauma-informed evidence-based treatment modalities, with an emphasis on holistic and healing-centric care.

Program Requirements

The Substance Use & Recovery Graduate Certificate Program requires 18 credit hours (8 courses).

Program Coursework