1 minute read

NEW Addiction and Substance Abuse Counseling

Classroom and Lab

Albany Technical College (ATC) unveiled its new Addiction and Substance Abuse Counseling classroom and lab on Monday, November 14th. The 2,080 square foot teaching area is located in the Center for Excellence in Information Technology building and is equipped with a 792 square foot lab divided into three working labs.

This degree program, which is the first of its kind in the state of Georgia, provides students with the opportunity to become addiction counselors and to offer counseling, career advice, and therapeutic services to substance abusers and their families. Students in the program receive training in drug, alcohol, and crisis intervention as well as courses in psychology and communication.

The 62-credit hour program covers a range of topics, including addictions, theories and treatments, multicultural issues, biopsychosocial/case management with families, theories of counseling, substance abuse counseling, and crisis intervention.

Graduates of the Addiction and Substance Abuse Counseling program can pursue careers in human services, such as social work, case management, and treatment court. Many graduates go on to work for nonprofit organizations, social service agencies, and state and local governments.

According to Shona Jones-Bennett, Program Chair/Instructor at Albany Technical College, "There is an increase in drug and alcohol use in the United States and Southwest Georgia.

This training facility at Albany Technical College offers individuals in our community a chance to train and be placed in positions that can save lives by providing counseling and assist in crisis intervention that is so badly needed right now."

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) statistics indicate that in the United States, about 14.4 million adults aged 18 and older (6.2% of this age group) had an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2019. In addition, 85.6 million adults (37.3% of this age group) reported binge drinking in the past month, and 27.7 million adults (12.0% of this age group) reported heavy alcohol use in the past month.

As for drug abuse in the United States, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that in 2019, about 20.4 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder (SUD) related to their use of alcohol or illicit drugs. Of these, about 8.4 million had an SUD involving both alcohol and an illicit drug, and 7.1 million had an SUD involving only illicit drugs.

Employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is expected to grow 25% from 2019 to 2029, making it a particularly promising field for those interested in pursuing a career in addiction and substance abuse counseling.

This article is from: