MSW MSW for addiction disorders

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ConstructualFallacy

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Hi all, I'm new to the forum (though I've been perusing for about a week now). I'm less than a year away from earning my BA in Psychology, and have decided that I want to go to graduate school. My main interest is in misuse and addiction (both substance and non-substance based disorders) and the biological, social, genetic and psychological influences involved. In terms of what will be learned in graduate school as well as application in rehabilitation centers, would an MSW + license be qualified/expected to explain these things to clients? I understand that social workers provide outreach and advocacy for their clients, but do they also help people to determine cues and stimuli?

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That would depend on the program but there are definitely many,many LCSW's out there who are specializing in addictions and are very successful. There are also many post-graduate programs that help you build a good knowledge base and help you treat addictions.
 
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Hi all, I'm new to the forum (though I've been perusing for about a week now). I'm less than a year away from earning my BA in Psychology, and have decided that I want to go to graduate school. My main interest is in misuse and addiction (both substance and non-substance based disorders) and the biological, social, genetic and psychological influences involved. In terms of what will be learned in graduate school as well as application in rehabilitation centers, would an MSW + license be qualified/expected to explain these things to clients? I understand that social workers provide outreach and advocacy for their clients, but do they also help people to determine cues and stimuli?

Depends on your state's requirements. Most states have a certification for substance abuse counselor and often the certification can be obtained without a master's, though the master's is preferred. Google IC/RC and they will have your state's requirements. Any classes you need for the certification can usually be found at community colleges. Even with a master's, you will likely need additional classes and an internship with supervised hours treating substance abuse, unless you manage to do field training in a substance abuse facility while in your program, which I would recommend.
 
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I was going to for for Psychology and go the and still am going to phD... want to be a mediator
 
It varies by state, but here they are really looking for an LADC (licensed alcohol and drug counselor) when they want someone to work with substance abuse. Though an LCSW can work with addictions, it's preferred they have some type of specialized addiction counseling. Many people hold both an LADC and another counseling license of some type.
 
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I am currently interning at a mental health/substance abuse treatment center and all of our staff working in substance abuse services are LCSWs with their certificate in alcohol and drug counseling (CADC). My school also offers a specialty program in alcohol and drug abuse (SPADA) certificate specialization to give people interested in this path a head start towards their certification. Looking at the courses offered and considering the continuing education you'll be required to attend for the remainder of your years and the hefty case loads you'll likely be juggling, yes you would be more than qualified to not only explain those things to your clients, you'll be expected to use your expertise to help them overcome their addiction/mental health issues (no easy task). Very common path for social workers from what I've seen.
 
I wanted to come back and add that I got around to asking a friend of mine who works at an inpatient rehab faculty and she says they don't care what the license is, as long as you can demonstrate either experience or training with substance abuse/dependency.

So I was wrong ha!
 
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