CDC Program

East Los Angeles College Chemical Dependency Counselor (CDC) Program

There is no formal application process to enter the Chemical Dependency Counselor Certification Program. This is an open enrollment program which requires the completion of 36 units of designated classes. The course units that constitute completion are 30 Academic units and 6 Clinical Internship units.

Academic Requirements
Recommended Courses and Sequence


COURSE NAME & NUMBER
COURSE TITLE
UNIT
Semester 1
PSYCH 1
General Psychology I
3
PSYCH 64
Introduction to Alcohol and Drug Abuse
3
PSYCH 43
Principles of Group Dynamics I
3
Semester 2
PSYCH 14
Abnormal Psychology
3
PSYCH 68
Biopsychology of Chemical Dependency Drugs, Behavior and Health
3
PSYCH 63
Alcohol/Drug Studies: Prevention and Education
3
Semester 3
PSYCH 65
Chemical Dependency: Intervention,Treatment and Recovery
3
PSYCH 67
Counseling Techniques for the Chemically Addicted
3
PSYCH 37
Psychology of Codependency and Family Systems
3
PSYCH 34
Co-occurring Disorders
3
Semester 4
PSYCH 81
Field Work I - Outpatient Clinical Internship
3
PSYCH 82
Field Work II - Inpatient Clinical Internship
3


Internship Requirements
After completing the mandatory nine courses (30 units), the final 6 units of the CDC Program will be earned by completing 2 Clinical Internships. Each of the 2 Internships will require a minimum of 125 supervised, documented volunteer hours in a treatment site approved by the East Los Angeles College CDC Board of Directors. The Internship may be completed in 1 or 2 College Semester.

Program Length
The length of the CDC Program will very depending upon the number of courses the student enrolls in each semester. If the student is attending college on a full time basis, it generally takes 4 semesters to complete and graduate the CDC Program.

Summer/Winter courses offer the opportunity to complete some required courses in a five week period.

Sobriety
We strongly recommend 12 months of continuous sobriety before beginning the CDC Program.

Job Opportunities
The demand for Certified Chemical Dependency Counselors continues to increase each year. Prop 36 (an initiative mandating treatment rather than prison) has resulted in an explosion of jobs for qualified counselors. Local Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers have worked with the East Los Angeles College Chemical Dependency Program for many years and continue to hire many the the Program Graduates.  

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