Online Bachelor’s Degree in Counseling: Substance Use Disorder Emphasis

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Overview

Work Toward Becoming an Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Counselor

Addiction is a disease that can tear apart families, ruin lives and adversely affect whole communities.1 As an aspiring drug addiction counseling professional, you can help make a difference. Enroll in Grand Canyon University’s Bachelor of Science in Counseling with an Emphasis in Addiction, Chemical Dependency and Substance Abuse. Offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, this program offers you the opportunity to serve individuals, families and communities with competence and compassion.

Throughout your substance use disorder counseling emphasis, you will be taught the underlying causes and contributing factors of addiction and substance use, and the principles of evidence-based drug addiction counseling. Applying a strength-based perspective can help you approach the whole person and family.

group of people sitting in circle at a counseling group session
Why GCU

Benefits of Earning Your Drug Addiction Counseling Emphasis From GCU

A career in substance use disorder counseling can enable you to help others in need throughout your community. When someone is in need of counseling, addiction can make it all but impossible to see the light in the darkness. As a future counseling professional, you could be in a position to offer that person a lifeline when they need it most.

This online bachelor’s degree in counseling may qualify you to pursue further mental health credentials. Each state establishes their own licensure requirements for mental health counselors, so it is important to research the requirements for the state in which you plan to work. In addition to a undergraduate degree in counseling, some states may require a master’s degree, clinical experience hours and a licensure exam.2

female counselor smiling at a group of patients in a substance use counseling session

Pursue an Online Bachelor’s Degree in Counseling: Addiction Emphasis

This online program can allow you to continue meeting your other commitments while furthering your education. As an online student, you will enjoy convenient instruction using our online learning platform, which allows access to course materials and for interaction with peers via discussion threads. You can also take addiction counselor courses on GCU’s campus.


This Degree Is Offered Online

addiction counselor in a yellow dress talking with patient in a private office
Coursework

Substance Use Disorder Counseling Concepts

You will be taught to develop customized treatment plans for each individual that addresses their various needs — physical, emotional, cognitive and social. Each addiction counselor course is faith-integrated with the Christian worldview and key concepts in spirituality designed to enhance comprehension of and treatment for substance use disorders. 

Topics Covered in This Counseling Addiction Emphasis

A blend of theoretical knowledge and applied skills, including hands-on learning experiences, will be taught in this program. 

Some of the topics covered in your substance use disorder counselor program include the following:

  • The biological and psychological components of substance use disorders, addiction and treatment, and their application to individuals with co-occurring disorders like anxiety
  • Cultural competence and cultural sensitivity for clients from diverse populations
  • Relapse prevention, including the potential triggers for a relapse and the development of relapse prevention plans
  • The legal and ethical obligations of mental health counselors regarding child abuse, elder abuse and any type of domestic violence

You will have the opportunity to gain skills in screening, intake, assessment, treatment planning and case management. You will explore special issues in substance use disorder counseling, including considerations when working with children and adolescents and encouraging family involvement in the treatment process.

The role of spirituality in counseling is emphasized. Additionally, as an addiction and substance use disorder counseling student, you will have the chance to gain foundational knowledge in matters pertaining to legal standards, professional guidelines and ethical issues.

Careers

Career Paths With a Counseling Degree for Substance Use Disorder and Addiction

Earning your bachelor’s degree in counseling with an emphasis in addiction is the first step toward pursuing a career in addiction and substance use disorder counseling. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2022, an estimated 11% of eighth-graders had used an illicit drug within the past year.4 The need for substance use disorder counselors is expected to grow as people continue to seek addiction and mental health counseling services.5

Addiction and substance use disorder counselors can work in a variety of settings, including: 

Private Practices

Hospitals

Mental health clinics

Rehabilitation facilities

19%

Estimated job growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors from 2023 to 20335

Additional Career Opportunities

Some jobs may require professional licensure or certification. The bachelor’s degree in counseling for substance use disorder and addiction at GCU may qualify you to become eligible to pursue professional credentials, such as the Licensed Substance Abuse Technician (LSAT). It may also provide a foundation for enrollment in a graduate degree program in substance abuse counseling. The graduate program can also lead to a pathway to licensure. You should research the substance use disorder counselor requirements for licensure for the state in which you would like to work. 

Accreditation

Earn your Counseling Degree From an Accredited University

GCU has been institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. The bachelor’s in counseling with an addiction emphasis program is covered under this accreditation and meets high standards in key educational areas, such as teaching and learning effectiveness, academic achievement, integrity, resources, support and financial stewardship. 

FAQ

Bachelor’s in Counseling: Addiction Emphasis FAQs

Before you decide to pursue this counseling degree, it’s a good idea to inform yourself of the career pathway and what you might expect from a career in the field. You can use the following frequently asked questions and answers to begin your research.

Smiling woman at desk making the Lopes Up hand gesture, ready to begin her counseling degree journey at GCU.

Start Your Journey Today 

Explore how to serve and empower those fighting addiction and substance use disorders as you work to fulfill your goal of becoming an addiction counselor. Apply today for enrollment in GCU’s substance use disorder counseling emphasis online.

Apply Now

1 American Psychiatric Association. (2020, Dec.). What Is A Substance Use Disorder? American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved Aug. 14, 2023. 

2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, Oct. 24). How To Become A Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, Or Mental Health Counselor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved Aug. 14, 2023. 

3 National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022, Dec. 15). Most Reported Substance Use Among Adolescents Held Steady in 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2023.

4 U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, Oct. 24). Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder and Mental Health Counselors Job Outlook. Retrieved July 6, 2023.

5 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, retrieved Oct. 23, 2023.

6 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, as of May 2022, retrieved on Oct. 23, 2023. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.

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