The scourge of substance use disorder has sunk its claws into Indiana, with a doubling of fatal overdoses, rising street use, and a $45 billion price tag being some of the major consequences racked up over the past handful of years.
Society’s most vulnerable – children – are particularly affected here. The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) reports that the state has earned the unenviable distinction of emerging as one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to minors having to be removed from their homes due to parental drug or alcohol abuse. And in a grim corollary, the number of child deaths caused by caregiver neglect resulting from a substance use disorder rose again, according to a 2022 DCS report.
The good news is that you’re in the right place at the right time to do something about it.
By becoming a substance abuse counselor here in Indiana, you can make a real contribution to turning this catastrophic situation around one person at a time.
Steps to Becoming Certified as a Substance Abuse Counselor in Indiana
Indiana law says you must be licensed if you want to call yourself an addiction or substance abuse counselor, and practice as such for compensation. To become licensed you’ll work with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA), specifically its Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (BHHSLB).
While you can provide substance abuse counseling if you’re a licensed professional in a related field like social work, psychology, medicine, or mental health counseling, these are the exceptions rather than the rule.
You’re here because you want to focus on substance abuse counseling. Which means you’ll be interested in these four licenses offered by the BHHSLB:
- Licensed Addiction Counselor Associate (LACA) – Requires a bachelor’s degree and allows you to obtain the supervised experience necessary to become an LAC
- Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) – Also requires a bachelor’s degree but allows you to engage in addiction counseling without supervision through activities like screenings, assistance in treatment plan development, client and family addiction education, and individual and group counseling
- Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor Associate (LCACA) – Requires a master’s degree and allows you to obtain supervised experience necessary to become an LCAC
- Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC) – This is the highest-level license and it allows you to engage in all the activities that an LAC can, plus you can make mental health diagnoses and develop treatment plans
We’re going to focus on the process of becoming a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC), which involves becoming an associate (LACA) first. This will get you up and running in a career poised to make a difference in the fight against substance abuse.
To become a substance abuse counselor in Indiana you’ll need to earn the LAC credential by following these steps:
1. Earn a Qualifying Bachelor’s Degree
2. Apply for the Licensed Addiction Counselor Associate License (LACA)
3. Pass Either the IC&RC ADC Exam or the NAADAC NCAC II Exam
4. Document Two Years of Supervised Experience as an LACA and Apply for the Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) Credential
Step 1 – Earn a Qualifying Bachelor’s Degree
Education is vital for becoming an LACA in Indiana en route to earning your LAC license. To qualify you need at least a bachelor’s degree in addiction counseling or a related area. The classes you take must cover these topics:
- Addictions theory
- Psychoactive drugs
- Addictions counseling skills
- Theories of personality
- Developmental psychology
- Abnormal psychology
- Treatment planning
- Cultural competency
- Ethics and professional development
- Family education
- Group work
The BHHSLB is clear that you must earn your education through college and university courses. Education earned through private companies offering non-academic substance abuse credentials does not count.
Your degree program also needs to include a supervised addiction counseling practicum that’s at least 350 hours. This may also be referred to as an internship or field experience.
When it comes to your practicum:
- Your supervisor must be a licensed professional like an addiction counselor, clinical social worker, psychologist, or marriage and family therapist
- Your practicum must be primarily in the direct provision of direct addiction counseling services
- Your practicum must involve the direct observation of, and participation in, addiction counseling
It doesn’t matter how you earn your bachelor’s degree; what matters is that you graduate. Completing a qualifying bachelor’s degree online is equal to completing a qualifying bachelor’s degree on-campus. You’ll find that qualifying online programs often structure their practicums to accommodate your physical location to maximize convenience.
Step 2 – Apply for the Licensed Addiction Counselor Associate (LACA) License
Once you’ve established your educational foundation you’re ready to submit an LACA application. The BHHSLB manages applications through its online Indiana Licensing Enterprise portal, through which you’ll need to create a Personal Licensing account.
A complete application involves:
- Uploading your official school transcripts on your online application account
- $50 application fee
- Form C confirming your degree included required coursework
- Form P verifying your practicum; both forms can be found here
Two things will happen once the BHHSLB approves your application packet.
First, you’ll need to complete a criminal background check. A detailed explanation for how to do this is featured here. Basically you must:
- Make a fingerprinting appointment with IdentoGO
- Pay a fingerprinting fee
- Go to a nearby location to be fingerprinted
- The Indiana State Police and FBI send your results to the Indiana PLA, who notifies the BHHSLB
Second, after you pass your background check you’ll receive information from the BHHSLB about how you can register for the exam you must pass to earn the LACA.
Step 3 – Pass Either the IC&RC ADC Exam or the NAADAC NCAC II Exam
The BHHSLB requires you to pass a substance abuse counseling exam before it issues your LACA license. It recognizes two national exams: the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam through the IC&RC and the National Certified Addiction Counselor Level II exam through the NAADAC. It’s up to you which one to take.
Once the BHHSLB is notified that you’ve passed the exam it will issue your LACA license.
ADC Exam
The Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) Exam is sponsored by the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC). You can take it at ISQ-Quality Testing sites in major cities throughout the state.
The test itself is 150 multiple-choice questions which you’ll have three hours to complete. The general subjects the test covers are:
- Screening and assessment
- Treatment, counseling, and referral
- Principles of substance use disorders
- Professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities
You can find plenty of free and proprietary study guides to help you prepare for this exam online.
NCAC II Exam
The National Certified Addiction Counselor Level II (NCAC II) Exam is affiliated with the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). It’s offered at Kryterion testing centers in major cities across the state.
You’re allocated three hours to complete the NCAC II, which is 150 multiple-choice questions. The topics evaluated are:
- Assessment
- Professional practices
- Orientation to the treatment process
- Addiction counseling practices and skills
- Ongoing treatment planning and implementation
The NAADAC offers free and paid test prep assistance. You can also find free test prep material online through third-party websites.
Step 4 – Document Two Years of Supervised Experience as an LACA and Apply for the Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) Credential
Once you’ve earned your LACA license you’ll be ready to find a substance abuse counseling job where you can complete the supervised experience requirements you’ll need to become fully licensed as an LAC.
It’s time to check job ads for employers looking to hire LACAs. Employers in this field routinely hire LACAs with the express intent of bringing them into the organization as full time employees, with the first two years or so being dedicated to providing the documented supervision necessary to become qualified for the LAC.
Once you’re hired you’ll be assigned a supervisor who is actively licensed as an LCAC, clinical social worker, or other related advanced professional.
Your supervised work experience needs to be two years (approximately 2,000 hours), completed over the course of at least 21 months but no more than 48 months. It must include at least 150 hours of direct supervision; 100 of which must be in one-on-one counseling with an individual patient and 50 must be in a group counseling session.
Just like you did for the LACA, you’ll apply for the LAC through your Indiana Licensing Enterprise account. A complete application includes:
- $50 application fee
- Form E2 that verifies two years of addiction counseling work experience
- Form S2 that verifies your supervision; both these forms are available here
Once the BHHSLB issues your LAC license you can work unsupervised as an addiction counselor!
With a Master’s Degree and More Experience Comes Advanced Certification Options In Indiana
You can do a lot as an LAC, but you can’t diagnose co-occuring mental illnesses or independently develop treatment plans. If you’re interested in this level of practice authority then you’ll need to become a Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC).
It’s optional to become an LCAC and take your career to the next level. This license involves a master’s degree, and taking on more responsibility. It can also open up more senior employment positions.
The first thing you need to qualify for an LCAC license is a master’s degree. It needs to be in addiction counseling, addiction therapy, or a related field, and include a counseling practicum that’s at least 700 hours.
The BHHSLB also requires you to:
- Pass either the IC&RC Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) Exam, or the NAADAC Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) Exam
- Complete two years of supervised work experience as an LCAC Associate, including 200 hours of supervision
Private Credentials
Completely separate from the BHHSLB are optional addiction counseling credentials offered by private organizations. You may opt to earn these to pad your résumé, improve your skill level, or to fulfill an employer’s preference.
The landscape for optional private credentials is large. In addition to national addiction counselor organizations there are also private companies, all of whom sponsor their own credentials with their own requirements.
You’ll find it’s common for these private optional credentials to require a combination of education, experience, and testing to become certified. Having a master’s degree typically qualifies you for higher-tier credentials and reduces the amount of experience you’ll need.
Two organizations stand out for offering optional private credentials that are specific to Indiana:
The Association for Behavioral Health Professionals (ICAADA), a Mental Health America of Indiana program. The ICAADA offers several credentials, though the CADAC is most relevant at this level:
- Certified Peer Recovery Coach-Associate (CPRC-A)
- Certified Peer Recovery Coach (CPRC)
- Certified Recovery Coach (CRC)
- Certified Recovery Coach II (CRC II)
- Certified Alcohol and Drug Addiction Consultant (CADAC), levels I, II, III, IV, V
- Certified Prevention Specialist-Associate (CPS-A)
- Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS)
- Certified Prevention Specialist II (CPS II)
- Addiction Consultant in Training (ACIT)
- Addiction Consultant in Training II (ACIT II)
The Indiana Association for Addiction Professionals (IAAP) offers a handful of options, though the ICAC II and CCS is most relevant at this level:
- Addiction Professional in Training (APIT)
- Indiana Certified Addiction Counselor Level I (ICAC I)
- Indiana Certified Addiction Counselor Level II (ICAC II)
- Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)
Substance Abuse Counselor Jobs in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Throughout Indiana
Ever heard of the zombie drug? Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, a 2024 report comes out detailing that Indiana is now among the 20 leading states for user rates of the latest fashion: fentanyl laced with xylazine.
Traditionally used on Indiana farms as an animal tranquilizer, when humans take xylazine it slows down our brain, breathing, and heart rate, calling to mind images of slow-moving yet determined zombies. But unlike the fiction of a horror film, when it comes to xylazine one pill can kill.
Rich or poor, young or old, substance abuse counselors work with Hoosiers from all walks of life. Major players throughout the state include:
- IU Health’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Center in Indianapolis offers intensive outpatient programs that include group, family, and individual therapy.
- Parkview Behavioral Health operates four centers in the greater Fort Wayne area that offer medication assisted treatment, outpatient treatment, and residential services.
- Brentwood Springs in metro Evansville operates substance use detox, inpatient rehab, and outpatient rehab programs.
If you’re in the Bloomington area you’ll be interested to know that this city is home to the highest concentration of substance abuse counselor jobs of all metro areas in the nation, according to the US Department of Labor.
Substance Abuse Counselor Salary in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Throughout Indiana
Substance abuse counselor salaries in Indiana continue to increase. The latest figures show the average statewide salary is $49,750.
Substance abuse counselors in mid-level careers, represented by the 75th percentile, earn $58,740. Those at the top of their career, represented by the 90th percentile, earn $73,670.
How Much Do Substance Abuse Counselors Make in Metro Indianapolis
- Average – $49,810
- 75th percentile – $58,130
- 90th percentile – $74,010
How Much Do Substance Abuse Counselors Make in Fort Wayne
- Average – $49,620
- 75th percentile – $59,420
- 90th percentile – $77,710
How Much Do Substance Abuse Counselors Make in Metro Evansville
- Average – $46,990
- 75th percentile – $56,220
- 90th percentile – $74,400
How Much Do Substance Abuse Counselors Make in Metro South Bend
- Average – $51,290
- 75th percentile – $60,920
- 90th percentile – $77,710
Substance Abuse Counselor Degree Options in Indiana
Indiana has a range of public and private degree and certificate programs that focus on addiction counseling.
Indiana Wesleyan University and Martin University both offer substance abuse bachelor’s degree programs that include practicum experiences.
Relevant certificate and associate’s degree programs will fulfill many of the course subject requirements for becoming an LAC and get you well on your way to the credits you need for a four-year degree.
Online bachelor’s degree programs often make sure to include a practicum or field experience that’s within commuting range of your location, even if the school is out-of-state.
The sooner you graduate, the sooner you can join the ranks of the professionals working to help those suffering from addiction!
Indiana University Bloomington
School of Education
Accreditation: HLC
Campus
Master's Degrees
- MS.Ed in Mental Health Counseling and Counselor Education-Addictions Track
Graduate Certificates
- Graduate Certificate in Addiction Intervention
- Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Counseling (Program is only available for Indiana residents only)
Indiana University East
School of Social Work
Accreditation: HLC
Campus
Undergraduate Certificates
- Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling
Graduate Certificates
- Graduate Certificate in Addiction Intervention (online)
- Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Counseling (online)
Indiana University Northwest
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Health and Human Services
Accreditation: HLC
Campus, Online
Master's Degrees
- MS in Clinical Counseling
- MSW with a concentration in Mental Health and Addictions (online)
Indiana Wesleyan University
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Accreditation: HLC
Campus, Online
Undergraduate Certificates
- Certificate in Addictions Counseling (Division of Behavioral Sciences)
Associate Degrees
- Associate’s in Addiction Counseling
Bachelor's Degrees
- Bachelor’s in Addiction Counseling
- BSW-Addictions specialization
Master's Degrees
- MA in Addiction Counseling
Graduate Certificates
- Graduate Certificate in Addiction Counseling
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
Division of Behavioral Sciences
Accreditation: HLC
Campus, Online, Hybrid
Undergraduate Certificates
- Certificate in Addictions Counseling
Bachelor's Degrees
- BS in Addictions Counseling
- Bachelor of Social Work-Addictions Specialization
- Minor in Addictions Studies
Master's Degrees
- Master’s in Counseling-Clinical Addictions Counseling
Graduate Certificates
- Graduate Certificate in Addictions Counseling
Ivy Tech Community College
School of Public Affairs and Social Services
Accreditation: HLC
Campus
Undergraduate Certificates
- Certificate in Addiction Studies
- Technical Certificate in Addiction Studies
Associate Degrees
- AAS in Human Services-Addiction Studies concentration
Martin University
Accreditation: HLC
Campus
Bachelor's Degrees
- BS in Psychology with a Minor in Addictions Counseling
Purdue University Global
Accreditation: HLCÂ
Online
Bachelor's Degrees
- BS-Psychology in Addictions
Master's Degrees
- MS in Psychology with an Addictions concentration
University of Southern Indiana
College of Liberal Arts
Accreditation: HLC
Online
Graduate Certificates
- Graduate Certificate in Addiction Science
Vincennes University
College of Social Science, Performing Arts, and Communication
Accreditation: HLC
Campus
Undergraduate Certificates
- Substance Abuse Certificate
2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures shown here for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors. Job growth projections are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, CareerOneStop. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2024.