How to Become a Substance Abuse Counselor in Oregon

Written by Sam Medley

In 2019, Oregon was in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic. That year, the Oregon Health Authority reported that there were about 280 opioid overdose deaths. In 2023, that number grew to over 1,000.

While the overdose epidemic affects every corner of the state, it seems to have hit Portland the hardest. In fact, state, city, and county government officials declared a 90-day state of emergency in Portland in early 2024. This necessary but concerning move allowed government officials to dedicate more resources to prevention, crisis intervention, and recovery programs.

However, Oregon’s state-of-emergency declaration was only a short-term solution for a relatively small area. To usher in more long-lasting, life-saving change, the state needs more recovery services and more recovery professionals. By becoming a substance abuse counselor in Oregon, you can bring hope to people battling substance use disorders in your own community.

Steps to Becoming Certified as a Substance Abuse Counselor in Oregon

While the state of Oregon licenses counselors, psychologists, and other behavioral health professionals, the government doesn’t offer licenses or certifications specifically for substance use disorder counselors. Instead, a nonprofit organization called the Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO) handles substance use disorder counselor certifications. They’ve been in operation since 1977.

The MHACBO offers three levels of counselor certification:

In this guide, we’ll focus on the second option: CADC II. While you can become a substance abuse counselor in Oregon as a CADC I, becoming a CADC II requires a little more training and education. This means that CADC IIs can typically handle more complex cases and often move into administrative roles after gaining some experience.

Just as importantly, as a CADC II, you could be positioned to earn more advanced credentials and hold more advanced jobs.

1. Complete Education Requirements

2. Register as a CADC-R

3. Complete 4,000 Supervised Experience Hours

4. Submit Documentation About Your Education and Work Experience to the MHACBO

5. Pass the NCAC II National Certification Exam

6. Pass the Written Jurisprudence Ethics Exam

Step 1: Complete Education Requirements

You can fullfil the MHACBO’s minimum education requirements in one of two ways. The first option is earning a bachelor’s degree. The second option is earning at least 90 college credit hours. These hours can be earned through an associate degree program. However, associate degree programs are typically only about 60 credit hours meaning you may have to take extra classes.

But no matter which option you choose, you’ll need to complete 300 contact hours of education about alcohol, drugs, and addiction during the course of your studies. This includes classes on a eight core topics:

Basic counseling skills (15 hours).
Group counseling (15 hours).
Counseling ethics (12 hours).
Counseling diverse populations (6 hours).
The pharmacology of alcohol and drugs of abuse (15 hours).
The assessment and risk reduction of HIV/AIDS (6 hours)
Clinical evaluation as outlined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (8 hours).
Co-occurring disorders (6 hours).

One college credit hour of class about these topics is equivalent to 10 contact hours. One college semester hour of class is worth 15 contact hours. If you’re not sure if a college course counts, the MHACBO’s Education Guide has a list of accepted courses offered at colleges across the state. However, this list may not include all accepted courses.

You can also earn education hours by attending workshops, seminars, online continuing education courses, and similar events. One hour of attendance at these types of events counts for one contact hour. To find approved online and in-person courses, you can check out the MHACBO’s education database.

Step 2: Register as a CADC-R

An important part of becoming a substance abuse counselor in Oregon is gaining hands-on supervised experience. But before earning experience hours, you’ll need to register as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Registrant (CADC-R).

CADC-Rs are professionals who are working towards full certification but haven’t fulfilled all requirements. You don’t need to complete all education hours before registering.

Fortunately, the CADC-R application process is pretty straightforward. The application itself asks about basic personal information and requires you to include a copy of your photo ID and a $75 application fee. You’ll also need to review and sign the MHACBO Code of Ethics.

After you submit your CADC-R application, you’ll:

Have two years to earn your full certification. This means that you may not want to register until right before you start earning experience hours. The MHACBO only grants extensions under very specific circumstances.
Be placed on the MHACBO Registry. The Registry is a list of certified professionals that allows employers and clients to check the status of a counselor’s license.
Receive an application for the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) exam. This is the exam you’ll need to pass before becoming a full-fledged CADC II. We’ll cover this step in more detail in step five of this guide.

You can also register as a CADC-R within 30 days of accepting a job that requires you to perform counseling services. This can give you the opportunity to find the right internship or entry-level counseling role before committing to the two-year training window.

Step 3: Complete 4,000 Supervised Experience Hours

While your classroom education will introduce you to counseling theories, practices, and ethics, you’ll learn how to apply that knowledge to real-world situations over the course of 4,000 supervised experience hours.

The MHACBO says you should spend a specific number of hours on skills related to each of the eight domains of addiction counseling:

- Screening (100 hours)
- Treatment orientation including informing clients of their rights (100 hours)
- Assessment (100 hours)

- Planning treatment, prioritizing client needs, and related activities (200 hours)

- Maintaining professional relationships, arranging services with other agencies, consultation, and other interprofessional duties (40 hours)

- Case management (200 hours)
- Discharge planning (200 hours)
- Relapse prevention (200 hours)

- Individual counseling (100 hours)
- Group counseling (100 hours)
- Family and couples counseling (no minimum requirement)
- Crisis intervention (40 hours)

- Educating clients, families, and communities about treatment services and substance use disorders (200 hours)

- Preparing and storing records that accurately report client details, observing legal privacy requirements, and related tasks (200 hours)

- Program and curriculum development, quality assurance and control, outcomes and satisfaction monitoring (100 hours)

These minimum hour requirements only add up to about 2,000 hours. Your supervisor can help you identify which areas you should spend more time on. According to the MHACBO, all working hours count. This includes hours spent performing administrative duties such as treatment planning.

Finding a Supervisor

To help you get the most out of your supervised work experience, the MHACBO has some requirements about who can be your supervisor. While your supervisor can be a CADC II or CADC III, other types of professionals can qualify, as well.

This includes professionals licensed by other behavioral health boards like the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists or the Board of Licensed Social Workers. However, these professionals should also have at least 120 hours of training on substance use disorders.

But aside from ensuring your supervisor meets the MHACBO’s requirements, it’s important to have a supervisor who can give you constructive, personalized feedback about your development.

Step 4: Submit Documentation About Your Education and Work Experience to the MHACBO

In many states, counselors in training send in all documentation at the same time. That’s not necessarily true in Oregon. After registering as a CADC-R, you can submit documentation as you complete the different steps.

For example, as soon as you complete your education hours, you can submit an education log to the MHACBO. And as soon as you finish your supervision hours, you can submit a supervision experience form.

Keep in mind that you’ll also have to submit supporting documents including official college transcripts and certificates of completion. Also, the MHACBO asks applicants not to submit forms until they’ve completed all requirements in that area.

Step 5: Pass the NCAC II National Certification Exam

After becoming a CADC-R, the MHACBO will send you information about registering for the National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level II (NCAC II) exam. Administered by the NAADAC, this exam is used to certify new substance use disorder counselors across the country.

Exam Contents, Format, and Suggested Prep Materials

The NCAC II exam is a written exam made up of 150 multiple choice questions. You’ll have three hours to finish it. Questions cover the five domains of substance use disorder counseling:

Treatment orientation (14% of questions).
Assessment (23% of questions).
Treatment planning and implementation (23% of questions).
Counseling skills and practices (23%).
Professional practices (17%).

Additionally, the NAADAC says test-takers should be knowledgeable about nine topics:

Treatment admission, intake, screening, and orientation.
Clinical assessment.
Treatment planning.
Individual, group, and family counseling (also includes client education and crisis intervention).
Record-keeping and documentation.
Case management.
Discharge planning and continuing care.
Ethical and legal issues and professional development.
Psychopharmacology and physiology.

While the NAADAC groups these topics together in a slightly different way, they’re extremely similar to the skills and domains listed by the MHACBO. You can find recommended study materials on the MHACBO’s testing webpage and the NAADAC’s exam information page.

Registering for, Scheduling, and Paying for the Exam

While the MHACBO will send you exam registration information right after becoming a CADC-R, applicants aren’t generally eligible to take the exam until they’ve completed their education and work experience hours. But once you’ve done that, you can finish the registration process online through your CADC-R profile.

During the registration process, you’ll be asked when and where you’d like to take the exam. The NAADAC partners with test proctoring company Kryterion to administer the exam. They list five testing centers in Oregon:

Available dates and times may depend on the location you choose. As of July 2024, the MHACBO says all initial testing fees are waived.

Step 6: Pass the Written Jurisprudence Ethics Exam

Once your NCAC II score has been confirmed, the MHACBO will add an option to schedule the Jurisprudence Ethics Exam to your online CADC-R profile.

This computer-based, multiple choice test is made up of 50 questions about laws and regulations counselors must observe including:

Oregon Administrative Rules 309-018, 309-019, & 415 (state regulations about behavioral health services).
Client rights in Oregon.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Fair housing laws.
Confidentiality and HIPAA regulations.
Mandatory Reporting laws.
The Americans with Disabilities Act.

You can find a study guide on the MHACBO’s Jurisprudence Exam webpage. While the MHACBO doesn’t list much information about the exam, the Oregon Board of Psychology says it’s open-book and can be taken at home or at work. Once you pass it, you’ll be a fully-certified CADC II in Oregon.

With a Master’s Degree and More Experience Comes Advanced Certification Options

After becoming a CADC II in Oregon, you’ll have the opportunity to help people through some of the hardest battles they’ll ever face. But after gaining some experience, you might want to expand your skill set and find new ways to help people. By earning a master’s degree and pursuing more advanced certifications, you can do just that.

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III. This is one of the most advanced certifications the MHACBO offers. Because CADC IIIs are well-versed in clinical treatment methods, they often serve people battling co-occurring disorders. Many also serve as administrators who guide organizational policy and develop cutting-edge treatment programs.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). In addition to treating substance use disorders, LPCs can also treat any number of mental health and behavioral disorders, as well. If you become an LPC in Oregon, you can also qualify to run your own practice.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). While counseling isn’t a social worker’s primary duty, they’re experts in helping people get whatever kind of help they need whether it’s financial support, temporary housing, or crisis intervention. For that reason, LCSWs often work for treatment centers as administrators and client support personnel.

Substance Abuse Counselor Jobs in Portland, Eugene, and Throughout Oregon

Because Portland has the highest concentration of counselors in the state, the city might be a good place to start your job search. It’s home to dozens of single-location treatment centers and recovery centers with locations across the country including the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and New Season.

Outside of Portland, Eugene is one of the biggest recovery hubs in Oregon. In addition to multiple treatment centers, Eugene is also home to nonprofits like Sponsors, Inc., an organization committed to helping incarcerated individuals reenter the community successfully.

To find other substance abuse counselor jobs in Oregon, you can investigate roles with:

Equinox Clinics: a provider that specializes in medication-assisted treatment and has locations across the state.
Serenity Lane: a recovery network that provides in-patient and outpatient services in eight cities including Portland, Eugene, Salem, and Albany.
Kaiser Permanente: a healthcare network that also offers recovery services at clinics and hospitals throughout Oregon.
The Behavioral Health Division of the Oregon Health Authority: a government agency responsible for coordinating statewide recovery services. You can explore their community resource databases to find providers in just about every city and county.

Substance Abuse Counselor Salary in Portland, Eugene, and Throughout Oregon

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), substance abuse counselors in Oregon make a median yearly salary of $62,070 as of May 2023. Entry-level counselors often make closer to $42,260. More experienced professionals can make around $99,380 and up.

Portland. As of May 2023, substance abuse counselors in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro make a median wage of $62,250. New counselors in the area typically make closer to $45,260 while the most highly-paid professionals make about $100,080.
Eugene. The BLS reports that substance abuse counselors in Eugene make a median salary of $59,840 as of May 2023. However, early-career counselors often make about $41,880. The most highly-paid professionals make around $105,810.

Substance Abuse Counselor Degree Options in Oregon

Because you don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree to become a substance use disorder counselor in Oregon, there are a number of paths you can take to fulfill your education requirements. But no matter where you want to start, there’s likely a college or university in Oregon that can help.

For example, if you want to start at the bachelor’s level, Corban University in Salem offers a BS in Counseling Psychology with a Trauma and Addictions concentration. In this program, students can add an internship experience to their classroom studies.

Associate Degrees

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.