How to Get Certified to be an Addiction Therapist in Montana
If you live in the state of Montana and think that you would enjoy a career as an addiction therapist, you should be aware that there are certain statewide requirements that you must meet in order to make your career goals a possibility. First of all, you must possess at least some degree of higher education. The level of education that you will need will depend upon the exact career in the field that you wish to pursue.
The majority of working professionals hold at least an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. Common majors in the field include alcohol and drug studies, psychology, sociology, social work, and counseling. However, not all professionals working as addiction therapists have bachelor's degrees. Some are hired with only an associate's or two year degree in alcohol and drug studies, chemical dependency, or substance abuse.
After seeking education, prospective addiction counselors are required to become licensed to practice by the state of Montana. This will require them to complete one year of state training in chemical dependency counseling followed by at least 270 hours of state approved classes and/or experiential learning opportunities. Alternately, prospective employees can also seek licensure in the field by completing 1000 hours of supervised experiential learning at a chemical treatment program. This is followed by both a written and oral exam that must be passed in order to gain state licensure.
If you move to Montana from another state, you will not have to take all of your coursework and go through the certification process again. Instead, you can choose to apply for what is known as an "endorsement license." Endorsement licenses are awarded to those individuals who already hold licenses in another state, so long as that state's requirements for licensing are as stringent as or more stringent than those in place in Montana.
This may seem like a lot of work, but it's really not when you compare Montana to some other states, which require addiction therapists and counselors to possess master's degrees or higher in addition to their licensures. Also, if you truly want to become an addiction therapist, you should be prepared for a lot of work and a lot of learning. Even after you get hired as an addiction therapist, most jobs will require you to become a lifelong learner. It is not uncommon for working addiction therapists to regularly attend seminars, workshops, and courses that help to keep them up to date on the latest developments and schools of thought in the field.
Do be aware, however, that not every job in the addiction therapy field requires you to be a licensed addiction therapist. If you are just wanting to work in a therapist setting but not actually do the counseling yourself, you can find a number of entry level positions that require minimal education and no licensure. Taking on these positions, though they do not pay nearly as well as full fledged addiction therapist positions, can be a good thing to do as you pursue your education. Not only does it give you basic experience in the field but it can help you to figure out whether you are truly suited to the job before you spend a lot of money on educational pursuits. Plus, many employers will pay for their employees to go to school in a related field, often with a promise that they will work for the paying company for a set amount of time after they have completed their education. Obviously, there are many opportunities to get started in this exciting career area.