Is Addiction Therapy a Field Available in Utah?

Utah is known for being a state of mostly Latter-Day Saints, commonly known as "Mormons." This religious group does not drink, smoke cigarette, take drugs, or use any alcoholic substance and comprises almost all of the state of Utah. As such, you might not think that there's much of a need for substance abuse and addiction therapists in the state, but this is actually not the case at all. While alcohol and illegal drug abuse rates in the state are low, they do exist. Also, Utah is the state in the United States with the highest percent of prescription medication addicts or abusers. Other addictions that are more psychological in nature, such as eating disorders, gambling addictions, and others also seem to plague the state.

If you plan on being an addiction therapist in the state of Utah, you have many places in which you can choose to work. A great deal of addiction therapists in the state work in private treatment or rehabilitation centers, designed to help addicts stop using and to learn how to live a productive life free of their addiction and of substance abuse. These special centers are located throughout the state, providing employment opportunities wherever you might live.

Others work in one of Utah's many state or local hospitals, helping to admit, diagnose, and treat addicts and to recommend them to programs that can prove helpful to them after they are discharged from the hospital. Hospitals tend to be some of the highest paying workplaces for addiction therapists in the state, paying well above the state average for all addiction therapists currently working in the field. Outside of hospitals, therapists may also work in group homes, halfway houses, as private counselors, or even as sober coaches, helping recent addicts to stay clean after completing treatment and returning home.

Obviously, there are lots of options for employment in the field in Utah. You also have a lot of choice when it comes to education and/or choosing licensure or certification. The Association of Utah Substance Abuse Professionals offers certifications of associate addictions counselor and certified addiction counselor. Likewise, the Division of Occupation and Professional Licensing offers licenses for those wishing to become substance abuse counselors. Those who complete the licensure program may do so in one of three ways, known as tracks. These "tracks" consist of different combinations of education, experience, and testing, and each one places a different amount of emphasis on each particular area.

If you are more interested in certification than licensure, the certifying programs are very easy to complete. To become a associate addictions counselor, you simply have to complete a 45 hour practicum in the field, followed by additional 180 hour practicum, as well as one year or 2000 hours of verified chemical dependency counseling training and experience. Additional requirements include attendance at a ethics workshop and passing a written exam.

You can take your certification a step higher by choosing to become a certified addictions counselor. All you have to do is to complete 300 hours of training in the field, spend at least 3 years or 6,000 hours doing hands on training, and pass an oral examination.

Having so many different ways to enter into your dream career can be a bit overwhelming at first. If you're not sure which one is right for you, spend some time researching your chosen profession, talking to others working in the field, and seeking guidance from a career counselor. Eventually, you can figure out which licensure, certification, or other path is right for you and your own personal goals and dreams.