Drug and alcohol abuse are all too prevalent among youth and adults in today's society and well-trained, devoted counselors are in great demand. Are you interested in pursuing a dynamic and worthwhile career helping others through becoming a drug and alcohol counselor? The Drug and Alcohol Abuse Studies Program offered at Iona College fulfills New York State's educational requirement for the CASAC (Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor) qualification. Once you complete the eight courses through Iona you will be qualified to begin the work experience required for credentialing as a CASAC. The DAA studies program is an OASAS (Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services) approved program. Please be advised that completion of the DAA program at Iona does not provide graduates with the CASAC; it provides the educational requirement to register with the state and become a CASAC - T (trainee; see below for more details).

What kind of courses would I take?
Eight courses are required to complete the program. All courses are offered on the semester schedule and run during the evenings from 6:30 - 10:00 pm. The eight courses can be completed over 2 years (2 courses per semester).

Courses include:

DAA/PSY 3001	Introduction to Drug and Alcohol Abuse Studies
DAA/PSY 3011	Assessment, Referral, and Treatment Methods
DAA/PSY 3023	Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling with Family
DAA/PSY 3031	Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling
DAA/PSY 3400	Employee Assistance Programs
DAA/PSY 3101	Health Counseling
PSY 441	Developmental Psychology
DAA/PSY 3220	Psychology of Drug Habituation and Addiction

 
Who can enroll in the DAA program?
Courses are open to undergraduates enrolled at Iona as well as to people who are solely interested in completing the DAA program. Where these courses may be used as elective credit in any bachelor degree at the College, the coursework may best complement the degrees of psychology, social work, and criminal justice.

Admissions requirements for those not already enrolled in a degree program at Iona include a High School Diploma or GED, being 18 years of age, and a completed application to become a Visiting Student. Please contact the Office of Admissions at (914) 633-2502 for more information.

Once I complete the coursework, how do I become a certified counselor?
The final step, following your coursework, is to earn work experience to allow you to become a licensed CASAC counselor. You must document 6000 hours of supervised, full-time equivalent experience in an approved work setting as a provider or supervisor of direct patient services. Good news: You can count your BA/BS in an approved human services field (including psychology, criminal justice, sociology, anthropology, education, and more; see the NYS OASAS "Approved Human Services Degrees" page for a complete list) from Iona as 2000 hours toward the 6000 hours of experience needed to be licensed. A Masters degree in a human services field (same as above) can count as 4000 hours. See the OASAS CASAC Requirements page for a full description.

Who teaches the courses?
All courses are taught by Iona College faculty (full-time and adjunct) who have specialized training and experience in the field of alcohol and drug abuse counseling and/or health counseling. Many of the faculty members are engaged in current practice in the field and thus bring rich examples to liven coursework. All faculty members are PhD level psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, or certified CASAC counselors.

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