Human Services - Addiction Counseling and Treatment
Associate in Applied Science
Career Degree
Cost
$14,213*
Get paid to help others
Become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor
Spend your career being the go-to person for those in need. Plus, you can earn your credential without breaking the bank. Dive into human services, addiction, counseling and treatment programs, and you might even have your tuition, fees and books covered with a scholarship. It's easy to apply online.
Need more information? Email Martha Arias at marias@clcillinois.edu or call (847) 543-2746.
Change your life and others
Walk alongside people in some of their toughest moments. An Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree prepares you to work with adolescents and adults in many treatment settings, including:
treatment programs for addiction and substance use disorders
hospitals
community human services programs
What can you do with an A.A.S. in Addiction Counseling and Treatment?
An A.A.S. prepares you for a professional role in human services. You may work as an addictions counselor to help people in different treatment settings, such as:
outpatient
inpatient/residential
adult
adolescent
DUI clinics
You also qualify for the exam to become an Illinois Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselor (CADC) and will not need other work experience. With an extra degree or license, you can move into administrative roles or private practice.
Admission: More needed
You should have no history of alcohol or other substance use or addictive disorders. Or, you should be in recovery without recurrence and out of treatment with no criminal justice involvement for at least 18 months.
CLC alumnus Andrea Anderson talks about her academic journey and her career as a licensed mental health therapist and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (C.A.D.C.):
Earn an associate degree in 2 years and gain in-demand technical and job-ready skills.
Program Length: 2 Years
Full-time students finish in 2 years.
Career Outlook
Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$37,305
Median
$56,078
Senior-Level
$97,691
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$17.93
Median
$26.95
Senior-Level
$46.97
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
Bachelor's Degree
18.78%
Master's Degree
81.22%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention. May help individuals deal with a broad range of mental health issues, such as those associated with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; or aging.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$40,469
Median
$61,473
Senior-Level
$109,392
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$19.45
Median
$29.55
Senior-Level
$52.59
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
High school diploma or less
5.58%
Associate Degree
2.43%
Bachelor's Degree
24.6%
Master's Degree
64.39%
Doctorate
3%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$35,354
Median
$43,991
Senior-Level
$59,968
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$16.99
Median
$21.14
Senior-Level
$28.83
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
High school diploma or less
10.41%
Some college
16.21%
Associate Degree
17.99%
Bachelor's Degree
40.46%
Master's Degree
11.16%
Doctorate
3.77%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$40,469
Median
$61,473
Senior-Level
$109,392
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$19.45
Median
$29.55
Senior-Level
$52.59
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
High school diploma or less
23.66%
Associate Degree
23.66%
Bachelor's Degree
3.07%
Master's Degree
49.61%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
This pathway serves as a guide for students to complete the degree or certificate assuming full-time enrollment (registered in 12 or more credit hours per semester) with Semester 1 typically representing a Fall term. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their College and Career Navigator (CCN) to identify coursework that will meet degree requirements based on individual academic goals. For a more inclusive list of course options, see the college catalog.
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*Cost is estimated based on recommended pathway credit hours. This includes in-district tuition and other
fees, such as books and materials before financial aid is applied,
as well as grants, loans or scholarships. There are many opportunities for financial assistance at CLC. Learn more about Cost of Attendance.
Human Services at CLC
Get the bigger picture
This degree is just one possible way to study human services. Get the bigger picture—degrees, credentials and extra options..
You learn how to assess and diagnose substance use disorders. You gain treatment skills, including individual, group and family counseling techniques. You graduate able to build treatment plans, document clinical findings and navigate the ethics of counseling.
Employers who offer these types of jobs in Lake County include:
Gateway Foundation*
Lake County Health Department*
Monarch
Nicasa
Northern Illinois Recovery Addiction Treatment Center
*These employers are likely to provide tuition reimbursement.
Our student profile is varied. Many of our students are older than the average CLC student. Most are in their 30s or 40s, with some younger and older. Your empathy and listening skills are your most important characteristics.
Some of the skills you need to be successful in this program are:
strong oral and written communication skills
open-mindedness
empathy
flexibility
alliance-building
active listening
non-judgmental stance
good emotional health
This program prepares you to take the Illinois professional licensure exam. When you pass the exam, you can work in addiction treatment and counseling in the state of Illinois.
You may be able to work elsewhere with this degree.
“This particular program at CLC for the C.A.D.C. is more advanced than my master's degree program was. It is the one that teaches you the most.”
Andrea studied Addiction Counseling and Treatment in the Human Services program at CLC. She is a licensed mental health therapist with a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counseling (C.A.D.C.) designation.
