Associate Substance Abuse Counselor
Associate Substance Abuse Counselor is an interim licensure level for those counselors who have earned a Master's degree or higher in substance abuse counseling (or a related field), but have not yet completed the required supervised work experience (typically 2000 to 3000 hours), nor passed the required exam for full licensure. Most states have a tiered licensing system for
Substance Abuse Counselors (SAC) with each step defined by a particular education, training and experience background. Entry level positions, such as
Substance Abuse Counseling Technician, require an Associates degree (sometimes Bachelor's degree) and passing an exam. More advanced levels require a defined quantity of supervised work experience (1000 to 3000 hours is typical) and a Master's degree.