Full scholarships available for NYS residents to train online to be Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASAC)
July 26, 2023
The Outreach Training Institute (OTI), which provides licensing education for those studying to be addiction counselors, has received a grant from the New York State Office of Addiction and Supports (OASAS) to offer full Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC} scholarships to qualified individuals throughout New York State.
The grant will fund $400,000 in scholarships over two years, beginning in October 2023, and will fully support almost 70 students completing the entire Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor curriculum online.
“This funding is critical, as there is a severe workforce shortage in the substance abuse treatment field,” said Debra Pantin, President and CEO of Outreach. “At a time when the opioid crisis is worsening, the field is in dire need of credentialed counselors to help people with addiction navigate their way to recovery. These scholarships will help enormously.”
Applications are currently being accepted (link here). The criteria for the scholarships will include a demonstrated interest and passion for helping people, with a concerted focus on recruiting those new to the profession. Eligible individuals may work in human and social service agencies, or at other health facilities. They may also be involved in volunteer work in their communities and/or religious, civic, or cultural institutions. Individuals in recovery or family members affected by substance misuse or mental health disorder should also consider applying. There will be a strategic focus on recruiting people of color and those who speak Spanish, to fill the need for a more diverse workforce that is representative of persons served.
Accepted applicants will take part in orientation followed by the 350-hour, will begin in October. The 350-hour program is delivered in 9 modules and takes approximately 11 months to complete and obtain the New York State CASAC-T licensing certificate. Classes will meet in three-hour sessions, three times per week via live video conference on Webex.
For students without experience in the SUD field, several additional services will be provided that will prepare them to work in the field by offering six (6) career preparation classes, vocational support, and internship and job placement assistance. For more information about OTI, please click here.
To apply for the 350-hour program, click here: Welcome to Outreach Training Institute.
About Outreach Training Institute
Outreach Training Institute (OTI), the largest provider of CASAC (Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor) training in New York State, provides the education hours required by the state to achieve a CASAC Trainee (CASAC-T) certification. The CASAC credential allows counselors in New York State to specialize in treating people with substance use disorders. It can be used to work with a broad range of clients, from adolescents to adults, and in different settings/treatment modalities. OTI also provides continuing education training for professionals on best- and evidence-based practices in behavioral health.
About Outreach
For more than 40 years, Outreach has provided substance use and mental health treatment services for the communities of Queens, Brooklyn and Nassau and Suffolk counties. The agency began by offering assessment and referral services, and eventually opening the first adolescent residential treatment program in New York, helping to define substance use treatment nationally for young people under the age of 18. Since then, its programs and services have expanded and now encompass outpatient and residential treatment for adults and adolescents, with culturally responsive programming in Spanish and Polish, and for veterans and LGBTQ+ identifying-individuals. The agency’s professional staff members hail from more than 25 countries and are native speakers of languages most common to its client communities, including Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, Russian and Polish.
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