Substance Abuse Counseling (CASAC)

DCC offers two paths to CASAC-T (Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor) credential, which is offered through the New York State OASAS (Office of Addiction Services and Supports).

1. Non-credit, non-degree certificate
   The Office of Workforce Education and Development offers a 350-hour OASAS approved program to earn your CASAC-T credential. Students who typically choose this program have either already earned a college degree, already work in the field or are only interested in earning their CASAC certificate.
   All FAQs on this page describe the credit-free program. Read more about the credit program here.
2. Credit / degree
   You can also earn your CASAC-T through DCC’s Human Services credit program. This is a much longer process because you’ll need  a degree in any of the Human Services Programs plus the Chemical Dependency Counseling Certificate.

No. You can begin work in the industry while you work toward your CASAC. But in addition to completing the 350 educational hours, you will ultimately need to complete all required clinical hours and pass the OASAS Certification exam in order to be eligible for CASAC Certification.

Yes. OASAS requires that all students submit proof of high school completion or HSE.

No. While some of our students are already working in the field, most are new and have no prior counseling experience. There are also no pre-admission or testing requirements to register.

To register, we need the following three documents to keep on file according to OASAS:

1. Photo ID: We will need to make a copy.
2. Proof of high school completion: This could also include a GED/ HSE or college transcript. It does not need to be an official sealed transcript. For DCC students who have completed prior credits and wish to use a DCC transcript, you need to obtain the transcript. We are not able to obtain your transcript. You can obtain your DCC transcript online.
3. Signed Self-Attest form.

Currently, the entire tuition is $2895 plus $149 for manual used for all five modules. This is subject to change. Please note that you pay by semester so the entire amount is not due at time of registration.

OASAS divides the 350 required educational hours into four sections (Section I-IV.) We divide those same sections into five modules (CAS101 thru CAS105):

Section I = CAS101 (85 hours) Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Basic Knowledge

Section II = CAS102 (75 hours) This is the first 75 hours of 150 Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counseling Part 1
CAS103 (75 hours) This is the second 75 hours of 150 Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counseling Part 2

Section III (70 hours) = CAS104 (70 hours) Assessment & Evaluation

Section IV (45 hours) = CAS105 (45 hours) Professional and Ethical Responsibility

Typically, students are able to complete the program in one academic year.

Each module meets one weeknight per week from 6 to 9:30 PM. Weeknight depends on the module. In addition, there are also Saturday requirements according to the amount of hours:

CAS101 = Approximately 5 Saturdays
CAS102 = Approximately 4 Saturdays
CAS103 = Approximately 4 Saturdays
CAS104 = Approximately 4 Saturdays
CAS105 = Usually 0 depending on the calendar

Saturday classes meet from 8 AM-4 PM.

These courses may be taken in any order, so you can begin in whichever term is most convenient for you!

Generally students should allow for approximately 4 hours each week for outside study. This does vary by instructor. Because this is an hours-based program, attendance is extremely important. Class can only be missed for extreme circumstances. All required hours must be completed before 350-hour certificates can be issued.

Yes. Students will also need to complete the online NYS Mandated Reporter training, eventually pass the CASAC Certification Exam and complete clinical hours. See below for more details on both.

The OASAS exam is offered in Albany, and it costs $245, subject to increase by OASAS.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) oversees one of the nation’s largest addiction services systems with nearly 1,600 prevention, treatment and recovery programs. OASAS chemical dependency treatment programs assist about 100,000 people a day and approximately 240,000 individuals every year.

For more information, visit the OASAS website.

After you successfully obtain your CASAC, you will need 60 hours of continuing education during your renewal period. This information is found on the OASAS website.

Students are required to complete up to 6,000 clinical hours. In certain cases a significant number of hours can be reduced depending on prior coursework in a related degree-bearing program or related work experience. To start that process, call the OASAS Credentialing Department at (800) 482-9564. Start early as this process takes some time. DCC cannot make that determination for you.

Yes. Simply view the list of authorized service providers on the OASAS website and contact the clinical facility(s) of interest.

Because DCC has no involvement in your clinical there is no additional fee.

While you might complete some of your initial clinical hours free of compensation, you should expect to turn that into a compensated position either at your initial clinical site or another while you accrue your clinical hours.