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If you've earned an in-person or online substance abuse counseling degree or something similar, you may be wondering about your career options in the state of Mississippi. You'll find you have a number of clinical and nonclinical paths to follow.

One possibility is to become an alcohol and drug addiction counselor. In this state, you can work with either of two agencies to obtain substance abuse counseling certification. An associate, bachelor's, or master's degree helps qualify you for certification through either agency. Once you've earned certification, you'll be allowed to provide face-to-face, telephone, and online substance abuse counseling services throughout the state.

If you don't want to become a counselor, you'll find there are other ways to use your degree to assist people who are suffering from substance use disorder. For example, you could become a health education specialist or a community health worker. In these roles, you'll work at state agencies and nonprofit organizations that promote wellness through education and treatment programs.

In Mississippi, there are several routes to becoming a substance use counselor. Not only are there two primary agencies you can work through, but there are multiple levels of substance abuse counseling certification available.

The first of the two agencies you may want to work with is the (PLACE) within the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH). Once you have earned a master's degree in substance abuse counseling or a similar behavioral science field and secured a job within the Mississippi Mental Health system, you can apply to become a Provisionally Certified Addictions Therapist (PCAT). 

PCAT certification gives you two years to complete the remaining requirements to become a Certified Addictions Therapist (CAT). These include two years of professional experience in addiction counseling and the completion of the DMH Addictions Therapist web-based training program. The state's online training program also includes a final, comprehensive exam, which you must pass. 

The other agency you may choose to work with is the (MAAP), which is a member of the (IC&RC). In addition to a student-level certification, the MAAP offers four levels of substance abuse counseling certification:

• To become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), you'll need a high school diploma or associate degree, and your education must include 270 hours on addiction counseling. You'll also need 300 hours of supervised practical training, three years of counseling work experience, and a passing score on the IC&RC ADC exam.
• To become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor I (CADC I), you'll need to have graduated from a counseling bachelor's program that included 270 hours on addiction counseling. You'll also need 270 hours of supervised practical training, four years of counseling work experience, and a passing score on the ADC exam.
• For the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II (CADC II) level, you'll need a counseling master's degree, and your education must have included 270 hours on addiction counseling. You'll also need 120 hours of supervised practical training, five years of counseling work experience, and a passing score on the ADC exam.
• Finally, to reach the level of Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC), you'll need a counseling master's degree, and your education must have included 270 hours on addiction counseling. You'll also need 120 hours of supervised practical training, two years of counseling work experience, and a passing score on the ADC exam.

Both agencies accept traditional and online substance abuse counseling degrees as long as they have been earned at institutionally accredited schools. If you have not yet completed the highest level of degree that you'd like, you may be interested in our lists of online substance abuse counseling degree programs, all of which are institutionally accredited.For master's degrees, options include the best online substance abuse counseling master's degrees and the most affordable online substance abuse counseling master's degrees. 

Once you've earned certification in Mississippi, you will be required to renew your credentials periodically. To qualify for renewal, you'll need to complete a specific number of hours of continuing education credits. The timeframes and continuing education requirements vary depending on your certification.

If you are a licensed and certified addiction counselor who would like to offer in-person or online substance abuse counseling in Mississippi, you may be able to transfer your credentials from your home state. If you earned certification through IC&RC, you may qualify for the comparable level of certification sponsored by MAAP. Similarly, if you're a Mississippi state counseling professional who obtained your credential through MAAP, you may be able to transfer your certification to another state if it is an IC&RC member.

The number of years it takes to become a substance use counselor in Mississippi varies depending on the agency you work with and the level of certification you'd like to obtain. At a minimum, you will need at least two years of college education and three years of full-time work experience providing counseling for substance abuse. For the highest level of certification, you will need six or seven years of college education and at least two years of full-time addiction counseling work experience.