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If you're a Washingtonian with a substance abuse counseling degree, there are several different career paths open to you. As in most states, you will need to obtain substance abuse counseling certification before you can start working with people in a healthcare or advisory capacity. 

Perhaps the most obvious choice is to become a counselor specializing in substance abuse, behavioral disorder, or mental health. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (), there are slightly over 12,000 of these specialists working in the state. They earn a mean annual wage of $63,490.

Other than working as a counselor, you could provide support for people suffering from addiction by becoming a health education specialist or community health worker. After a few years of experience, you may be able to advance to management positions in social service or community health service agencies.

To be a substance use counselor in Washington, you need at least an associate degree from an accredited college or university. However, the state's licensure requirements include hundreds of hours of supervised clinical practice. The higher your degree level, the lower the number of clinical hours you'll need to obtain certification.

Washington also accepts all types of degrees — not just on-campus or online substance abuse counseling degrees — but you'll need to show that you've taken coursework in a of counseling-related topics. Some of these topics include substance use clinical evaluation, substance abuse and addiction treatment planning and methods, pharmacology of alcohol and other drugs, individual and group counseling, developmental psychology, and many more.

If you want to become a certified substance use counselor in Washington, you'll need to complete a number of steps and meet several key criteria to obtain certification as a Substance Use Disorder Professional through the Washington State Board of Health. However, while you're enrolled in a substance abuse counseling program or working toward meeting the full certification requirements, you can apply to become a Substance Use Disorder Professional Trainee.

In terms of education, Washington's substance use counseling certification requirements are designed to ensure that applicants have taken the appropriate courses and received training in specific areas. As such, you can become a certified counselor with any type of associate, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree. However, your transcripts must show that you've studied all aspects of substance abuse treatment, as well as cultural diversity, counseling techniques, professional practices and ethics, and more. An easy way to achieve this is by pursuing a bachelor's or master's in substance abuse counseling degree.

You'll also need to accumulate hundreds of hours of supervised clinical experience in specific substance use disorder areas, such as clinical evaluation and individual and group face-to-face counseling. The number of required hours varies based on your education: 2,500 hours for associate degrees, 2,000 hours for bachelor's degrees, and 1,500 for master's or doctoral degrees.

Once you've met these education and experience requirements, you must pass one of several possible exams. Most applicants take the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors () level one or higher exam.

Every year, you'll need to renew your certification. As part of this process, once every two years you'll need to document that you've completed at least 40 hours of continuing education.

Yes, Washington state counseling certification requirements do allow for reciprocity. Under "substantial equivalency," substance use counselors from other states may work in Washington as long as their home states' certification requirements are similar to those in Washington. However, before providing in-person or online substance abuse counseling services, out-of-state counselors must first apply for and receive a temporary probationary license, and they can only work for approved agencies.