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Certificate in

Chemical Dependency Studies


Gain the cutting-edge techniques and skills you need to successfully treat substance abuse and help advance your career in the rewarding field of addiction counseling.

 
 

Innovative Addiction Treatment Methods with Real-World Application

Reach your professional goals with an addiction studies program that is tailored to fit your unique needs. Whether you seek training for an entry-level position in the field or are looking to advance in your current position, Cal State East Bay has an option for you. You’ll enjoy learning the latest and most innovative addiction treatment methods from seasoned instructors, many of whom run their own private practices or recovery centers.

BRN Approved

Approved by Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) for BRN credit, (BRN provider #10351), Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) credit, and CCAPP credit

Convenience for Professionals

Most course instruction is delivered online, making the program an easy fit for working adults


My experience was awesome. I had some really great teachers who really helped me through the process and made the journey very enjoyable, as well as informative. I would highly recommend this program.

Ken JohnsonChemical Dependency Studies Graduate

Be an Agent of Change


A career where you can help people and make a real difference.

Looking for a career that allows you to help people and make a positive difference daily? As a professional substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselor, you’ll be able to lend your expertise in a variety of fields, including outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, correctional facilities, nursing and residential care facilities, individual and family services, and local government agencies.

Occupational Trends

$57K Salary

The median annual wage for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors in the San Francisco Bay Area was $57,744 in 2021.
Labor Market Analytics – Lightcast

22% Growth

Employment of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors is projected to grow 22 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Top Industries

Outpatient care centers, individual and family services, and offices of other health practitioners were the top industries for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors in 2022.
Labor Market Analytics – Lightcast

A Vibrant Community for Good

Join the list of accomplished Cal State East Bay graduates who are actively working with drug and alcohol abusers as counselors, therapists, nurses, and probations and corrections officers. Some graduates have even successfully developed their own recovery centers after completing the program.


I've been hired by and working with one of the professors for over five years. The certification is highly regarded in the field and I believe that it has opened many doors for me.

Harvey GoodsteinChemical Dependency Studies Graduate

The instructors are great and very informative. It gave me a sense of assurance when I heard the instructors were working in the field. Hearing their stories on their own recovery process and programs that they have put together was great.

Razika BegumChemical Dependency Studies Graduate

I've started and/or run five drug treatment programs, including a program at San Quentin State Prison. The field had evolved since I began working in it. I'm very glad to be picking up on the newest technologies.

Stevan GengoChemical Dependency Studies Graduate

Program Objectives

Graduate with the expertise you need to succeed in your chosen career path, including:

 

The knowledge and expertise necessary to meet the minimum state requirements for addiction counseling.

 

Cutting-edge techniques for working with your clients and the foundation necessary to advance in the field.

 

The most advanced and comprehensive training and professional development, making you an ideal candidate for higher-level counseling positions.

With Flexibility and Convenience, Life Goes On . . .

Most course instruction is delivered via an online approach. Additionally, you will take two skills-based counseling classes in person at the Hayward Hills Campus. Choose between two tracks designed to meet your goals, or take any courses individually to fulfill professional development and continuing education requirements. Depending on your background and career goals, the program offers distinct options to fit your unique needs:

CCAPP/AOD Counselor Track

If you want to take advantage of the most comprehensive and respected training program available, you should pursue the prestigious CCAPP/AOD Counselor Track.

CSUEB Certificate Track

If you are a licensed therapist, nurse, social worker, or probation or correctional professional with a practice or caseload of clients who have co-existing alcohol and/or drug problems, you should pursue the CSUEB Certificate Track.


CCAPP/AOD Counselor Track Curriculum

Recommended if you seek to enter the substance abuse counseling field and want the most comprehensive and rigorous training available.

Certificate Requirements

To earn your certificate in Chemical Dependency Studies, CCAPP/AOD Counselor Track, you must complete  the required courses listed, including a 255-hour practicum. You must receive a "C" grade or above for a class to apply the course towards the certificate. This program can be completed in 18-24 months.

For complete information on the CCAPP certification process or to order a CCAPP handbook, call (916) 368-9412 or write CCAPP, 3400 Bradshaw Road, Suite A5, Sacramento, CA 95827.

Required Courses

Course Units Fall Spring Summer
EPSY 805: Theories of Addiction 2 X    
EPSY 807: Law & Ethics in Addiction Counseling 1 X  
EPSY 810: Behavioral Pharmacology 2 X  
EPSY 806: Basic Counseling Skills (in person, on campus class) 3 X
EPSY 821: Co-Occurring Disorders 1 X
EPSY 822: Treatment Planning and Documentation in Addiction Treatmen 1 X
EPSY 813: Treatment and Recovery Issues 3   X  
EPSY 814: Substance Abuse and Gender Culture, Lifestyle and Lifespan Issues 3   X  
EPSY 811: Addiction and the Family 1   X
EPSY 816: Counselor Burnout 1 X
EPSY 823: Group Dynamics for Addiction Counseling (in person, on campus class) 2 X
EPSY 808: Relapse Prevention 1 X
EPSY 815: Case Management 1   X
EPSY 817: Certification Seminar in Addiction Studies 1 X X X
EPSY 818.1: Supervised Field Practicum* 1 X   X
EPSY 818.2: Supervised Field Practicum* 2 X X

*You will enroll in EPSY 818 twice. First, you will enroll in the 1-unit course prior to beginning the practicum, and then you will enroll in a 2-unit course while you are in the process of completing the 255-hour practicum. Please note, EPSY 817 and EPSY 818 should be taken after all other required courses are completed.

Course schedules, including the term courses are offered in, are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information on courses currently being offered, visit the course details page.


CSUEB Certificate Track Curriculum

Recommended if you are a licensed therapist, nurse, social worker, or probation or correctional professional with a practice or caseload of clients who have co-existing alcohol and/or drug problems. This track is also recommended for any student who may be interested in the addiction counseling/treatment subject matter who is not seeking any state certification.

Certificate Requirements

To earn your certificate in Chemical Dependency Studies, CSUEB Certificate Track, you must complete all required courses listed below (CSUEB Certificate Track students are not required to complete the EPSY 818.1 or 818.2 courses). Students must receive a "C" grade or above for a class to apply the course towards the certificate. You can complete this program in 12 months.

Required Courses

Course Units Fall Spring Summer
EPSY 805: Theories of Addiction 2 X  
EPSY 807: Law & Ethics in Addiction Counseling 1 X  
EPSY 810: Behavioral Pharmacology 2 X
EPSY 806: Basic Counseling Skills (in person, on campus class) 3 X
EPSY 821: Co-Occurring Disorders 1 X
EPSY 822: Treatment Planning and Documentation in Addiction Treatmen 1 X
EPSY 813: Treatment and Recovery Issues 3   X
EPSY 814: Substance Abuse and Gender, Culture, Lifestyle, LIfespan Issues 3   X
EPSY 811: Addiction and the Family 1   X
EPSY 816: Counselor Burnout 1   X
EPSY 823: Group Dynamics for Addiction Counseling (in person, on campus class) 2   X
EPSY 808: Relapse Prevention 1   X
EPSY 815: Case Management 1   X
EPSY 817: Certification Seminar in Addiction Studies* 1 X X X

*EPSY 817 should be taken after all required and elective courses have been completed.

All courses listed are approved for the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) Credit (BRN provider #10351), Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) Credit, and CCAPP Credit and can be taken individually without enrollment in a certificate track.

Course schedules, including the term courses are offered in, are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information on courses currently being offered, visit the course details page.

For a complete list of courses, including all course descriptions, click here.

Benjamin Eiland

BA in Anthropology and Psychology
California State University Chico

Masters in Organizational Psychology 
J.F.K. University

CATC IV

CATE

CHT

Benjamin Eiland

MA, CATC IV, CATE, CHT

I have dedicated my academic career to improve the understanding of addiction in all of its forms and I believe all students are brilliant, as an educator it is my job to help them see it for themselves.

Ben Eiland has been in the Chemical Dependency Treatment and Behavioral Health field for over 39 years.

He currently is the Director of Integrated Healing at Alta Mira Recovery Programs and previously the Clinical Director in Sausalito, CA.

He was the Director of Substance Abuse Treatment Services for the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic.
He is the founder and former Co-Director of Integrated Counseling and Consulting Services specializing in domestic violence and substance abuse problems. Eiland has previously held positions as the director of inpatient and outpatient chemical dependency treatment programs that serve both adults and adolescents.

Eiland has been a trainer and consultant in such areas as chemical dependency treatment, co-occurring disorders treatment, domestic and workplace violence, drugs in the workplace, conflict resolution/team building, board development, and cultural/gender diversity.

He has provided training and consulting for such diverse organizations as the American Indian Training Institute, California Rural Indian Health Board, Independent Adoption Center, Bay Area Rapid Transit, Maui Social Services, Hayward Unified School District, the San Francisco Chronicle, the California Departments of Probation and Parole, and the San Francisco Bar Association.

Eiland has taught at a variety of Educational Institutions and is currently an Adjunct Faculty College of San Mateo since 1999. He has also taught at J.F.K. University and U.C. Berkeley Extension addiction certificate program.

Eiland is a founding member of the California Association of Alcohol/Drug Educators (CAADE) and is their past president. He is currently on the California State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs “Continuum of Services System Re-engineering Task Force”. In addition, he served on the National Recovery Month Partnership Committee in Washington DC, sponsored by SAMHSA.

He has held the position of Vice President for the Cross Roads Chapter of E.AP.A. He has also served on the Board of the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors. He was appointed to the Aging Constituent Committee Directors Advisory Council California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (2003-2008) , and is the past president of the California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators (CAADE).

Charles I. Flores

PhD

MS

LPCC

LAADC

MAC

NCC

CCMHC

NCTTP

Q-SAP

Charles I. Flores

PhD, LPCC, LAADC

Being a drug and alcohol counselor today is not just a calling, but it is fast becoming a viable and respected career choice. I am passionate about training the future counselor workforce. These counselors will be well-trained in both the art and the skill of bringing those afflicted with addictions to their Emancipation.

Dr. Charles Flores is a California licensed and national board certified psychotherapist who has practiced in a multiple settings in the field of co-occurring disorders for 25 years.

Originally hailing from the South Bronx, Dr. Flores obtained his MS in Counseling Psychology at Fordham University and gained additional training and certifications in Family Counseling in Iona College, the Ackerman Institute, Gestalt Associates, Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, Lincoln Hospital Recovery Center (addiction acupuncture), The Heartmath Institute (biofeedback), EMDR International Association (trauma treatment), University of Massachusetts (tobacco treatment), and Sophia University. He earned his PhD at the California Institute of Integral Studies in multicultural, humanistic, and spiritual psychology.

Dr. Flores is the CEO of Vital Puma Integral Recovery, which provides cutting-edge addiction and trauma therapy for recovery. He has directed several multi-million dollar substance abuse and mental health treatment programs in the Bay Area. Dr. Flores since 2015 has been a Board Director of the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals, where he serves on the Executive, Finance, and Legislative Committees, which promotes excellence in the delivery of services focused on substance use and its associated problems by providing the highest level of advocacy, competence, and ethics among programs and professionals. In that role, he provides monthly training for substance use disorder providers for his district in the Bay Area. He also serves as the Chair of the CCAPP Education Board, which provides education and technical assistance regarding addiction, treatment, recovery, and associated problems.

Dr. Flores has been teaching at CSUEB since 2011 and was previously a professor of psychology at John F. Kennedy University since 2005, and has taught at several other universities. He currently serves as the Psychedelics and Addictions Fellow for the CIIS Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research. He has been an editor for the International Journal of Transpersonal Psychology and has published papers and written book chapters for SUNY and Oxford University Press.

Michael Huff

PhD

MPA

Michael Huff

PhD, MPA

Dr. Michael Huff has been working in helping men, women, and families learn and recover from drug and alcohol use and abuse for more than 30 years. In the late 1980s, Dr. Huff worked as an drug educator and treatment advocate to students at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2005, Dr. Huff designed and directed a men’s residential treatment program along with providing leadership and oversight of a women’s day treatment, and outpatient services in West Oakland. In 2014, he became the Criminal Justice and Substance Use Disorder specialist for Alameda County working in behavioral health. In this role, he worked with the reentry community to help provide substance use disorder services (SUD) services throughout Alameda County.

Most recently, Dr. Huff has been teaching in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in men’s and women’s prisons. He teaches lifers in the Offender Mentor Certification Program (OMCP) how to be substance use disorder counselors to their fellow inmates. In this program, inmates are taught motivational interviewing techniques, understanding criminal thinking processes, and tools of effective therapeutic counseling. Ninety-five percent of inmates in the OMCP pass the California State certification examination for substance use disorder counselors. Dr. Huff has a doctorate in sociology from Northwestern University and a Master of Public Administration and Public Policy degree from California State University, East Bay. He is also a university lecturer in both criminology and sociology.

Tarramazz Harris

PsyD

Dr. Tarramazz Harris has been teaching in the Chemical Dependency Studies certificate program at California State University East Bay since 2021. Dr. Harris teaches the courses: ‘Theories of Chemical Dependency’, ‘Substance Abuse and Gender, Culture, Lifestyle, and Lifespan’ and ‘Counselor Burnout’.

 
 Swipe left or right for the next/previous instructor
Benjamin Eiland

Benjamin EilandMA, CATC IV, CATE, CHT

Charles I. Flores

Charles I. Flores PhD, LPCC, LAADC

Michael Huff

Michael HuffPhD, MPA

Tarramazz Harris

Tarramazz HarrisPsyD

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Chemical Dependency Studies Certificate Program is open to all interested students who have received a high school diploma or GED equivalent and who have one year sobriety leading up to the start date of the Cal State East Bay Chemical Dependency coursework.

How to Apply

To apply to the program, simply complete the certificate application form below.

Please note: Students seeking certification from the state or other regulatory organization after completion of Cal State East Bay’s Chemical Dependency Certificate Program may need to be able to show completion of specific college/university coursework. Students are encouraged to review state/organization certification requirements to determine the specific academic/course requirements needed.

Common Questions

Do I have to be admitted to the University to take courses in the Chemical Dependency Studies Certificate Program?
No. The certificate in Chemical Dependency Studies is offered through Cal State East Bay Continuing Education, which does not require University admissions for its programs. There may be, however, other admissions requirements associated with the Chemical Dependency Studies Certificate Program, which can be viewed on the Admission section.
What are the requirements to complete the Chemical Dependency Studies Certificate Program?
The requirements vary depending on the program track you choose. View program requirements for the CSUEB Certificate Track or CCAPP Track Curriculum on the Curriculum section.
How long will it take to complete the Chemical Dependency Studies Certificate Program?
The coursework for this program can be completed in 12-24 months, depending on the track you select.
Which of the certificate tracks is best for me?
That really depends on your background, your career needs, and your career goals. If you have no certification, it's best to start with the CCAPP/AOD Counselor Track. For licensed therapists, nurses, and other human services professionals, the CSUEB Certificate Track is the best option.
Can I take the courses out of sequence?
There is no sequence to the courses. However, EPSY 817 and EPSY 818 need to be taken after all other course requirements have been completed.
Will other courses that I've taken be accepted for credit in the Chemical Dependency Certification Program?
This program demands that courses be focused on alcoholism and addiction. If you have taken other chemical dependency coursework, Program Coordinators are happy to review it and make a determination if it fits into the framework of courses.
What happens if I need to withdraw from a course?
Withdrawal and refund policies vary depending on the type of program. Some Continuing Education programs have course-specific refund policies that supersede the standard refund policy. Please contact the Continuing Education Student Services Coordinator directly if you have any questions about the refund and drop policies, or click here for more details.
How long is each course?
Courses can range from 15-45 hours of instructional time depending upon the course (courses range from 1-3 units).
Is there any work to do outside class time? If so, how much?
Coursework is typically completed during class meetings with the possibility of 1-2 hours of outside coursework for each class.
What is the program format?
Most classes are held online. EPSY 806 and EPSY 823 will take place in person at the CSUEB Hayward Hills Campus.

Financing

Is financial aid available for this program?
Traditional Financial Aid (such as completing the FAFSA, Pell Grants, etc.) is not applicable for certificate programs, but there may be other suitable options to help you in financing your program. Learn more about other financial aid options.
Are any discounts available for this program?
Yes, this program qualifies for the Forever Pioneer discount for Cal State East Bay alumni. You can complete and submit the Forever Pioneer Registration Form to receive the discounted pricing. Advanced registration is required to qualify for the discount.
What are the tuition costs for the program?
Tuition costs: $4,715 – $5,370, depending on track (Tuition fees are subject to change at any time.)

Accessibility Services

Does the university provide accessibility services?
Yes, our Accessibility Services department provides academic accommodations and support services to address the individual needs of students with differing abilities, permanent disabilities or temporary disabling conditions. For more information, including program details and contact information, visit csueastbay.edu/accessibility.

Certificate of Completion

How do I request my certificate?
To obtain your official certificate, you must complete all requirements of your program and then complete and submit this form. Upon verification of requirement completion, your certificate will be sent to you.

Search Results

At Cal State East Bay, we pride ourselves on putting students first, from the moment you inquire until you graduate. We hope you've found answers to your questions in this support center, but if not, please get in touch.

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At a Glance

Area of study: Certificate in Chemical Dependency Studies

Ideal for: Those who seek to enter the addiction treatment/counseling field and need to meet minimum state requirements while getting the most comprehensive and rigorous training available

Licensed therapists, nurses, social workers, and probation or correctional professionals with a practice or caseload of clients who have co-existing alcohol and/or drug problems

Program format: Hybrid

Number of courses: CCAPP/AOD Counselor Track:16 courses

CSUEB Certificate Track: 14 courses

Program length: 12-24 months

Tuition costs: $4,715 – $5,370, depending on track (Tuition fees are subject to change at any time.) Forever Pioneer discount is available for Cal State East Bay alumni.

Questions?

Please let us know if we can answer any questions about the Chemical Dependency Studies program. Many answers can also be found in our online Support Center.

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