The Drug and Alcohol Recovery Counselor (DARC) program provides education and training for persons who want to become a Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC). The DARC curriculum (30 credits) meets the Connecticut Certification Board (CCB) requirements (300 hours of education, 300 hours of supervised practicum) to become a CAC. 

Employment

Students with a DARC Certificate are highly sought after for entry level opportunities as substance abuse counselors in public and private agencies such as community and residential health facilities, local hospitals, prevention organizations, youth service agencies, and criminal justice system. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2016-17 Ed.), employment of addiction counselors is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2014-2024, much faster than average as addiction counseling services are increasingly covered by insurance. Connecticut is considered one of the states with the highest concentration of jobs in this field with a mean average wage of $46, 920.

Curriculum

The DARC Certificate can be completed in 1 ½ or 2 years by completing the core DARC courses (DAR* H101 , DAR* H111 , DAR* H112 , DAR* H158 ) in spring and completing the internship and remaining classes in the next academic year. The following DARC courses (DAR* H101 , DAR* H111 , DAR* H112 , DAR* H158 , DAR* H213 , and DAR* H220 ) are open to any student at the college, provided they pass the prerequisite of ENG* H096  with a C or better or test into ENG* H101 . The internship runs fall/spring of each academic year.

DARC Internship Admission Process

Acceptance into the DARC Internship (DAR* H251 , DAR* H252 ) is selective and not guaranteed. All students participate in a screening and interview process (spring semester) which is intended to evaluate whether the applicant possesses specific skills, behaviors and attitudes that are necessary to work with persons with addiction and co-occurring disorders. Interested applicants must have completed or be enrolled in DAR* H101 , DAR* H111 , DAR* H112 , DAR* H158  and ENG* H101 , and pass with a C or better prior to their internship. Students must complete and submit a formal DARC Application prior to the interview. Applications are distributed during the spring semester (Feb/March) each year. After the interviews, students are formally notified regarding acceptance to internship and ability to register for DAR* H251 - Counseling Internship I .