Professional Mental Health Counseling—Addictions

The Lewis & Clark Professional Mental Health Counseling—Addictions Program offers unique and innovative training for students interested in working with a diverse range of addiction-related problems.

Funding cutbacks, both nationally and at the state level, have increased the demand for qualified counselors prepared with graduate-level knowledge and skills specific to the treatment of clients with overlapping mental health and addiction problems.

The Professional Mental Health Counseling—Addictions Program is committed to offering our students the best available instruction and training in mental health and addiction counseling, with a focus on dual diagnosis. Reflective of the broad range of addictive behaviors that impact client populations, the program also offers precertification coursework for working with clients who suffer from eating disorders and problem gambling.

Our curriculum is based on nationally validated competencies for addiction counselors and is designed to include the latest evidence-based and supported information regarding all facets of addiction counseling. Similarly, knowledge and sensitivity concerning issues related to family, culture, ethnicity, gender, and spirituality are of the utmost importance.

Reports and evaluations from practicum and internship site supervisors and post-graduate employment sites have confirmed that our students are entering their internship and work experiences with the evidence-based practice information necessary to work effectively and professionally with a variety of populations needing addictions counseling.

Advising and Contact Information

Director: Boyd Pidcock, Ph.D., pidcock@lclark.edu
Adjunct Faculty: Cathy Moonshine, Ph.D., Tom Ten Eyck, MA, CADCII, Jacki Abbott, DrPH, RD, LD, Michelle J. Watson, Ph.D., LPC, Dana  Sturtevant, MS, LPC, Hilary Kinavey, MS, LPC

Resources for Students in Professional Mental Health Counseling—Addictions

National Board for Certified Counselors
Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists
Washington Licensing Boards
The Addiction Counselor Certification Board of Oregon
American Counseling Association
American Psychological Association
California Board of Behavioral Sciences (Counselor Licensure)

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). (Note: The program is currently accredited under the 2001 standards for Community Counseling programs. The CACREP 2009 standards combine the Community Counseling and Mental Health Counseling standards into standards for Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs, and create separate accreditation for Addictions programs. The program intends to seek accreditation under the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Addictions program standards when it comes up for reaccreditation, per CACREP guidelines.)