Program Description

The Substance Abuse Counselor Education Technical Diploma program is a pre-approved comprehensive education program for Substance Abuse Counselors per the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. The Substance Abuse Counselor Education Technical Diploma program is a pre-approved comprehensive education program for Substance Abuse Counselors per the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Found in These Career Fields:

Approximate Program Cost

$6,485
Tuition & Fees: $5,980
Books & Supplies: $505

Starting Salary

$33,280–$41,995
Average, based on the NTC Graduate Outcomes Report

Financial Aid

Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).

Available

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An aerial view of NTC's Wausau Campus main entrance on a sunny summer day. Trees and greenery frame the spacious side walks that lead up to the light-brown brick building.

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The application takes just a few minutes to complete.

Availability

Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.

100%
at Wausau
100%
at Antigo
100%
at Medford
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at Phillips
100%
at Spencer
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at Wittenberg
100%
at Online

* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.

Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Adhere to accepted ethical and behavior conduct
  • Document and maintain clinical records according to agency, federal and state guidelines
  • Provide culturally relevant education related to substance abuse
  • Demonstrate counseling skills with individuals, groups and families
  • Demonstrate case management skills
  • Facilitate referral to meet needs
  • Develop treatment plans
  • Clinically evaluate for substance use disorders and treatment needs

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Substance Abuse Counselor
  • Intake Counselor
  • Assessment Counselor
  • Substance Abuse Counselor - In Training

Courses

The Substance Abuse Counselor Education Technical Diploma is a 37 Credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.

First Term

Intro To Interviewing & Counseling Skills 3.00
Intro To Psychology 3.00
Boundaries & Ethics - Helping Professions 3.00
College 101 1.00

Second Term

Understanding Substance Use 3.00
Foundations Of Case Management 3.00
Overview Of Mental Health Disorders 3.00
Group Facilitation 3.00

Third Term

SUDC Assessment, Diagnosis And Treatment 3.00
Psychopharmacology 3.00
Counseling Theory 3.00
Family Systems 3.00
Introduction To The SUDC Profession 3.00

Credit for Prior Learning Available

View All Detailed Course Information

Pathways

Pathways are a series of connected programs that enable you to advance over time to better jobs and higher levels of education and training. By earning one degree, you could also be completing several courses of a related program in a pathway, bringing you one step closer to an advanced degree.

Completing the Substance Abuse Counselor Education Technical Diploma Earns You:

If you begin with one of the following programs, you will earn significant credit towards this Substance Abuse Counselor Education Technical Diploma:

  • The SUDC Specialization Certificate will provide you with 49% (18 of 37 credits) of the total credits in this Substance Abuse Counselor Education Technical Diploma

Cost of Attendance

2023-2024 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance

The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student's cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student's financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.

Please Note: this COA budget estimate assumes full-time attendance for two semester Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.
ExpensesStudent Living With Parents (Home)Student Living on Own (Other)
Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring)

In-State Tuition & Fees

$4,713*

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$6,900*

In-State Tuition & Fees

$4,713*

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$6,900*

Living Expenses (Housing & Food)$4,052$9,614
Books / Supplies$2,061$2,061
Transportation$2,007$2,007
Personal Expenses$2,245$2,245
Loan Fees$83$83
Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance

In-State

$15,161

Out-of-State

$17,348

In-State

$20,723

Out-of-State

$22,910

* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2023-2024 academic year with a projected base increase of 1.65%. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.

Students with dependent care, computer or study abroad expenses should contact the Financial Aid Office to document allowable expenses which may serve to increase their COA.

Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.

Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.

NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.

For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.

NTC Financial Aid Office

715.803.1647

financialaid@ntc.edu

Additional Information

Completion of this technical diploma program will grant learners the approved educational credentials required by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services for Substance Abuse Counselor.

Scholarship Opportunities

Collaboration of Wisconsin Rural Investment in Community Healthcare (COW RICH) Grant (for students graduating by Spring 2024)

Additional funding may be available to assist with your training through external sources.

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

Fill out our application

The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.

Apply Now

Then, submit one of the following

Documentation can be sent via email to admissions@ntc.edu, via mail, addressed to: Northcentral Technical College, ATTN: Admissions, 1000 W. Campus Drive, Wausau, WI 54401, or delivered in person to any NTC campus.

  • High school transcript indicating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above. Contact the high school you attended if you do not have a copy of your transcript.
  • ACT composite score of 16 or above. Request an ACT College Report from ACT or contact the high school you graduated from if you do not have a copy on hand.
  • Accuplacer scores. Score requirements vary by program and version of the Accuplacer test that was taken. For more details, please contact Admissions. If you did not take the Accuplacer at NTC, contact the college at which you took it to obtain a copy of your scores.
  • College transcript indicating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 over a minimum of 12 credits, earned at a single college.

If you do not meet any one of the above criteria, don’t worry, complete the application anyway and we will contact you to discuss your options.

What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.