Academics
 

Addiction Studies

Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS-OASAS) has created a credential for those individuals who wish to work with the addicted population. The credential is called a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC).

Molloy College, Division of Continuing Education and Professional Development, Center for Addiction Studies offers a comprehensive collection of courses to assist the individual student to document the appropriate clock hours of education for the NYS CASAC exam.

The following educational and work experience requirements must be met prior to applying for the NYS CASAC exam: A minimum of 350 clock hours of education (see breakdown of four categories of knowledge (sections) below and on the following pages). Our courses are listed under the four sections as outlined by NYS-OASAS; however, final determination as to the appropriate categorization of these courses under each section will be made by NYS-OASAS.

Minimum Educational Requirements are as follows:

Section I • 85 clock hours related to Knowledge of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (must  include a minimum of 4 clock hours related to tobacco use and nicotine dependence);
Section II • 150 clock hours related to Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counseling (must  include a minimum of 15 clock hours specific to cultural competence);
Section III • 70 clock hours related to Assessment; Clinical Evaluation; Treatment Planning;  Case Management; and Patient, Family and Community Education; and
Section IV • 45 clock hours related to Professional and Ethical Responsibilities (must include  a minimum of 2 clock hours of Child Abuse and Maltreatment Mandated Reporting  and a minimum of 15 clock hours specific to ethics for addiction professionals).

Molloy Program Background

There is a continuing demand in the field of chemical dependency treatment for persons with dedication, compassion, understanding, empathy and patience to provide counseling and other services for individuals whose lives have been affected by alcoholism, substance abuse, and related problems. In order to meet this ongoing demand, Molloy College offers courses of study which provide instruction in the competencies, professional activities and ethical principles of alcoholism and substance abuse counseling.

In this program, the student will be exposed to a variety of points of view. Faculty from varying clinical, administrative, academic disciplines and diversified backgrounds teach courses. This is important for the students because they receive well-rounded experiences, and contacts from our faculty in the classroom. You may choose to attend as many evenings or weekends as your time allows. Our schedule is designed to be flexible for the student who has other pressures or responsibilities, such as work, family, etc.

Course Schedules and Locations
Courses are offered at night, during the day and on Saturdays. The number of sessions each course meets varies from anywhere to 1 session to 10 sessions, as do the number of hours. Courses are offered throughout the year, including the summer. The courses can be taken at either our Rockville Centre campus or at our Suffolk Center in East Farmingdale. Since there are no prerequisites for any of the courses, you may begin your studies at any time.

Our courses are listed under the four sections as outlined by NYS-OASAS; however, final determination as to the appropriate categorization of these courses under each section will be made by NYS-OASAS. Please click on the categories below to see the courses offered in that category. Then click on the list of courses and then the course title for schedule, location, faculty and tuition information.

Free Career Seminar
Not sure if this career is right for you? Attend our free career seminar. This career seminar is led by experienced professionals who will offer real advice about career and academic paths and talk about both the satisfactions and challenges of their own chosen careers. The seminar is one and a half hours long, given in the evening and offered twice a year - every September and January. There is no charge for the seminar, which is held on our Rockville Centre campus. Click here for a current schedule of classes and to register.

Registration
Students should register for classes at least one week prior to the start of classes to insure enough time for you to get your confirmation and parking permit. However, you can register up until the day of class. Please note that some of our classes do close out and some of our classes do cancel, so you may be taking a chance of not getting into the course of your choice by waiting.

To register online, in person, by phone, by fax or by mail, click here. Confirmation of your registration and classroom assignments will be mailed or emailed to you upon receipt of your registration.

Advisement
Academic advisement is always available from the Division of Continuing Education. Contact our office at 516.678.5000 ext. 6206 to speak with an advisor or to schedule an appointment.

Tuition
Tuition varies for each course and the tuition rate can be found in the course listings in each section, in the course descriptions or in the schedule of classes. There are no course fees. Payment is due at time of registration; however, purchase orders will also be accepted if you register by mail or by fax.Some forms of financial assistance are available (see below). The tuition for the entire, 350 hour program is approximately $5,000.

Financial Assistance
This program is approved for Veterans Benefits, as well as for Displaced Homemakers and/or Dislocated Workers. Click here for details. Since most continuing education courses do not lead to a college degree, they are not eligible for the traditional forms of financial aid, such as TAP and/or Pell. Some private lenders will help you finance continuing education and certificate programs.

Certificates
A certificate will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of each course and at the completion of the program. Course certificates are usually mailed out automatically 1-2 weeks after course grades have been submitted. However, students should contact the Office of Continuing Education at 516.678.5000 ext. 6206 or by e-mail at: conted@molloy.edu at the completion of the program to have a program certificate issued.

College credits may be awarded for CASAC coursework
Upon completion of 350 clock hours of Alcoholism & Chemical Dependency Counselor Education coursework, the student may be eligible to receive college credit toward two specific degrees with Molloy College (10 college credits towards a Sociology degree and 16 college credits towards an International Peace and Justice Studies degree, a liberal arts degree which is valuable for many careers and job opportunities).

Recredentialling Requirements
Those students who are already CASAC's and must renew their credential with NYS-OASAS must document 40 clock hours of education and training related to alcoholism and substance abuse. Renewal of your CASAC credential is done every three years. All courses listed under Section I - Section IV may be used for recredentialling purposes.

Accreditation
The program is approved by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Bureau of Credentialling, Provider Number ED0021. For clarification of exam requirements, categorization of courses, recredentialling requirements, exam schedules and/or to request an application for the CASAC exam please contact the OASAS Credentialing Unit at 1.800.482.9564 or visit them on the web at: www.oasas.ny.gov.

Questions?
For questions regarding the program, course schedules and/or registration, please call 516.678.5000 ext. 6206 or email conted@molloy.edu.