VGCC to make new Substance Abuse certification available

The Vance-Granville Community College Human Services Technology program was recently approved by the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board to offer the courses required to meet the educational requirements of the new Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP) credential. This credential is designed for individuals who want to work as substance abuse counselors in corrections, law enforcement or court system settings. These courses will be offered at either the VGCC South Campus, located on N.C. 56 between Creedmoor and Butner, or online. Courses will cover subjects such as ethics, criminology, and substance abuse case management. Students also complete an internship in which they are supervised by a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) or CCS Intern.Once students complete these courses, they must then complete supervised work experience to become a CCJP. Supervised work experience is defined as a paid or voluntary professional experience providing direct service to individuals involved in the criminal justice system.If students have a high school diploma or GED, they would be required to complete 6,000 hours (approximately three years) of documented work experience. Holding an associate’s degree would cut the requirement to 5,000 hours (approximately two and a half years) of experience. Persons with a four-year bachelor’s degree would need to complete 4,000 hours of experience, while those with a master’s degree would only need to complete 2,000 hours.For more information, contact Tracy Wallace, VGCC’s Human Services Technology program head, at (252) 738-3519 or (919) 528-4737, ext. 3519.