August 7, 2020 Updated(Springfield, OH) – Clark State Community College has received official approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree in Addiction and Recovery Services.
“We are very excited to have gained approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education to begin offering the Associate of Applied Science in Addiction and Recovery Services,” said Dr. Tiffany Hunter, vice president of Academic Affairs for Clark State. “This degree will allow us to continue preparing students for employment in agencies to serve those individuals who are in need of support services. This program will be instrumental in allowing us to prepare a workforce that will be well equipped to serve individuals in need in our community.”
Hunter said Clark State plans to begin offering classes for the new degree program in the spring of 2021.
The newly approved associate degree, comprised of 64-65 semester credit hours, will be housed in the School of Health, Human and Public Services. The program was developed in response to a United States Department of Health and Human Services Opioid Workforce Expansion Program Grant for Paraprofessionals and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Trade and Economic Transition National Dislocated Worker Grant to support the workforce as a result of the opioid epidemic and other substance abuse disorders in the region.
The associate degree in Addiction and Recovery Services will blend classroom instruction with experiential learning experiences to prepare students for licensure eligibility as a licensed chemical dependency counselor (LCDC II). The program includes a general education core and coursework in addictions and recovery, chemical dependency, affective education/group treatment, mental health and lifespan human growth and development. Students will also complete 2,000 hours in field experiences at recognized treatment agencies under the supervision of approved licensed professionals in the field.
“Our region has seen a rise in addiction and recovery needs for a number of years now, and this trend is only expected to continue given the current pandemic,” said Dr. Rhoda Sommers, dean of Health, Human and Public Services for Clark State. “I’m so pleased to be offering a degree with embedded certificates that helps address regional needs and gets our students into the workforce quickly.”
There are two certificates embedded in the degree program: Peer Recovery Support Specialist (10 credit hours) and Peer Recovery/Addiction and Recovery Certificate (26 credit hours). The program provides students an opportunity to not only get out into the workforce, but to do so with more than adequate training and with a full licensure to be able to promote a more sustainable living wage.