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Learn about training for an in-demand career as a certified substance abuse counselor, social worker, school counselor, or youth services worker at a Social Work and Human Services Career & Transfer Night, Monday, November 21, from 6-8 p.m., at Raritan Valley Community College. The event will be held in the Atrium (lower level, College Center) at RVCC’s Branchburg campus.

In response to the rise in addiction and heroin deaths across the state, in 2014 RVCC launched a program to prepare students to become Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADCs), a nationally recognized credential in substance abuse treatment. Eight of the first 11 students who completed the RVCC coursework are currently employed in substance abuse settings. The students continue to accrue the required two years or 3000 hours of supervised experience as a counseling intern prior to full certification. Those who have not gone directly into paid employment in the field are enrolled fulltime in accredited programs to complete their BASW and MSW, leading toward the Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LCADC) credential. With this credential they may supervise others, transition into private practice, or explore a wide array of other career options.

Tichina Smith already possessed a Master’s Degree when she completed the certificate program at RVCC last year. She is currently employed as a counseling intern at both a mental health center and at an outpatient program, where she discovered her passion for working with those struggling with addiction. Smith says she “never would have been hired [for her full-time position] without the coursework” completed at RVCC.

“Substance abuse treatment is a rapidly expanding field offering an accessible career path for many individuals interested in helping others. It also has proven to be an excellent career pathway for those in recovery themselves looking for a way to give what was given to them—a new chance at life,” says Program Coordinator Dr. Karen Gutshall-Seidman.

Jennifer Kinchen, who was one of the first students to complete the program, is now employed full-time at the agency where she completed the 80 hours of fieldwork required by RVCC to complete the academic program.

Program graduate Richard Hoffman is pursuing his Associate Degree in Human Services/Pre-Social Work at RVCC while completing his supervised fieldwork. He originally focused only on pursuing a Certificate of Completion in Chemical Dependency, but found the educational experience so rewarding that he is continuing his education to complete an Associate Degree.

The evening also will offer information about transfer and career pathways for Human Services/Social Work majors. Representatives from RVCC and the Rutgers School of Social Work will be on hand to answer questions, as well as former RVCC students and graduates of the College’s Chemical Dependency Certificate of Completion program.

For information about the Social Work and Human Services Career & Transfer Night, contact Jessica Gonzalez at jessica.gonzalez@raritanval.edu. To learn more about RVCC programs in such areas as Chemical Dependency, Human Services and Social Work, contact Dr. Karen Gutshall-Seidman at karen.gutshall-seidman@raritanval.edu.

Raritan Valley Community College’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. Serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for close to 50 years, RVCC is an educational and cultural center that is nationally recognized for its innovative programming, service to the community and environmental leadership. The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, professional development and personal enrichment courses. The College also has a performing arts center and planetarium. RVCC is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses, and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 7, 2016

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #55