Addiction Counseling Internship (ADCN 693/694)

• Course Prerequisites
  • Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling (CEFS 501)
  • Multicultural Counseling (CEFS 504)
  • Theories of Counseling (CEFS 510)
  • Research & Program Evaluation (CEFS 515)
  • Assessment Techniques in Counseling (CEFS 521)
  • Psychopathology (CEFS 546)
  • Theories of Family Systems (CEFS 601)
  • Substance Abuse: Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention (CEFS 691)
  • Diagnosis & Treatment Planning  of Addictive Disorders (ADCN 667)
    • *ADCN students may enroll in Diagnosis & Treatment Planning of Addictive Disorders (ADCN 667) as a co-requisite with the Addiction Counseling Internship (ADCN 699) only if:
    • they are enrolled in a B-term online section of Diagnosis & Treatment Planning of Addictive Disorders, (ADCN 667).
      • If a student is enrolled in a D-term online section of ADCN 667 the same semester they wish to take Internship, they will need to switch to a B-term online section of ADCN 667 or they will be denied.
    • All other prerequisite courses are non-negotiable and must be successfully completed prior to the start of internship.
• Additional Prerequisites
  • Background Check: You must purchase a background check through DISA Healthcare Technology within no more than one year before applying for internship.
  • Fingerprints: You must purchase and complete your fingerprints before applying for internship.
  • GPA: Must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the posted application deadline

Please see Addiction Counseling Fieldwork Manual for all Hour Requirements.

Telehealth and In-Person Counseling Policy

Please see Addiction Counseling Fieldwork Manual for the Telehealth and In-Person Counseling Policy.

Video Recording Requirement

Please see Addiction Counseling Fieldwork Manual for the Video Recording Requirement.

Please note that all students are responsible to keep a record/copy of their verification of final hours form for licensure purposes. Students need to check with their state counseling board for internship requirements for their state. Liberty University vs. your state comparison of requirements (PDF).

Semester Requirements:

• Internship is full-semester commitment.
  • Internship officially starts the first day of Liberty’s academic semester.
  • Students are required to earn hours each week of the semester with the approved site and supervisor.
  • Internship is an A-Term course:
    • 17 weeks during the Fall and Spring semesters
    • 14 weeks during the Summer semester.

Internship Opportunities

State Site Lists: The sites listed on the state site lists have previously executed Affiliation Agreements with the Fieldwork Office. However, placement at one of these sites is not automatically approved. Each site must still undergo review and receive approval through the individual student’s application process to ensure it meets all program requirements. Final approval is granted by the Fieldwork Office.

• The sites listed have been used by any of our counseling students and may not fulfill the requirements for the ADCN internship.
• On average, finding a site and supervisor takes at least three to four months.
• Students are allowed a maximum of two sites.
• Students are not permitted to do in-home/home-based counseling.

Types of Sites Typically Approved for Internship Fieldwork

All hours earned towards the hour requirement must be clinical in nature and addiction-related.

• Counseling agency
• Hospital
• Private practice
• University counseling center
• Community services board
• School*

*If you are seeking to see clients at a school under your clinical site:

• Final approval is determined by the Fieldwork Office upon review of your application and site qualifications.
• Counseling services must be clinical mental health, not school-based or academic counseling.
• A licensed or associate licensed site supervisor (or designated clinical professional) employed by the site must be on-site at all times while you are present.
• The school must have a formal contract with your clinical site for service delivery.

Students are allowed a maximum of two supervisors.

• Please visit our site supervisor webpage for helpful information for practicum supervisors.

Addiction Counseling Internship supervisors must meet the following requirements:

1. Must have a master’s degree in counseling or a related profession and be independently licensed with an approvable license.
2. Must have a minimum of two years of professional addiction counseling experience.

Examples of Approved Supervisors

• Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADC)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Psychologist (LP) with either a PhD in Clinical Psychology or a PsyD (all other Licensed Psychologists will be reviewed on a case by case basis)

Examples of Supervisors Not Approved

• Doctorate degrees that are not in the counseling field or are unaccredited
• Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) – with the only exception of the macro- or clinical- designations in the state of Michigan.
• Limited Licensed Professional Counselor (LLPC)
• Master of Divinity
• Pastoral Counselors
• School Counselors

1. Background Check Order Completion PDF
   • Students must submit their background check order completion PDF from DISA Healthcare Technology (or previously order confirmation page/results summary page from CastleBranch) that is dated no more than one year prior to the date of their application.
   • The internship office will also verify that you have completed your fingerprints through DISA Healthcare Technology (or CastleBranch) at the time of your application. If you have not purchased and completed your fingerprints through DISA Healthcare Technology (or previously through CastleBranch), these will need to be completed by the time you apply or you will be denied approval for internship.
   • Only send the completion document (PDF) that is sent to your email from DISA Healthcare Technology once the processing of the background check or re-check has been made, or if your background check from CastleBranch is not expired and you are using it, please make sure it is either the order confirmation page or page 1 of the results summary page.
   • Visit the background check website for further instructions on background check or fingerprints.
2. Supervisor’s License Verification
   • Found on your state counseling board website.
   • Includes name, license number, issue date, expiration date, & current/active.
3. Fieldwork Contract (PDF)
   • Signed by student, site supervisor, and site director.
     • The dates must match Liberty’s A-term semester dates. Check the Academic Calendar for the semester dates you will be completing internship.
     • Please note: you must fill out one fieldwork contract per site/supervisor. Students are only required to have one site and supervisor but may have up to two sites and supervisors.
4. Liability Insurance Face Sheet (PDF)
   • Students are required to purchase their own coverage for the duration of practicum and internship. The coverage requirements are detailed in the link above.
5. Affiliation Agreement
   • 11-page Cover Sheet and Agreement: Completed and signed by legal signatory at site
   • Extensions will not be granted for Affiliation Agreement negotiations

Important:

Please submit all documents as PDF files only. The Affiliation Agreement must be submitted as a single PDF file containing all 11 pages.

All approval documents must be submitted to the Internship Office through SimCare prior to the deadline listed above. No late documents will be accepted. Submission of the application does not mean automatic acceptance of the proposed site and/or supervisor; they must be approved first. Liberty University must validate that the student’s proposed site will provide a good educational experience and that it has adequate oversight and safeguards built in to ensure an appropriate clinical environment.

Please see Addiction Counseling Fieldwork Manual for changing site(s) and/or supervisor(s).

Students residing in Virginia will need to take 2 semesters of internship (ADCN 693 and ADCN 694). Virginia students will submit their request for an additional semester of internship (ADCN 694) by emailing the documents below to ADCNinternship@liberty.edu before the completion of Week 10 in their first semester of internship. The second semester of an internship will fulfill the elective credit needed, as listed on the Degree Completion Plan.

• If you plan to continue with your current, approved site(s) and supervisor(s), you will need to submit the following:
  • Fieldwork Contract (one for each supervisor)
  • Liability Insurance Face Sheet
  • Current Backgroud Check (completed within 1 year of application)
• If you plan to switch your site(s) and/or supervisor(s), you will need to submit the following:
  • Fieldwork Contract
  • Supervisor and Site Information Form
  • License Verification
  • Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum
  • Liability Insurance Face Sheet
  • Current Backgroud Check (completed within 1 year of application)

Students will apply through SimCare.

1. To access the SimCare application, students must first create an account using their Liberty University email address at:
   • SimCare Sign In
2. Once the account has been created, students may begin their SimCare application.
   • How to Begin LU SimCare Application Video
   • Students will complete all required sections of the application.
   • After adding a site supervisor, students will be prompted to select the Submit & Notify Signers button.
     • Please note: Selecting Submit & Notify Signers does not submit the application to the Fieldwork Office. Instead, it generates an email from SimCare to the site supervisor requesting that they complete their portion of the application and provide their signature.
     • SimCare Site Supervisor Onboarding Guide (PDF)
       • Students will not receive a notification when their site supervisor signs the application. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor the status of their application and verify that the required signature has been obtained to ensure they have sufficient time to complete the final review and submit their application before the application window closes.
3. Once the site supervisor has completed and signed their portion, students must return to the application, review all information for accuracy, and select Submit Application to send the application to the Fieldwork Office for review.
   • Important: The final submission must be completed before the application deadline. Applications cannot be submitted after the application window closes.
   • Students are responsible for monitoring their application, ensuring all requirements are completed, and meeting all published deadlines. Failure to finalize and submit the application before the application window closes will prevent submission, and students must wait for a future application cycle to apply.