The mission of the Minority Counselor Training Institute is to develop racial and ethnic minority professionals who are committed to providing quality, effective, culturally-competent alcohol and other drug abuse counseling services in Wisconsin.
Goals
The goals of the Minority Counselor Training Institute are to provide racial and ethnic minority candidates with mentoring, guidance, and support as they pursue the training and education that is required to become Clinical Substance Abuse Counselors and Certified Clinical Supervisors. The education and training curriculum is designed to meet the academic and clinical requirements of the Department of Regulation and Licensing (DRL) for certification as an alcohol and other drug abuse counselor in the state of Wisconsin as well as the Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) or Independent Clinical Supervisor (ICS) Credential.
These program goals are accomplished by offering the following:
- Enrollment of a racially diverse adult population;
- Experienced and knowledgeable training facilitators;
- Experienced Career Consultants as mentors;
- Training opportunities offered through the WAAODA conference;
- Credit for Human Services coursework (with a concentration in Substance Abuse) toward academic degrees.
- Education and training for the Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) and the Independent Clinical Supervisor (ICS) credential.
Who should join Minority Counselor Training Institute?
This program is best suited to those who have a genuine interest in working in the field of Substance Abuse Addictions; possessing some knowledge and skills about substance abuse and addiction is a plus. Minority Counselor Training Institute respects the experience and knowledge of participants and builds on this foundation to enhance professional development. In order to be enrolled as Minority Counselor Training Institute trainees, all prospective trainees must meet the Minority Counselor Training Institute enrollment requirements:
- Minority status
- Wisconsin residency
- No less than a high school degree or GED equivalent
- Successfully passed the HFS 12 and HFS 13 Caregiver background check
- Three letters of personal references
- Signed assurance of continued employment in the field for at least three years
- Prior to receiving any Minority Counselor Training Institute services all eligible Minority AODA Counselor Training Institute trainees will attend a Minority Counselor Training Institute Professional Readiness Course
Training Sites
We presently have two training sites:
The Madison site covers the Southwest region and the Milwaukee site covers the Southeast and Northern regions; although candidates can attend the site that is most convenient for them.
- WAAODA Administrative Office, 6601 Grand Teton Plaza ~ Suite A, Madison, WI 53719
PH: 608-829-1032 - Satellite Office, Wisconsin Building, 312 E. Wisconsin Avenue, 2nd floor, Milwaukee, WI
Open enrollment occurs twice a year, in August for our Madison site and December for our Milwaukee site. Once an applicant returns the completed application into the MCTI Administrative office, 6601 Grand Teton Plaza, the HSF 12 and HSF 13 Caregiver background check is conducted. The applicant is then invited to an interview process before a panel comprised of the program manager, career consultants and 1 or 2 chosen trainer(s). Those applicants deemed appropriate for this program after the interview will be expected to attend the new trainee orientation in September for Madison and January for Milwaukee prior to attending training.
For a registration form, contact WAAODA office, MCTI direct line 608.827.6049 or [email protected].
Career Consultant Qualifications
A Minority Counselor Training Institute Career Consultant shall:
- Be a member of an ethnic or racial minority, with ethnic or racial minority status.
- Be currently certified though the certifying body of Wisconsin as SAC or CSAC
- Be self-employed or employed at a firm, business or agency providing Substance Abuse services, or, if self-employed, have self-employment status that conforms to the definitions established by federal and state law.
- Be culturally competent to consult with trainees sharing their own culture, as well as professionals and others from other cultures.
- Behave in a professional manner.
- Abide by WAAODAs sexual harassment and discrimination policies.
A Minority Counselor Training Institute Career Consultant must have a working knowledge of:
- Counselor certification procedures, processes and requirements.
- State administrative rules governing Counselor Certification, such as criminal background check requirements.
- ICRC and other testing protocols.
- Substance Abuse Counselor in Training (SAC-IT) requirements and testing protocol.
- Substance Abuse Counselor Career Strategies.
- Career and cultural development issues of African Americans, Native Americans, Asians and Hispanics.
- Local and statewide substance abuse networks.
- Current issues regarding substance use disorders, treatment technologies, internship resources and third-party payment systems.
Service Level Description
Minority Counselor Training Institute trainees enter the program at various points in their formal education, training and work experience. In order to address these differences, Minority Counselor Training Institute places trainees into one of four training levels according to their experiences:
Level 1: At Level 1 trainees are expected to:
- Make a commitment to participate in Minority Counselor Training Institute education and training (E&T) toward certification in the state of Wisconsin;
- Possess a strong desire to achieve 360 E&T hours and 4,000 clinical hours towards CSAC (Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor);
- Pass the Department of Regulation and Licensing (DRL) Juris Prudence on-line test and acquire needed 100 educational hours to obtain SAC-IT (Substance Abuse Counselor In Training);
- Meet with your assigned Career Counselor on a monthly basis; and
- Develop and maintain a Minority Counselor Training Institute Career Plan to be updated every six months.
Level 2: Level 2 is designed to continue the trainees’ advancement in completing academic and clinical hours for their CSAC. Trainees are expected to:
- Achieved the status of Substance Abuse Counselor In-Training (SAC-IT), having passed the Juris Prudence test;
- Acquire 4,000 clinical hours under clinical supervision;
- Pass the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse written counselor certification examination (IC&RC written exam);
- Begin preparing a certification Portfolio (certification package);
- Meet with your assigned Career Counselor on a monthly basis; and
- Maintain their Minority Counselor Training Institute Career Plan every six months.
Level 3: At Level 3 trainees are expected to:
- Have passed the IC&RC written exam;
- Have acquired 4,000 to 7,000 clinical supervised hours;
- Have acquired 250 to 360 academic (E & T) hours;
- Have acquired a Associate Degree with concentration of Substance Abuse academic hours;
- Have begun preparing a certification Portfolio (certification package);
- Meet with your assigned Career Counselor on a monthly basis; and
- Maintain their Minority Counselor Training Institute Career Plan with yearly update.
Level 4: At Level 4 trainees are expected to:
- Have passed the IC&RC with case study Exam and achieved CSAC status;
- Have decided to pursue Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) status or accept Minority Counselor Training Institute E&T guidance and a certificate of completion of Minority Counselor Training Institute services;
- Prepare for the IC&RC Clinical Supervisor certification written examination (CCS written exam);
- Prepare a CCS application for CCS or ICS status;
- Attend Minority Counselor Training Institute or other CCS trainings;
- Pass the CCS written exam;
- Complete a CCS application for CCS or ICS;
- Achieve CCS status with full completion of Minority Counselor Training Institute services.
Trainee Support
Minority Counselor Training Institute provides an environment conducive to the development of professional, minority Substance Abuse counselors. Specifically, Minority Counselor Training Institute supports trainees by offering:
- Experienced, knowledgeable and certified training facilitators;
- Experienced Career Consultants to guide candidates through the certification process;
- Training opportunities in various venues to assist in acquiring clinical hours;
- Administrative or life situations support from program manager;
- Training expense support i.e. hotel room and mileage reimbursement
Training Provided
Minority Counselor Training Institute provides its trainees with all the education hours that are required for alcohol and other drug abuse counselor certification in the state of Wisconsin. MCTI prepares its trainees to be professional Substance Abuse counselors with the latest, most up-to-date, culturally-competent, evidence-based training. At this time training is provided at training sites located in Milwaukee and Madison. Trainings are currently held on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm all year long. Trainees are expected to arrive in a timely manor and to attend every day of a specific training in order to receive credit for that training.
Specifically, Minority Counselor Training Institute offers:
- Professional Readiness/Ethics
- Understanding Addiction
- Counseling Skills I and II
- Counseling Skills II
- 12 Core Functions/46 Global Criteria
- Basic Counseling Theories/Approaches
- Basic Screening, Assessment, Placement Criteria and Treatment Planning
- Addictions Counseling in Communities of Color
- Diversity Issues in Addiction Counseling
- Psychopharmacology
- Client Record Management
- Group Counseling
- 12 Step Programs
- Family Counseling/Community Education
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Infectious Diseases
- Medications for Addiction
- Suicide Awareness
- Violence/Domestic Violence
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Gender-Specific Therapy
- Adolescent Clients
- Treating the Hip Hop Generation
- Elderly Clients
- Criminal Justice Clients
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transsexual Clients
Minority Counselor Training Institute Advisory Committee
The Minority Counselor Training Institute Advisory Committee meets to give suggestions for ways in which the program can improve the development of minority Substance Abuse counselors. In particular, the Advisory Committee seeks to re-shape the workforce in the Substance Abuse field to better reflect the demographics of its clients. The Advisory Committee is committed to raising the bar for the education and training of minority counselors in the Substance Abuse field.
The goals of the Minority Counselor Training Institute Advisory Committee are as follows:
- Provide guidance and direction to the Minority Counselor Training Institute Career Consultants to upgrade the quality of service to the trainees;
- Attract new trainees from Wisconsin’s rich reservoir of diverse cultures;
- Represent the diversity of Wisconsin in policy consideration both at the Minority Counselor Training Institute level and at other policy-making levels;
- Explore ways to improve exam performance at all levels;
- Provide a forum to discuss possible cultural barriers in the learning process;
- Sustain and support the leadership of Minority Counselor Training Institute in developing successful minority counselors;
- Develop or cause to be developed innovative multicultural training programs for minority counselors; and
- Aid in the identification of new financial and support resources for the program.
WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR MEMBERS TO RE-ESTABLISH THIS COMMITTEE; IF INTERSTED PLEASE SUBMIT A LETTER OF INTEREST ALONG WITH CURRENT RESUME TO [email protected].
MCTI Trainers:
Robert Carty, LCSW, CADC, CCJP
Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center, University of IL-Chicago
James Crawford, CSAC, ICS
Hope Haven Rebos/United, Madison WI
Joel Frank, CADC, MA
MATC-Milwaukee, Milwaukee WI
Kate Ihus, LPC, CSAC, ICS
Gateway Recovery, Madison WI
Olivia Howard, CADC, CADP, NCRS, QEIC
Christian Community Health Center, Chicago IL
Dennis Markus, LCSW, CADCIII
Gateway Technical College, Racine WI
Kathleen Roblee, PhD
Mooring House, Appleton WI
Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC
Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center, University of IL-Chicago
Susan Sigl, MS, LPC, CSAC, ICS
Knowledge Tree and Social Development Commission, Milwaukee WI
Michael Vann, CSAC
Ozaukee County Department of Human Services, Port Washington WI
Serena Wadhwa, Psy.D, LCPC, CADC
Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center, University of IL-Chicago
MCTI Coordinator:
Catina McAlister
Email:[email protected]
Phone:608-829-1032
“Building a workplace of professional minority Substance Abuse counselors”