Joined by Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Aaron R. Fichtner, PhD and Rutgers President Robert Barchi at the Livingston Student Center on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, Gov.  Christie announced that the New Jersey Healthcare Talent Development Center (TDC) at Rutgers will receive $1.3 million to launch the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC) apprenticeship program. 

The grants are part of a package of initiatives the Governor unveiled in September that commits $200 million to expand the state’s national model programs and services to continue to effectively address New Jersey’s opioid and substance use crisis. 

“One of my priorities has been to put more certified alcohol and drug counselors on the ground to tackle the disease of addiction one person at a time,” said Gov. Christie. “This successful program creates a pathway for those interested in helping those with substance use disorder through paid on-the-job training. Thank you to Rutgers and President Barchi in seeing this need and partnering with us to provide this crucial training throughout the state.” 

The announcement expands a successful pilot program, announced by Christie in July, in which the New Jersey Department of Labor’s New Jersey Healthcare Talent Development Center at Rutgers is providing CADC training to 10 case managers at Homeless Solutions in Morristown. 

The grant funding will enable Rutgers University to train approximately 200 people in 2018. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development contributes up to $6,000 per worker, and the employer matches 50 percent of the training cost. The apprenticeship will consist of 270 hours of classroom instruction at Rutgers and 3,100 hours of paid on-the-job training with a participating healthcare employer. Apprentices will learn the science of addiction, counseling techniques, crisis intervention, case management and addiction recovery while mastering the 45 state-mandated core competencies. This is the first time CADC training is being offered in an earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship program. 

Apprentices who successfully complete the program and pass the state certification exam will be qualified to work as Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors in addiction treatment centers, community health centers, hospitals and other direct care settings in New Jersey. This fills a critical need in the healthcare industry, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors will grow 20 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. 

The Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors Program is part of the “65 by 25: Many Paths, One Future” initiative that strives to help all New Jerseyans find pathways to employment through training aligned to the needs of employers. The goal is to have 65 percent of the workforce equipped with a college degree or industry-valued credential by 2025. Currently, 50 percent of the workforce meets that criteria.