If you have ever called around for addiction treatment in Tennessee and been told the next opening is weeks out, you ran into a workforce problem rather than a paperwork problem.
There are not enough trained addiction counselors, and Chattanooga has been short on ways to train new ones. That is what a new certificate program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is built to change.
What the Chattanooga Program Does
UTC has launched a Clinical Addiction Studies Certificate, a fully online program aligned with Tennessee’s educational requirements for Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, known as LADACs. The certificate runs 18 credit hours, and applications are accepted year-round.
Coursework covers introduction to clinical addiction studies, addiction therapy, addicted family systems, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders, psychopharmacology, and addiction, culture and society. Most classes are asynchronous and online, with any live sessions scheduled in the evening.
One thing to be clear about: finishing the certificate does not by itself make someone a licensed counselor. Students still have to complete supervised clinical hours outside the program to meet Tennessee’s full licensing requirements.
Why the Shortage Affects People Seeking Care
The gap is not small. According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis and its 2025 State of the Behavioral Health Workforce report, a shortage of more than 123,000 addiction counselors is projected nationally by 2038.
Jami Hargrove, assistant director for health education and wellness promotion in UTC’s Center for Wellbeing, described the local version of the problem.
The ratio of people affected by addiction to counselors with specialized addiction training is not what it needs to be, she said, and the shortage covers not just dedicated addiction counselors but counselors with any addiction training at all.
For someone trying to get help, that shortage shows up as a waitlist, a long drive, or a counselor who is competent but has never been trained specifically in substance use.
Increasing the number of trained providers is one of three outcomes UTC named in its grant proposal, alongside raising the baseline knowledge of professionals who serve people seeking addiction treatment and reducing barriers to care caused by too few trained providers.
How Hamilton County Paid for It
Hamilton County awarded UTC $114,344 in January 2024 through its Innovative Response to Opioids Grant program. Program leaders said that funding is what let them build the curriculum, move it through approval, and get it running.
The grant also funded 10 scholarships for the inaugural cohort. Preference goes to applicants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, rural communities, groups underrepresented in counseling fields, and people with lived recovery experience.
Megan McKnight, adjunct faculty for the certificate, said local options had been thin. There have not been many places in Chattanooga to get just those educational hours, she said, so the goal is to grow the workforce locally and make the path easier for people who want it without committing to another full degree.
Program coordinator Dr. Tyler Oberheim said the online format was deliberate and the reach is meant to be statewide rather than limited to Chattanooga residents and professionals.
Formal certificate enrollment is still relatively small, though total enrollment in the individual courses has already reached into the hundreds.
Knowing When to Ask for Help
Waiting for the workforce to catch up is not a plan. Signs that substance use has moved past a habit include needing more of a substance to get the same effect, unsuccessful attempts to cut back, withdrawal symptoms between uses, and continued use despite problems it is causing at work, at home, or with health.
If several of those sound familiar, an assessment is the next step, not a decision about what level of care you need.
A licensed clinician sorts that out. McKnight made a related point about professionals in nursing, physical therapy, and similar fields, saying addiction training helps them better support clients, reduce stigma, and connect people with the right resources.
In practice that means your primary care provider or a hospital social worker can be a legitimate starting point.
Finding Addiction Treatment in Tennessee
Search addiction treatment centers in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, and other Tennessee cities, and filter by the level of care and insurance you need.
Ask any program whether counselors on staff hold LADAC licensure, and ask what the wait is for a first assessment rather than for admission, since those are often different.
Addictions.com lists verified treatment centers across Tennessee. Call
800-681-1058
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