Montana is honoring a Missoula College training program for helping to advance addiction recovery in the state. The program prepares students to become licensed addiction counselors.
An estimated one in ten residents lives with a substance use disorder. About 90 percent of those residents go untreated in a given year.
The recognition comes through Stepping Stones Behavioral Health Services’ Recovery Advocate of the Year award, given this year to program lead Katie Smith.
Why Montana Needs More Counselors
The honor lands in a state that currently has a wide treatment gap. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects positions for substance abuse counselors to grow 23 percent through 2030.
Substance use disorder is a chronic medical condition that changes how the brain responds to drugs or alcohol. Common signs of addiction include intense cravings, withdrawal symptoms when use stops and continued use despite harm to health, work or relationships.
The typical treatment protocol is counseling and behavioral therapy, which is why trained professionals matter so much.
The Chemical Addiction Studies Certificate
The program at the center of the honor is the college’s chemical addiction studies certificate, a 25-credit program open to all University of Montana and Missoula College students. It can be completed in as little as a year and pairs with any degree, including an associate’s.
“Evidence-based treatment is essential to addressing substance use and misuse in our communities, and skilled, compassionate professionals are at the heart of that care,” Smith said.
Coursework covers the intersections of addiction and diversity, gambling and gaming disorders, pharmacology and addiction, and treatment planning. The online format allows students to keep working while they study.
“Students who complete this program are set up to apply for their candidate license,” Smith said. “After that, they enter the workforce.”
Lived Experience in the Classroom
One of those students is Kristi Monaco, who will finish the certificate and her associate’s degree this spring. Monaco spent more than a decade in Portland and Los Angeles before returning to Missoula, where she works as an artist and in restaurants.
“I have experience with addiction myself,” she said. “I have that lived experience and insight into what it’s like.”
Monaco expressed that the coursework helped her understand her own history with alcohol and give her younger self more grace. She hopes her experience will make her a better counselor.
“Part of the nature of addiction is a lot of lying, lying to yourself, lying to others to hide it or protect the addiction,” she said. “Being able to trust the person that you’re talking to, and knowing that they’ve been there and they understand and that there’s no judgment, there’s no stigma, I think is huge.”
She hopes to work with young people and fold art into her practice. “A big part of recovery, I think, is finding connection,” she said. “When you’re in addiction, you’re more isolated. You think you’re connecting with others, but ultimately it leads to disconnection and isolation.”
Becoming a Licensed Addiction Counselor
Licensed addiction counselors, or LACs, work in substance use treatment programs, community health centers, public health organizations and social service agencies. Their work involves assessing patients and providing counseling and treatment for substance use and gambling disorders.
They often work alongside other medical professionals such as nurses and social workers. Candidates must complete 1,000 supervised hours under an experienced professional before taking the licensing exam.
Finding Addiction Treatment Centers in Montana
If you or someone you love is in need of help, search addiction treatment centers in Montana by city and compare programs, or look up the signs of addiction to understand what treatment involves.
Addictions.com lists verified addiction treatment centers across the state. Call
800-681-1058
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