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New Certified Addiction Professional (CAP) Training Requirements from the FCB

The Academy for Addiction Professionals was notified recently that the Florida Certification Board modified its training standards for the Certified Addiction Professional in early July. The CAP designation has been split into two tiers to better align with many of our students’ breadth of degrees.

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New MCAP Standards from the Florida Certification Board

If you have previously investigated taking the master’s level Certified Addiction Professional or MCAP Through the Florida Certification Board. In that case, you may have noticed that the requirements for certification were similar to those of the Certified Addiction Professional. It became apparent that these requirements were onerous for students already with advanced degrees. As such, the Florida Certification Board recently changed the training curriculum to reduce the hours necessary for certification to 161 from the previous 350.

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What Is Needed to Be Successful in Treating Behavioral Health Issues

Counselor grabbing hands of patients in supportive way over pillow

Most people would agree that empathy and compassion are two of the most important traits a counselor must possess to succeed when dealing with incredible sorrow or tragedy. Both empathy and compassion are largely a part of the fabric of who we are. Most humans naturally have a degree of compassion and empathy, and we can all learn to develop both traits as skills.

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Counselors – Prioritize Self Care

We talk about the challenges associated with addiction counseling, and they cannot be ignored. Ben Brafman, founder, and CEO of The Academy for Addiction Professionals, discusses what a counselor’s self-care looks like and offers some essential self-care tips. Some of the crucial needs for any counselor include the following:

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Family Dynamics in Treatment

family walking down beach holding hands self care: woman therapist practicing self care by meditating at the beach

Family dynamics play an important role in addiction treatment and therapy for mental illness. As counselors, we must identify specific family dynamics that can lead us to a better diagnosis and treatment plan. Many families have two or more members that are enmeshed, meaning they have relationships with poorly defined or no boundaries. For example, some parents and children may share information that we consider inappropriate due to their familial connection and age gap. We see highly rigid family dynamics as problematic, too, and must adapt to bring the family into treatment, helping them recognize that their changes will also benefit the patient.

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Star Wars, Darth Vader, and Mental Illness

Family watching tv together on couch

Mental illness and addictive tendencies are often portrayed in the movies. Today, we explore one of Ben Brafman’s passions – Star Wars – and the theme of mental illness and addiction that runs through the series of films. We focus particularly on Darth Vader, a.k.a. Anakin Skywalker, and what pushed him to become possibly the greatest villain in cinema history. Ben breaks down Darth Vader’s youth and life circumstances that led him to become this most iconic of characters and his eventual redemption.

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What Is a Change Agent and Why Does it Matter?

Counseling session with counselor writing notes and patient's hands folded sitting on couch

In the video below, Ben Brafman, the founder of the Academy for Addiction Professionals, discusses a counselor’s role as a change agent, as he calls it. Counselors have an incredible responsibility when it comes to their job, and they can make a real difference not only in the life of their clients or patients but also in the lives of everybody who knows and depends on them.

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What Does Supervision Mean?

Woman holding clipboard and observing an addiction professional

If you have read the Florida Certification Board standards for certification as an addiction professional, you’ve probably encountered the requirement to receive a certain number of hours of supervision. Many of our students ask what exactly this means.

Supervision is essential to the treatment process and critical to counselor self-care. In this case, supervision means that a certain number of your work hours (300 for CAP and CAC, for example) must be under the oversight of a licensed or certified professional or counselor. This means that the supervisor must be present as you work with your clients or patients and has signed off that you have adequate skills to eventually perform these services on your own. As such, while you are taking our courses or even considering advancing your career as a counselor, it is crucial to speak to your supervisor and ensure they can offer you the necessary supervision to get your certification. Having this lined up before applying to the certification board means faster approval and one less requirement to worry about.

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Seven Ways To Make the Delivery of Online Treatment More Successful

Today’s realities of pandemic-based care, limited access to proper treatment in rural areas, and the rise of technology have created many hurdles and great opportunities for clinicians around the United States. While in-person care delivery is more complex than ever, technology has made remote care as easy as a few clicks. However, any clinician or client will attest that care isn’t the same when delivered on video. So how do we make sure that we as clinicians give our very best to each client? Following are a few strategies to help make that happen:

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Live Classes Available Again!

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we suspended our in-person addiction counselor courses. These courses were top-rated and an excellent complement to our comprehensive online learning portal.

With new technology that allows for our trademark immersive and experiential learning processes, we are once again able to provide live courses to students throughout the state of Florida.

Our live classes are held on a rotating basis, and students can join at any time. You can supplement the live courses with our online distance-learning program to accelerate the completion of the course. Currently, Ben Brafman, our executive Director, is conducting the classes personally. Ben has decades of experience in the industry, having started his career as a behavioral health technician and reaching the highest levels within treatment, including owning and managing treatment centers. 

We look forward to having you back at our live courses delivered over Zoom.

For more information, please contact us!

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