CNSL 693 is a 300-hour supervised field experience in an addiction counseling setting, for UMGC students seeking dual licensure as a professional counselor and an alcohol and drug counselor.
UMGC's description says the course is for students pursuing dual licensure as both a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor (LCADC). Prerequisites are CNSL 691 and CNSL 692, departmental approval and proof of individual professional counseling liability insurance.
So CNSL 693 comes after the two general internships. You arrive with counseling experience, and the task is to apply it in a specialized setting where screening, motivation, withdrawal risk and recovery support shape every case.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
| Course code | CNSL 693 |
| Credits | 3 (graduate) |
| Hours | 300 supervised hours in an addiction counseling setting |
| Prerequisites | CNSL 691 and 692; departmental approval; liability insurance |
| Purpose | Supports dual licensure (LCPC and LCADC) |
Working in an Addiction Setting
Addiction settings range from outpatient and intensive outpatient programs to residential treatment and medication-supported services. Each has its own routines, documentation and team structure, and many involve close work with medical staff and peer recovery specialists.
Early weeks are a good time to learn the site's intake process, its levels of care and how it decides when to step a client up or down. Understanding that system helps your written work as well as your fieldwork.
Core Skills for the First Addictions Internship
Screening and Assessment
Assessment in addiction work combines substance use history, mental health, physical health, social circumstances and readiness for change. Standard screening tools and structured interviews help, and diagnosis draws on the DSM-5-TR criteria for substance use disorders, which are rated by severity.
Placement Across Levels of Care
Many programs use the ASAM Criteria, which look at several dimensions (such as withdrawal potential, medical and emotional conditions, readiness to change, relapse potential and recovery environment) to recommend a level of care.
Example: A (fictional) client with daily alcohol use reports morning tremors, lives alone and has no supportive contacts. The tremors suggest withdrawal risk that needs medical assessment before outpatient work. A written case analysis would flag that first, then discuss readiness, supports and a suitable level of care.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing helps clients resolve ambivalence through open questions, affirmations, reflections and summaries. Reflection papers often ask you to analyze an exchange and identify change talk and sustain talk.
Stages of Change
The transtheoretical model describes stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Matching interventions to the stage, such as exploring ambivalence in contemplation rather than pushing an action plan, is a common theme in first-internship case papers.
Typical Written Work and How to Approach It
| Work type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment case paper | Integrating screening data | De-identify; cover use history, risks, strengths and level of care |
| MI skills reflection | Motivational interviewing | Quote a short exchange and label each skill used |
| Site and system paper | Understanding of services | Describe levels of care and how clients move between them |
| Ethics reflection | Confidentiality and boundaries | Apply the relevant standards to a concrete dilemma |
Why Dual Licensure Matters
Many clients in mental health settings use substances, and many clients in addiction programs have mental health conditions.
Counselors trained in both areas can assess and treat the whole picture. That is the logic behind UMGC offering addictions internships for students who want to pursue both the professional counselor and the alcohol and drug counselor routes.
Licensure requirements are set by state boards, not by the university, and they change. If you plan to use these hours for an alcohol and drug counseling credential, check the board's current rules on supervised hours, supervisor qualifications and documentation before you start, so your logs meet them from day one.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Underestimating medical risk. Withdrawal can be dangerous; always note when medical assessment is needed.
- Confrontational language. Terms like "addict" or "in denial" clash with person-first, motivational practice.
- Extra confidentiality rules. Substance use treatment records often carry stricter federal protections; follow your site's procedures.
Tips for CNSL 693
- Review CNSL 631 and CNSL 644 material on addiction and co-occurring disorders before starting.
- Learn your site's screening tools in the first weeks.
- Check your state board's requirements for counting addiction hours toward licensure.
How We Help with CNSL 693
We support the academic side of the addictions internship: assessment case paper formats, motivational interviewing reflections, ethics papers and research on treatment approaches, using fictional or fully de-identified material. Our counseling assignment help guide explains wider support.
We never complete hours, logs, clinical notes or site forms, and never accept identifying client information. GradeEssays is independent of the University of Maryland Global Campus; your clinical work and reflections must be your own under UMGC's academic integrity policy.
Strengthen Your Addictions Internship Writing
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Frequently Asked Questions
UMGC says it is for students seeking dual licensure as a licensed clinical professional counselor and a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor.
UMGC describes a field-based supervised experience of 300 hours in an addiction counseling setting.
CNSL 691 and CNSL 692, departmental approval and proof of individual professional counseling liability insurance.
UMGC lists it among the electives; it is aimed at students pursuing the dual licensure route.
CNSL 694 Internship 2: Substance Use and Addictions, which lists CNSL 693 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Yes. We can explain MI skills and help you structure and edit your own reflection.