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The state of California has awarded $23.3 million in grants for a new program designed to support students who want to become substance use disorder (SUD) counselors.
The LDS Earn and Learn program seeks to provide students with specialized education in addiction treatment and counseling, and paid practical experience, working with clients in a supervised setting.
"The opioid epidemic is having devastating effects on communities across our country," the governor said. Gavin Newsom.
At a press conference, he stressed that "with this program, we are preparing our future workforce to treat and care for people who suffer from substance use disorders with empathy and compassion."
Notably, the program will use the concept of earning and learning to provide students with funding so they don't have to get multiple jobs just to pay their living expenses to meet their needs while pursuing a career that will benefit communities across the state.
"Through this program, students will have the opportunity to work with real clients and apply the skills and knowledge they have learned in a real-world setting," said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency. Of California.
"This will not only help students become better counselors, but also give them a unique perspective on the challenges and rewards of working in this field."
This program breaks down the barriers to entry that make it difficult for a person to become a certified LDS counselor, while allowing providers to offer paid time off for school activities, cover the costs of educational instructor certification incentive programs, and offer bonuses for educational instructors. professional placement.
“We are excited to support students with paid work experience as they work to become certified substance use counselors,” said Department of Health Care Information and Access (HCAI) Director Elizabeth Landsberg.
"We are training and preparing a new generation of diverse substance use disorder counselors with lived experience to face this moment and respond to the epidemic of youth substance use."
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