CAC training classes are structured to meet student needs. Here are some key points as to how CAC training puts its students first:

  1. PRACTICALITY

 Each class is designed to be brief, intense and practical. Packing all necessities and no fluff so each student is making a good use of their time and money.

  1.  FLEXIBILITY

CAC classes at Odyssey are on a rotating schedule. Each class is offered every 2 to 4 months making for a flexible course structure that allows students to take CAC classes in any order that fits their personal schedules. A few classes require a prerequisite (Pharmacology I must be completed before taking Pharmacology II, for example).So that means students schedule classes at their own pace from taking back to back classes to finish in 2 to 3 months or spreading the classes out over years, the choice is yours.  

Robin Oakes, Odyssey’s student registrar is superb at helping students with their course scheduling and navigating DORA/OBH requirements. Flexibility holds true for paying tuition. Students can register and pay for all classes at once or register and pay for each class separately. Odyssey’s easy to use, secure website allows students to pay online and to create and manage their own class registration account.

  1.  ONLINE

Odyssey offers ALL of the OBH approved CAC classes online. Classes are scheduled for 1-3 weeks with a specific start and end date depending on the class. There is an easy access calendar of assignments with required due dates that ensures student participation and interaction while still allowing the flexibility of an online class that is available to students 24/7. Each class is a cohort of students that take the class together facilitating an important element in education – learning from one another. Classes typically consist of instructor lectures, online articles/resources, videos, offline assignments, learning quizzes and instructor led forum discussions. Students are required to engage and participate in all of the course content and pass the final exam to successfully complete the class.

  1.  AFFORDABLE

Obtaining your CAC can play out in many ways.  The following are examples of how receiving your CAC could go:

  • If one have a High School degree and wants to become an addiction counselor (which requires obtaining a CAC I and/or CAC II), the total cost for CAC I classes would be $1,290 for 7 classes. If you continue on to a  CAC II, it would be an additional $1,490 for 8 classes. That’s a grand total of $2,780 for a CAC II credential. Remember, spreading payments one class at a time as they are taken will help manage one’s personal finances with each class being between $170 and $220 depending on whether it’s 2 or 3 day class. If compared, the cost of a CAC II to the cost of going to Heritage College or Pima Medical Institute for a Medical Tech Credential for over $25,000 for one semester in any college and you’ll agree that CAC is very affordable.
  • If one has or will have a Master’s Degree in a related field, the cost to obtain a CAC II is extremely obtainable at a total of $1,370 for 7 required CAC classes. Depending on the degree and transcript one has, one may qualify for credit transfer for 3 of the 7 classes which will reduce that cost even more.
  • If one already has a Master’s degree and has completed all the classes for a CAC II, one can go on and obtain a LAC (Licensed Addiction Counselor) credential which only requires 3 more classes at a cost of $590. So, someone with a Master’s degree will only need to spend $1,960 for their CAC training and to receive their LAC. Again, let us compare that to the cost of 1 semester in graduate school – for less than $2,000, one can become credentialed in both Addiction (LAC) and Mental Health (LPC, LMFT, LCSW).

Odyssey’s class tuition includes your course manual and handouts, complimentary coffee and cookies, free parking in our huge, well-lit parking lot, and your certificate of completion. There are no hidden or additional costs.
As Addiction and Mental Health treatment becomes more and more integrated, the demand and value of the cross-trained professionals will certainly increase. It is important to consider expanding one’s scope of practice, increasing one’s employability and learning more about addiction and how to effectively work with people struggling with addiction as well as mental health issues.