Substance Use Disorder Professional

Start a meaningful career making a difference. Centralia College's Substance Use Disorder Program prepares you to counsel, guide, and support individuals on their path to recovery, helping transform lives and strengthen communities.

SUDP Class

Build the expertise and confidence to support individuals at every stage of recovery—students develop the knowledge, practical skills, and professional mindset needed to effectively counsel those with substance use disorders. Graduates who complete the degree and internship also meet Washington State requirements toward earning their Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) certification.

Areas of instruction include:

Client screening and evaluation
Treatment planning and implementation
SUD counseling practices and skills
Professional and ethical responsibilities

Career Possibilities

Washington State has a strong and growing demand for Substance Use Disorder Professionals (SUDPs), creating excellent career opportunities across a variety of settings. Certified SUDPs work in residential and outpatient treatment programs, schools, corrections and probation systems, mental health agencies, and prevention programs supporting individuals and communities in meaningful ways.

How to Become a SUDP

Follow these clear steps to launch your career and make a difference:

Start your journey by enrolling in Centralia College’s Substance Use Disorder Professional degree program.
Apply for your trainee license by becoming a certified Substance Use Disorder Professional Trainee (SUDPT) through the Washington State Department of Health.
Gain real-world experience by completing your supervised internship of at least 2,500 hours, which you can begin earning while in the program.
Complete your certification exam to demonstrate your knowledge and readiness for the field.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll be eligible to apply for full credentialing as a Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) in Washington State, opening the door to a high-demand, impactful career.

SUDP Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have demonstrated the ability to:

Demonstrate an understanding of developmental psychology and psychopathology.
Evaluate, assess, and treat addiction, substance abuse and chemical dependency in adolescents and adults.
Recognize the pharmacological actions of alcohol and other drugs.
Apply chemical dependency rules and regulations as well as professional and ethical responsibilities to patient care.
Coordinate the use of services, referrals, and community resources.
Recognize cultural diversity, including people with disabilities, and its implications for treatment.
Plan and implement appropriate addiction placement, continuing care, and discharge criteria.
Plan and provide effective counseling for chemical dependency, relapse prevention and continuing care for addicted individuals, their families or significant others in individual or group sessions.
Demonstrate skills necessary to perform clinical evaluations, HIV/AIDS risk interventions and case management functions.

SUDP Education Plan

Degree: Associate in Applied Science
Total Units: 93

First Year
Fall Quarter	SUDP 100 Introduction to SUDP* - 5 units PSYC& 100 General Psychology - 5 units ENGL& 101 English Composition I or WRT 105 Writing in the Workplace - 5 units COLL 100 College & Career Success - 3 units
Winter Quarter	SUDP 110 Counseling Techniques - 4 units SUDP 120 Substance Use & Family - 4 units PSYC& 200 Lifespan Psychology - 5 units Natural Science Distribution (NS) - 5 units
Spring Quarter	SUDP 130 Drug & Alcohol Responses - 5 units PSYC& 220 Abnormal Psychology - 5 units BTEC 120 Applied Business Math or Quantitative Skills Distribution (M)** - 5 units

Second Year
Fall Quarter	SUDP 200 Law and Ethics - 4 units SUDP 210 Cultural Diversity - 3 units SUDP 220 Counseling Adolescents - 5 units CMST& 220 Public Speaking - 5 units
Winter Quarter	SUDP 230 Assessment & Treatment Plans - 5 units SUDP 240 Group Counseling - 5 units Health & Fitness Distribution (HF) - 3 units
Spring Quarter	SUDP 250 Relapse Prevention - 2 units SUDP 260 Supervised Practicum - 5 units SOC& 101 Intro to Sociology - 5 units

* SUDP 100 is a prerequisite for all other SUDP classes.

** Quantitative Skills Recommended: MATH& 107 or MATH& 146

Note: A GPA of 2.0 or higher is required in all SUDP courses. Students interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree should seek the guidance of an advisor.

Download the Crosswalk (Word document): The crosswalk outlines the Substance Use Disorder Professional program course numbers related to Washington State SUDP educational requirements.

Contact

Shyla Rabe, MS, SUDP
SUDP Instructor
Healthcare and Industrial Trades
Office: TAC 310
360-623-8695
Email Shyla Rabe