Becoming a Substance Use Counselor in Florida in 2026: The Real Steps, No Fog

If you are serious about becoming a Florida substance use counselor in 2026, you need a plan that matches the Florida Certification Board, not random advice from people who have never filled out an application. This post breaks down how to become a substance use counselor in Florida in a way you can follow, step by step, with Educational Enhancement Florida CAC training as the education piece, then pairing it with the supervised work hours the credential requires. You will see exactly how Florida CAC fits into your timeline, what a Florida substance use counselor role looks like in real life, and how addiction counseling in Florida connects to the training, the hours, and the IC & RC exam, so you can stop guessing and start moving, right now, on how to become a substance use counselor in Florida.

 

You want a job that matters.

You want work that pays, teaches you, and gives you a reason to wake up.

You want to be a Florida substance use counselor, not a social media motivational quote machine.

I get it.

I spent years living the part you do not put on a resume.

Heroin. Street survival. Shelters. Cops who treated me like trash. Hospital staff who saw a “problem” instead of a person.

Then I got clean, and I watched how one steady counselor can change the whole room.

So let’s talk about how to become a substance use counselor in Florida in 2026.

In 2026, Florida CAC will be a dedicated credentialing lane for people who want to enter the field quickly.

No fluff. No mystery.

Just a few steps you can take this week.

 

 

What the Florida CAC credential is in plain language

Florida uses the Florida Certification Board for the Certified Addiction Counselor credential, called CAC. 

That credential links to the IC and RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam and awards an IC and RC credential after you pass. 

It does not allow independent private practice. It fits work in licensed settings and community programs. 

If you want a fast, direct entry point into addiction counseling in Florida, this is the lane.

Now, the practical part.

You need education hours, work hours, supervision hours, paperwork, and an exam.

 

 

Step one: get your 270 education hours done

If you use Educational Enhancement CASAC Online, the Florida CAC training is 270 hours, online, self-paced, and approved by the Florida Certification Board as provider 5486 A. 

The page lays it out in four sections covering core counseling skills, assessment, ethics, and harm reduction. 

Here is what that means for you:

• You can study early mornings.

• You can study after work.

• You can study on the days your life feels messy and loud.

This matters.

People pursue a new career and choose a program that does not meet the credentialing requirements.

Then they burn months and money and end up angry at the whole field.

If you want Florida CAC progress you can measure, pick training that matches the 270 hours the Board expects. 

 

 

A quick snapshot of the Educational Enhancement structure

On our program page, we lay the training out in four clear sections so you can see what you are getting and why it matters. We cover the skills you will use in real sessions, not just theory. That includes core counseling skills, group counseling, screening and assessment, treatment planning, ethics, confidentiality, and telehealth documentation.

You do not need to memorize every topic today.

You need to understand what we built this for.

We built it so you can walk into your first role as a Florida substance use counselor with practical skills you can use on day one.

 

 

Step two: know your work experience target

The Florida Certification Board requires work hours to be tied to your education level.  

That range goes from 6,000 hours for a high school diploma or unrelated degree, down to 2,000 hours for a related master’s degree or higher. 

That is not a scare tactic.

It is a map.

 

You can plan your timeline by doing simple math:

• Full-time work at 40 hours per week is about 2,080 hours per year.

• 6,000 hours is close to three years of full-time work.

• 4,000 hours is close to two years.

• 2,000 hours is close to one year.

You can start those hours in a trainee role.

 

Many students start in trainee or entry-level positions, so you can get paid and log hours. 

This is where people get stuck.

They finish their education, then freeze.

So ask yourself one honest question.

Do you want the credential, or do you want to start serving real people next month?

If you want to speed up the job hunt, start before you finish your last training section.

Answer: Yes, start now, and build your hours with structure.

 

 

Step three: supervision is not a casual side quest

Supervision hours are tied to your education level, too. 

The Board lists 300 hours for a high school diploma or unrelated degree, down to 100 hours for a related master’s degree or higher. 

It even caps supervision at 3 hours per week, which comes out to 156 hours per year. 

So you need a supervisor who tracks your hours and signs your forms.

You need regular sessions, not random hallway chats.

When I was early in recovery, I learned this the hard way.

I had mentors who cared, but caring did not fix paperwork.

A program can love you and still lose your forms.

You do not want your Florida CAC application delayed by missing signatures.

 

Florida CAC Online Training for Future Florida Substance Use Counselors

 

• The Florida Certification Board approved 270 hour florida CAC online training that matches the CAC education requirement

• Self-paced format so you can study around work, family, and real-life demands

• Four section structure that covers counseling skills, group counseling, assessment, treatment planning, ethics, confidentiality, and telehealth documentation

• Clear path for people entering addiction counseling in Florida who want a Florida substance use counselor role

• Simple payment options with monthly payments or pay-in-full pricing listed on the page

• Documentation-ready education hours so you can focus next on supervised work hours and finishing your Florida substance use counselor credential process

Practical move: build an hour tracker now

Keep it simple.

Use a spreadsheet or a notebook.

Track dates, hours worked, supervision hours, and the domain focus for each supervision session.

Your tracking list can look like this:

• Date

• Work hours

• Supervision hours

• Domain or skill focus

• Supervisor initials

If you do this weekly, you protect your future Florida substance use counselor application from chaos.

 

 

Step four: the application pieces you will need

The Board’s CAC standard application page lists the core items: online application and fees, proof of formal education and CAC training, verification forms, and three letters of recommendation. 

It sets a 12-month window after the application is assigned to meet requirements and pass the exam. 

That timeline pushes you to stay organized.

This is one reason I like structured online training.

Your education hours are clean and documented.

If you are doing Florida CAC work, clean documentation is your best friend. 

 

 

Step five: pass the exam without losing your mind

The Florida Certification Board routes exam approval after it reviews your application materials. 

The Board points applicants to the IC and RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam candidate guide. 

Your study plan should match the work.

You are learning to sit with people in pain.

You are learning to document.

You are learning ethics and confidentiality.

You are learning assessment and treatment planning.

This is not trivia night.

A tight study routine works best:

• Two focused sessions per week, 60 minutes each

• One review session per week, 30 minutes

• One practice set, then review mistakes

Do you need a perfect memory to become a Florida substance use counselor?

No. You need repetition and good notes. Answer: build a routine, then stick to it.

 

 

Money and time: what the Educational Enhancement page claims

Money and time: how our Educational Enhancement Florida CAC training works

When you train with us at Educational Enhancement, you are not signing up for a vague “online course” that leaves you guessing. You are stepping into a Florida Certification Board-approved path that gives you the 270 education hours you need for Florida CAC, in a format you can finish without blowing up your life.

I built this program for people with jobs, families, stress, and real bills.

If you stay consistent, you can complete the training in as little as three months. That is not a magic promise. That is you logging in, doing the work, and stacking hours week after week.

You also get clear payment options. You can pay monthly at about 152 per month, or you can pay 2,990 up front and be done with it.

Here is the part I always say out loud, because it saves people time and drama. This training covers your education hours. It does not replace your required work experience hours or your supervision hours. You still have to get in the field, work with real clients, and get supervised by a qualified professional.

What this program does is get you ready and get you moving. You finish your education hours with documentation that matches Florida’s CAC requirements, then you build your hours in a real setting and push your application across the finish line.

 

 

Where Florida CAC work meets real life

I am blunt about this part.

A Florida substance use counselor job is not just warm feelings.

You will meet clients who lie to you.

You will meet clients who test you.

You will meet clients who relapse right after a breakthrough session.

You can still do the work.

You can still help.

You can still stay human.

Harm reduction keeps you sane.

It keeps your client alive.

It stops you from turning into the kind of counselor who lectures people from a safe distance.

If you come from lived experience, as I did, guard it.

Do not turn your story into a performance.

Use it with care.

Let it make you steady, not loud.

 

 

Your 2026 action plan, you can start today

If you want to know how to become a substance use counselor in Florida, to feel real, do these steps in order:

• Pick an approved 270-hour training path and schedule your first Florida CAC study block.  

• Create your hour tracker and start logging now.

• Update your resume for trainee roles and start applying this week.

• Interview supervisors, not just employers.

• Collect recommendation writers early, before you need them. 

• Build a weekly exam routine once your application moves forward. 

 

You do not need to be perfect.

You need to be consistent.

One more question.

Why do you want to do addiction counseling in Florida?

Answer it in one sentence, write it down, and keep it close.

If you want to know how to become a substance use counselor in Florida, to move from idea to paycheck, act fast and track everything.

That is the whole game.

I will say it again, for the part of you that doubts yourself.

You can become a Florida substance use counselor.

You can complete Florida CAC training hours.

You can build supervised hours.

You can pass the exam.

You can be the person you once needed.

And yes, becoming a substance use counselor in Florida is work.

Good.

You are building skill, not a fantasy.