Program provides hands-on training, mentorship with full-time salary, benefits
NORTON — The Counselor Training Program was started by Valley Hope in the 1970s in response to the lack and quality of counselors trained to help those suffering from substance use disorders (SUD). Today, the program has graduated more than 330 counselors who are often sought after by other addiction treatment organizations and mental health providers throughout the country.
“The backbone of our treatment is our Counselor Training Program and the counselors we train to help those with addiction,” said Holly Krebsbach, counselor training supervisor and herself a graduate of the program. “The program is designed to make sure that we take the time and money to invest in high quality counselors.”
The program is currently recruiting its next round of applicants to begin their training in January 2018, Krebsbach said. The program is one year in length and considered a full-time position with salary and benefits. The training consists of nine online courses throughout the first six months and is followed by a six-month practicum at a Valley Hope facility. Upon graduation, participants will receive 33 semester hours of college credit through Valley Hope’s partnership with Newman University in Wichita, Kan. Participants must reside near the assigned facility and remain employed at Valley Hope for at least three years after successfully completing the program.
The program has a great reputation in the addiction treatment industry, Krebsbach said. Graduates of the program are often recruited by other SUD organizations.
“It’s highly competitive to get in and very intensive,” Krebsbach said. “I might start with a class of six, and have one remaining at the end. It’s an accomplishment to be considered and to get in.”
While the first six months is course work, the second six months of the training is the practicum. Participants are using their new skills and taking on a case load. They have access to facility staff and mentors to help guide them.
Jessica Jording graduated from the program in August and currently works at Valley Hope’s Norton residential facility. She was recruited to the program by a former Valley Hope staffer. Her mother also worked as a counselor at Valley Hope.
She described her positive experience with the course work and practicum. She especially liked learning about and observing the different styles of counseling.
“You learn about the different counseling styles and get a feel for all of the routine that goes into this position,” said Jording, an Arapahoe, Neb., native and Wayne State College graduate. “I think the desirable part for me is that Valley Hope doesn’t throw you to the wolves. It’s a very gradual integration process. Throughout the year, you learn about counseling, you learn about how addiction is a disease. And, you learn about yourself, your own style and you’re allowed to be an individual.”
Forty-five former Counselor Training Program graduates are currently employed at Valley Hope. The average length of employment has been at least nine years.
“We are proud of our Counselor Training Program graduates,” said Valley Hope CEO and President Pat George. “The program has a 45-year history of producing quality counselors trained in the Valley Hope philosophy of treating the mind, body and spirit of those struggling with addiction.”
To learn more about the program, see licensing requirements for each state in the Valley Hope continuum and to apply, go to https://valleyhope.org/careers/counselor-training-program/. Deadline to apply is Nov. 30. Contact Holly Krebsbach with questions at (785) 202-2603 or [email protected].
— Submitted