NC PACT
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Professional Addiction Counselor Training (PACT) originated as a federal initiative with grant-funded projects in state and regional offices. PACT was created in response to a compelling need for more trained addiction counselors. The primary goal was to provide tuition-free career development opportunities to those seeking addiction counselor certification for job placement in licensed treatment facilities. The purpose was to expand treatment services so that more individuals seeking treatment would have access to treatment. PACT was not established as a credentialing process, but it offered an opportunity for people to work toward certification by completing coursework and internships (supervised practicum training) that would be applicable to State certification requirements.
NC PACT began in December 1991 as one of the federally funded state projects. As a part of the national system, the North Carolina office was responsible for providing training scholarships for individuals from North Carolina who had been approved for enrollment at the national level. The national office also operated an internship initiative that was totally separate from the state training programs.
In 1994 federal support for PACT at the national level was reduced, and the national office stopped accepting PACT enrollees and reduced the internship program. NC PACT continued to provide scholarship assistance to PACT enrollees who were already in the system. Support continued from the national office and was supplemented by the Alcohol and Drug Section of the Division of MH/DD/SAS.
Although the national office closed its operation in December 1995, NC PACT continues through support from the Alcohol and Drug Section. Brownlee Consulting Associates, Inc., which does business as Power Steering®, manages the NC Project.
NC PACT provides financial aid to substance abuse counselors for accredited institutions of higher learning located in North Carolina. In addition NC PACT enrollees who already have degrees receive financial assistance for continuing education courses toward substance abuse certification. (See below for complete list of applicant requirements.)
Students seeking an associate’s degree must enroll in an approved community college. The community college must offer a degree in substance abuse counseling. Currently, there are nine community colleges in North Carolina that offer this curriculum. They are:
Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte,
NC
Guilford Technical College in High Point,
NC
Lenior Community College
in Kinston, NC
Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst,
NC
Southwestern Community College in Sylva,
NC
Vance-Granville Community College in
Henderson, NC
Wake Technical Community College Raleigh,
NC
Wayne Communiy College in Goldsboro, NC
Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton,
NC
For a bachelor's or master's degree, any accredited college or university in North Carolina will qualify. NC PACT approves degrees in psychology, social work, counseling, or substance abuse. We prefer an internship in substance abuse as a part of one of the clinical courses. We also like to know that the college or university offers at least one substance abuse specific course.
For information about a college, please contact that college directly. NC PACT does not furnish information on individual schools.
Requirements for college or graduate school financial aid from NC PACT are:
Requirements for continuing education scholarships toward certification are:
All applicants are asked to have two professional references sent separately from the application. One of the references must be from your current clinical supervisor.
Degree-seeking applicants are interviewed by an NC PACT clinical consultant.
If you are interested in applying for assistance from the NC PACT, you may request an application form from our office, or, you may download an application form*. Deadlines for the current and next calendar years are listed below. All applications and interviews must be completed in advance of the semester deadlines.
*The application is in a .pdf format. To view .pdf files you must have Adobe Reader. Download Free Adobe Acrobat Reader Here
NC PACT
P.O. Box 30301
Raleigh, NC 27622
Voice: 919-781-5772 (Leave name, mailing address, and phone number on extension 3)
Fax: 919-781-1921
burkes@mindspring.com
rbrownlee@mindspring.com
For existing NC PACT students:
You may download a Renewal Form here*. You
may fax, mail or email the forms to our office. See contact information above.
* The renewal form is in a .pdf format. To view .pdf files you must have Adobe Reader. Download Free Adobe Acrobat Reader Here)
Calendar of Deadlines
(The form is due in the NC PACT office
on or before the specified date.)
Please note that the deadlines are not negotiable.
To be considered for a specific term or semester, the application or renewal
form must be in our office by the deadline.
Last Updated on February 28, 2001