Serenity Lane's Internship Program has been training addiction counselors for over twenty years. This program began when the first Serenity Lane board realized that a pool of well-trained addiction counselors would be necessary to meet the increased demands of the disease of addiction.

Dr. Thomas Kerns, Serenity Lane's founder, remembered his own internship to become a doctor and suggested that this type of "hands on" training was a good model to follow. Serenity Lane's Internship Program was born with a lone candidate who went everywhere and learned everything that could be learned about this demanding work.

From that humble beginning, our Addiction Counselor Training Program has grown and changed to encompass all aspects of addiction treatment and the evolving demands of this highly specialized profession.

Serenity Lane offers free training for one full year and we include a $5,000 stipend as well as offer a low interest loan of an additional $5,000. You will receive top quality instruction and experience that you will use for career enhancement over a lifetime.

The year is divided into 4 three-month rotations giving interns experience in a variety of treatment settings. Hours and duties change as you progress through your internship.

The Internship includes experience hours earned by job shadowing a Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor and performing tasks under their direct supervision.

• Interns participate in group sessions with their counselor mentor.
• Practice the "feedback model."
• Write initial treatment reviews & plans, discharge plans, progress notes and recovery support plans at their counselor mentor's direction.
• Develop case management skills and other group counseling techniques.

Interns may also learn additional skills at the following sites:

• Medically Supervised Detox
• Residential Program
• Outpatient Treatment
• Evening Activities
• Family Program
• ExSL (our long term program)

Our training also includes classroom instruction by a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC III) with a master's degree and twenty years of experience in the field.

Some of the instruction given includes:

• Basic counseling skills and counseling theory
• Group counseling skills
• Pharmacology of addiction
• Ethics and professional responsibility
• Biopsychosocial Assessments & Evaluations
• Relapse Prevention & Intervention Techniques
• Multicultural perspectives and diversity issues

At the end of the internship year, graduates celebrate the completion of more than 1900 experience hours and 170+ classroom training hours. This accomplishment prepares the intern to apply for certification as an entry level counselor. The Addiction Counselor Certification Board of Oregon (ACCBO) administers the exam certifying the candidate as qualified to practice at the level of CADC I.

To qualify:
You must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent. If you are in recovery, you must have two years of sobriety attested to by a letter from your sponsor.

To apply:
You can download all application materials from this website at the end of this page, or call Serenity Lane at (541) 687-1110 and ask that an internship application packet be mailed to you. You can also pick one up from our Eugene facility, address follows. Return the completed application to:

Serenity Lane/Internship Coordinator
616 East 16th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401

Your application will be reviewed, then if deemed appropriate for the program, you will be called for a personal interview with the Intern Program Coordinator. You will have an opportunity to speak with a current intern and at least one other clinician. Your references will be checked.

Once you have been accepted into the Internship Program, you will be invited for a three day orientation. During the orientation you will get acquainted with Serenity Lane, our policies and expectations of you as an intern.

Come join us for the most fulfilling, life-changing work you will ever do!

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