About IAAOC
What is IAAOC?
The International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors is an organization of professional substance abuse / addictions counselors, corrections counselors, students and counselor educators who are concerned with improving the lives of individuals exhibiting addictive and/or criminal behaviors. Our mission is to provide leadership in and advancement of the professions of addiction and offender counseling.
Membership in IAAOC includes professionals from a variety of disciplines including substance abuse / addictions counselors, public offender rehabilitation, and mental health counselors. IAAOC members work with clients in such areas as alcohol and other drug abuse and addiction (including family issues related to addictions), gambling, maladaptive sexual behaviors, vocational rehabilitation, and adult and juvenile offender rehabilitation.
Who joins IAAOC?
Graduate students and professionals with an interest in the rapidly growing field of addictions or public offender counseling join IAAOC. Members hold positions in mental health agencies, correctional facilities, university settings, and public and private offender and addiction treatment programs.
Benefits of Joining IAAOC
• Improved Professional Standing is bestowed on counselors and graduate students who belong to specialized organizations, including national scholarships, grants, and awards. These include Awards for the Outstanding IAAOC Practitioner, Outstanding Graduate Level Program, the Outstanding Addictions and Offender Counselor Educator Award, Graduate Student Scholarship to support attendance at ACA Conference, and a Research Grant for Professional/Regular members of IAAOC.
• The IAAOC Newsletter is published four times a year online (at www.iaaocounselors.org) and addresses critical issues related to addiction and public offender counseling. The newsletter keeps members abreast of training opportunities, provides articles on timely topics, and reviews books of current interest.
• The Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling publishes reports of research in areas of addictions and public offender counseling, as well as other articles of interest. Members receive journals bi-annually. All members receive electronic access to the journal, which includes the full digital archive going back to 1(1). (Print copies are available for a fee. See IAAOC membership application for details.)
• Members have full access to IAAOC’s website that includes back issues of the newsletter, resources such as podcasts, current information regarding IAAOC committees, conference information, and details on our various award and grant opportunities. The website is also designed to create a community among our practitioners, researchers, graduate students and counselor educators across the United States.
Types of Memberships
Professional*: Individuals who hold a master’s degree or higher in counseling or a closely related field from a college or university accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Regular*: Individuals whose interests and activities are consistent with those of the ACA, but who are not qualified for professional membership.
New Professional*: A New Professional is someone who has graduated with a masters or a doctorate within the past 12 months. Status is good for one year.
Student*: Individuals who are enrolled at least half-time in a college or university program.
Retired: Members who are retired from the counseling profession and have been active ACA members for the past five consecutive years.
*ACA membership required - except Retired
How to Join
Individuals interested in joining IAAOC can do so in a variety of ways!
If you are a current American Counseling Association member:
You need to call ACA member services at 1-800-347-6647 X222 and speak with a member specialist. You will need to provide your current membership number.
If you are NOT a current American Counseling Association member:
You can call ACA member services at 1-800-347-6647 X222 and speak with a member specialist; OR
You can also join both ACA and IAAOC online by going to the following website: https://www.counseling.org/membership/join-reinstate! You will complete a membership application for ACA and “add-on” an IAAOC division membership.