Any member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) who has an interest in counseling for persons impacted by addiction and/or involvement with the criminal justice system may become a member by the payment of division dues.

Membership categories are as follows:

Professional Member - A person who has earned a graduate degree in counseling or a closely related field and has an interest in addiction and/or criminal justice counseling.

Regular Member - A person who has an interest in the fields of addictions and/or criminal justice counseling, and whose interests and activities are consistent with those of ACA, but who are not qualified as professional members.

New Professional Member - Status is applicable only to current student members who have graduated in the past 12 months. Status is good for one year.

Student Member - A student engaged in graduate study in counseling or a closely related field.

Retired Member - Any person retired from a position in a related counseling area.

Those interested in becoming AAJIC members must join via ACA by adding division membership during payment of their annual membership dues.

AAJIC division membership dues depend on member category, as follows:

Professional and Regular Members: $49 per year

Student, New Professional, and Retired Members: $30 per year

In addition to professional recognition of their commitment to the fields of addiction and justice-involved counseling, AAJIC members receive the following benefits:

• Access to a professional network of over 700 counselors, supervisors, researchers, educators, and leaders in the field. AAJIC members can communicate via the members-only ACA Connect division listserv.

• Access to cutting-edge research from experts in the field via the division’s journal, the Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling (JAOC).

• Free continuing education (CE) hours offer in regular live virtual training webinars facilitated by AAJIC’s leading practitioners, researchers, and counselor educators. AAJIC is an NBCC-approved CE provider.

• Opportunities for grant funding for research or community projects in one of AAJIC’s three $500 annual grants.

• Opportunities for professional distinction in one of five annual division awards, including Graduate Student Excellence, DEI Scholarship, and Counselor-Educator Excellence.

• and more!

AAJIC is proud to represent students, professional counselors, researchers, and counseling faculty across the United States.

Our current membership includes:

• Over 400 graduate counseling students and new professionals

• Over 300 non-student professional members

• Members from across the US representing 47 states and the District of Columbia as well as international residences. The top five US states by membership are:

  • Texas

  • Pennsylvania

  • Florida

  • North Carolina

  • New Jersey

AAJIC members work in a variety of settings, including:

• Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies

• Hospitals

• US Military

• Non-profit/NGO/Community Agencies

• Schools

• Private Practice/Clinical Practice

• and University/Community Colleges

While we welcome member contributions in many ways, one of the best ways to get involved in through membership on one of AAJIC’s committees. On the homepage Committee tab, interested members can browse committee pages, read about their mission and activities, and find contact information for their Chair.

Members who are interested in serving as Chair for vacancies or forming a new topic-focused committee should contact the current AAJIC President.

Additionally, members who are interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise can submit a proposal for an education/training webinar.