Section 1200-30-01-.05 - LICENSURE PROCESS(1) To become licensed as an Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor in Tennessee an applicant must comply with the following procedures and requirements: (a) Licensure by examination. 1. An application packet shall be requested from the Department.2. Applications will be accepted by the Board administrator throughout the year. Supporting documents required by the application instructions and these rules must be received by the Board administrator within sixty (60) days of receipt of the application or the file will be closed and to resume the licensure process a new application must be filed. Application files which are completed on or before the thirtieth (30th) day prior to a Board meeting will ordinarily be processed at that meeting.3. An applicant shall respond truthfully and completely to every question or request for information contained in the application form. The applicant shall submit the application along with all required documentation and fees to the Board. It is the intent of this rule that all steps necessary to accomplish the filing of the required documentation be completed prior to filing an application and that all documentation be filed simultaneously.4. At the time the application is submitted, an applicant shall pay the nonrefundable application fee as provided in these rules.5. An applicant shall submit a certified copy of his birth certificate which indicates that the applicant is at least twenty-one (21) years of age at the time of application.6. An applicant shall attach to his application a signed passport style photograph taken within the preceding twelve (12) months. The back of the photograph is to be signed by the applicant.7. An applicant shall submit evidence of good moral character and professional ethics. Such evidence shall include two (2) recent (dated within the preceding twelve (12) months), original, signed letters from mental health professionals, one of which must be a licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor in good standing, attesting to the applicant's personal character and professional ethics and typed on the signator's letterhead. The applicant shall also submit a signed and notarized affidavit stating the applicant is in compliance with alcohol and drug abuse counselor ethical standards and these rules.8. A Level I applicant shall submit verification of having completed a minimum of three (3) years clinically supervised substance abuse counseling experience (6000 contact hours) during which all eight (8) domains have been performed pursuant to TCA § 68-24-606. This experience may have been acquired at any time prior to the submission of the application. The Board may ask for additional documentation to substantiate this required experience. Actual time spent in a recognized counselor internship or counselor trainee program may be substituted for up to one (1) of the three (3) years of experience.9. For Level II applicants: (i) Have a bachelor's degree in a behavioral health related field or higher level degree in a non-behavioral health related field from an accredited institution of higher learning, and submit an official transcript, have completed two (2) years of full time or four thousand (4000) hours of experience while providing alcohol and drug abuse counseling services under the direct supervision of a Qualified Clinical Supervisor who meets the requirements of the rules of the Board and have completed two hundred seventy (270) total hours of alcohol and drug abuse counseling education and training within the eight domains, as listed in TCA § 68-24-606.(ii) Have a master's or higher level degree in a behavioral health related field from an accredited institution of higher learning, and submit an official transcript, and have completed one (1) year of full time experience or two thousand (2000) hours of experience while providing alcohol and drug abuse counseling services under the direct supervision of a Qualified Clinical Supervisor who meets the requirements of the rules of the Board and have completed two hundred seventy (270) total hours of alcohol and drug abuse counseling education and training within the eight domains, as listed in TCA § 68-24-606.10. An applicant shall submit a notarized photocopy of his high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma. If the applicant indicates holding a college degree, the applicant must request that a transcript from his degree granting institution be submitted directly from the school to the Board. The institution granting the degree must have been accredited at the time the degree was granted. The transcript must show that the degree has been conferred and carry the official seal of the institution and reference the name under which the applicant has applied for licensure.11. An applicant shall successfully complete the examinations as required by Rule 1200-30-01-.08.(b) Licensure by reciprocity. The Board may issue a license to any individual who holds a current license in good standing or its equivalent from another state, upon the determination that the standards for licensure in the other state are comparable to or exceed the current requirements for licensure in Tennessee. 1. An application packet shall be requested from the Department.2. Applications will be accepted throughout the year. Supporting documents required by the application instructions and these rules must be received by the Board administrator within sixty (60) days of receipt of the application or the file will be closed and a new application must be filed to resume the licensure process. Application files which are completed on or before the thirtieth (30th) day prior to a Board meeting will ordinarily be processed at that meeting.3. An applicant shall respond truthfully and completely to every question or request for information contained in the application form. The applicant shall submit the application along with all required documentation and fees to the Board. It is the intent of this rule that all steps necessary to accomplish the filing of the required documentation be completed prior to filing an application and that all documentation be filed simultaneously.4. At the time the application is submitted, an applicant shall pay the nonrefundable application fee as provided in these rules.5. An applicant shall submit a certified copy of his birth certificate which indicates that the applicant is at least twenty-one (21) years of age at the time of application.6. An applicant shall attach to his application a signed passport style photograph taken within the preceding twelve (12) months. The back of the photograph is to be signed by the applicant.7. An applicant shall submit evidence of good moral character and professional ethics. Such evidence shall include two (2) recent (dated within the preceding twelve (12) months), original, signed letters from mental health professionals, one of which must be a licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor in good standing, attesting to the applicant's personal character and professional ethics and typed on the signator's letterhead. The applicant shall also submit a signed and notarized affidavit stating that the applicant is in compliance with alcohol and drug abuse counselor ethical standards and these rules.8. An applicant shall submit a copy of his original licensure or its equivalent with the license number from the original issuing state in effect at the time the original was issued.9. An applicant must submit a copy of his most recent renewal certificate or its equivalent from the current issuing state with the number and expiration date.10. The applicant shall provide the Board with a copy of current licensing statutes and rules from all states where the applicant is currently licensed.11. The applicant shall direct the appropriate certification/licensing agency in his state to send an official statement which indicates that such certificate/license is in effect and in good standing and under what provision such certificate was issued (e.g., grandfathering, examination, reciprocity, endorsement, etc.).12. An applicant shall successfully complete the jurisprudence examination as required in Rule 1200-30-01-.08.(2) Each applicant shall disclose the circumstances surrounding any of the following: (a) Conviction of any criminal law violation of any country or state, except minor traffic violations;(b) The denial of licensure by any other state or territory of the United States or by any other entity assigned to the Division of Health Related Boards as provided in Rule 1200-10-1-.01(3), or the professional discipline of the applicant in any state or territory of the United States or by any other entity assigned to the Division of Health Related Boards as provided in Rule 1200-10-1-.01(3);(c) Loss or restriction of licensure in any state or territory of the United States or by any other entity assigned to the Division of Health Related Boards as provided in Rule 1200-10-1-.01(3); and(d) Any civil suit judgment or civil suit settlement in which the applicant was a party defendant including, without limitation, actions involving malpractice, breach of contract, antitrust activity or any other civil action recognized under that country's or state's statutory, common, or case law.(3) Each applicant shall cause to be submitted to the Board's administrative office directly from the vendor identified in the Board's licensure application materials, the result of a criminal background check.(4) All documents required to be submitted that were not issued or produced in English shall be translated into English and such translation shall be certified, along with the original document, as to authenticity by the issuing source.(5) Application procedures shall be governed by Rule 1200-30-01-.07, and applicant review and licensure decisions shall be governed by Rule 1200-30-01-.15.(6) The burden is on the applicant to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that his credentials were issued by a state whose standards for licensure are comparable to or exceed the requirements for licensure in Tennessee. This determination shall be made by the Board.Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-30-01-.05
Original rule filed May 25, 1994; effective August 9, 1994. Repeal and new rule filed January 30, 1997; effective May 30, 1997. Repeal and new rule filed December 28, 1999; effective March 12, 2000. Amendment filed December 13, 2000; effective February 26, 2001. Amendment filed June 15, 2004; effective August 29, 2004. Amendment filed March 17, 2006; effective May 31, 2006. Amendment filed July 3, 2007; effective September 16, 2007. Amendment filed November 26, 2008; effective February 9, 2009. Amendment filed March 27, 2015; effective 6/25/2015.Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 68-24-605, and 68-24-606.