(a) The educational requirement for certification as an addictions practitioner may be met by holding a current National Certified Addictions Counselor Level II (NCAC II) certification in good standing.
(b) Other applicants may meet the educational criteria by the completion of a baccalaureate degree program with a concentration in addictionology, chemical dependency, or substance abuse from an educational institution accredited by one of the regional or national institutional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), with the listed course work (either graduate or undergraduate) completed in each of the core areas defined herein: - (i) Each of the following four (4) courses shall be completed:
- (A) Counseling Theories- Three (3) Semester Credits. Theories and principles of counseling and psychotherapy.
- (B) Counseling Skills- Three (3) Semester Credits. Methods and techniques of individual and group counseling.
- (C) Practicum in Addictions/Chemical Dependency Counseling-Three (3) Semester Credits.
- (D) Counseling Ethics- Two (2) Semester Credits.
- (ii) Course work shall be completed in each of the following five (5) subject areas for a minimum of ten (10) semester hours:
- (A) Alcoholism: To include biochemical, socio-cultural, and psychological factors.
- (B) Drugs and Behavior: A survey of drugs with abuse potential in addition to alcohol that affect behavior including psychopharmacological information.
- (C) Addictions and Special Populations: (i.e., adolescents, women, ethnic groups, elderly, adult children of alcoholics, the impaired family, impaired professional, athletes, criminals, etc.).
- (D) Addictive Behaviors: Gambling, eating disorders, sexual addictions, cults, compulsive behaviors of non-ingestive nature, etc.
- (E) Addictions Assessment: Appraisal, assessment, testing, diagnosis/dual diagnosis. This category may also be satisfied by completing specialty training.
- (iii) Six (6) contact hours of specialty training shall be completed in communicable diseases. This category may be satisfied by completing college course work or workshops.
(c) If an applicant chooses to meet the educational criteria outlined in Section 3(b), the following shall apply: - (i) The official transcripts, course prefixes, and course descriptions shall clearly identify the course work as preparing persons to be addictions practitioners.
- (ii) Course work shall be completed in a baccalaureate program or subsequent college level course work.
- (iii) Instructors shall be experts in the discipline and have at least a master's degree level in education.