Every state has specific and different guidelines for substance abuse counselors. Many states offer certification through state-operated tests and licensing programs; others utilize national certification organizations to test candidates so that certificates may be awarded. Once certified through your state, you may elect to be certified by a national accrediting body if your state has not already required it. Counselors often do this in order to distinguish themselves as knowledgeable and capable. The top national accrediting organizations are the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). The national organizations, in many cases, have more stringent educational requirements than the state governments.
Most states have several different educational routes to becoming a substance abuse counselor. In Texas, according to the Department of State and Health Services (DSHS), you can become a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor by either completing a certificate program or by holding a degree in a related field such as psychology or counseling. In either case, you have to apply for intern status and complete the required amount of field experience before becoming full and independently licensed.
Once the educational prerequisites have been met, candidates can sign up to take the certification test. This test will measure the knowledge you have regarding substance abuse counseling. Each state or organization determines the content of the tests and what a passing score is. For example, the NAADAC website outlines four categories that the candidate will be tested on. The categories include pharmacology of psychoactive substance, counseling practice, theories and professional issues (ethics). All of the material covered in the tests should be in the education that the counselor received.
All states and organizations require that candidates be able to prove that time has been spent treating clients for substance abuse. States will require that you obtain licensure as an intern before you start accruing the required hours. The state will allow a period of time in which you need to complete the hours. National accrediting organizations require that the candidates complete the counseling hours before applying for certification. NBCC requires three years of supervised substance abuse counseling. NAADAC's requirements vary according to the certification type, ranging from three years of substance abuse counseling to six years.
Completing certification in one state allows the certification to transfer to any state. Once a counselor is fully certified and moves, the new state will most likely require proof of education, training and certification in order to approve licensure. Additionally, when you are certified with a specific organization, you will be listed in that organization's directory of certified professionals, allowing potential clients to find you.