Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements in Alabama
Standards for Alabama substance abuse counselors are delineated in Alabama administrative code. The term ‘Qualified Substance Abuse Professional’ indicates that an individual has met state standards; it is sometimes shortened to QSAP. An individual must hold a master’s degree to become a QSAP I. QSAP II and QSAP III may be achieved with a bachelor’s.
Substance abuse counselors may be certified or licensed. Those who do not hold licensing in another health care field will eventually need to be certified, but degreed counselors may work under ‘qualified’ status for a limited time period while working to achieve certification.
Substance abuse facilities are allowed to employ ‘qualified paraprofessionals’ to carry out some duties.
Select an Alabama Substance Abuse Counselor topic below…
- Education Requirements
- I already have a Master’s Degree
- Qualifying Certifications
- Application Process: Forms and Necessary Materials
- Contacts and Additional Information Sources
Substance Abuse Counselors with Education below the Master’s Level
Individuals may qualify for QSAP II or III on the strength of a bachelor’s. Psychology, social work, community counseling, rehabilitation counseling, pastoral counseling, and family therapy are among the degree options. Other behavioral health degrees may be accepted if they include relevant clinical coursework.
The QSAP II, in most cases, is dependent on substance abuse counseling certification. An exception is made for professionals who are licensed as Bachelor Social Workers. A QSAP III who has not yet achieved certification must be under the supervision of a QSAP I.
Substance Abuse Counselors with Master’s Degrees
Substance abuse professionals with master’s degrees may be qualified on the basis of 1) licensing in a health discipline or 2) a combination of education, experience and certification.
A professional may be qualified as a QSAP I on the basis of licensure as one of the following: clinic psychologist, physician, physician’s assistant, psychiatric nurse practitioner, psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, professional counselor, master’s level social worker, or marriage and family therapist.
A non-licensed individual who holds a master’s degree in a qualifying field and has completed a practicum or qualifying post-degree supervised work experience is also eligible for QSAP I status, but only after achieving certification.
With a master’s in psychology, counseling, social work, or psychiatric nursing (or with a master’s in another behavioral health field and sufficient coursework to establish equivalency), a professional can work as a QSAP I. He or she must achieve a qualifying substance abuse counseling certification.
Qualifying Certifications
The Alabama Department of Mental Health recognizes certifications granted by the following:
- Alabama Alcohol and Drug Association
- Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors
- International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC & RC)
- National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC)
The Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors, an affiliate of NAADAC, offers the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) as an entry-level credential (https://www.naadac.org/assets/2416/alabama_cert_application_packet.pdf). Two years of work experience is required. The individual must have 60 hours of training in substance use disorder; the training must include six hours each in ethics and HIV/ AIDS. The applicant must be a member of a professional organization. Additionally, four qualifying points are required. Qualifying points may be earned for relevant college degrees, participation in self-help groups, and substance abuse training and work experience that go beyond the minimum requirements. The maximum allowed for self-help group participation is two points.
The National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors offers the National Certified Counselor I and II (NAC I and II) and MAC certifications (http://www.naadac.org/certification). Among the requirements is state licensure or certification; in the case of the MAC, credentialing may be in a related field. A candidate can meet the state certification obligation by applying first to the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors. Requirements are higher than they are for the CAC. A NAC I must have three years of experience and 270 hours of education. A MAC must have a master’s degree (http://www.naadac.org/mac). There are separate examinations for NAC I, NAC II, and MAC certifications.
The Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association is an IC & RC member board. There are boards in most U.S. states. In order to be certified by the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association at the lowest (non-reciprocal) level, an individual needs a high school diploma or equivalency and 2,000 hours of experience. The individual will need 140 hours of education and 150 hours of supervision. It will be necessary to pass a state examination.
The Alcohol Drug Counselor (ADC), a reciprocal level certification, requires 300 hours of supervision and 270 hours of relevant education. The education must be taken at accredited colleges or universities; it must cover four content domains. The candidate must take the IC & RC written examination. The amount of experience will depend on the degree earned. 6,000 hours of work experience is required if the candidate does not have a qualifying degree. A human services bachelor’s substitutes for 2,000 hours while a human services master’s substitutes for 4,000.
The Application Process
An individual may initiate the certification process by visiting the website of the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (https://www.aadaa.us/certification-membership-2/) or downloading the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselor Certification Board application packet (http://www.naadac.org/alabama). Candidates should make sure they have the most current version of the application.
Certification through either organization will require submission of professional evaluation forms as well as documentation of education. Candidates will sign a code of ethics and pay fees.
A candidate who goes through AAACCB should expect to pay $250 for state certification; an individual who qualifies for NCAC certification will pay additional fees to NAADAC.
Contacts for Additional Information
Standards for Alabama substance abuse counselors are delineated in Alabama administrative code (https://casetext.com/regulation/alabama-administrative-code/title-580-alabama-department-of-mental-health/chapter-580-9-44-program-operations/section-580-9-44-02-personnel).
Certification information is available from the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (https://www.aadaa.us/) and the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors (https://alabamaaddictioncounselor.com/).
Substance abuse counselors are subject to regulations of the Alabama Department of Mental Health Substance Abuse Services (https://mh.alabama.gov/division-of-mental-health-substance-abuse-services/).
Standards for Alabama substance abuse counselors are delineated in Alabama administrative code (http://www.alabamaadministrativecode.state.al.us/docs/mhlth/580-9-44.pdf)
The Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association can be contacted at (256) 796-4490. Contact information for the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors can be found on the NAADAC site (http://www.naadac.org/alabama).