Alcohol and Drug Counselor Requirements in Minnesota
Alcohol and drug counselors are the backbone of Minnesota’s substance abuse disorder recovery community. Serving people from all walks of life, you’ll find them at work in state-run detox centers and outpatient facilities as well as catering to clients of greater means in private practices throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. They’re also the unsung heroes of community-based recovery centers in outlying suburban areas and rural clinics in underserved parts of the state.
Wherever you find them, alcohol and drug counselors in Minnesota are a lifeline to anybody anywhere reaching out for support in addiction recovery.
The Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) regulates and licenses substance abuse counselors in Minnesota as Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC). Earning the LADC credential is contingent upon meeting specified education, practicum, and examination requirements.
Minnesota’s substance abuse counselors can also earn elective certification through the non-profit Minnesota Certification Board (MBC) and the Upper Midwest Indian Council on Addictive Disorders (UMICAD).
Select a Minnesota Alcohol and Drug Counselor Topic Below…
- Education and Training Requirements
- Examination Requirements
- The Application Process
- Reciprocity
- Additional Information
Education and Training Requirements
To become a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) in Minnesota, you must have a bachelor’s degree and 18 credits of coursework related specifically to alcohol and drug counseling. Specific coursework requirements can be found here. The required coursework may be part of your degree or taken outside of it. You must also complete a practicum of at least 880 hours.
Beyond the education requirements, you’ll qualify for the LADC credential through one of two paths: Method 1 or Method D.
Method I: Written Examination and Post-Degree Practice
Method I requires the completion of a written examination and post-degree supervised practice.
You must complete 2,000 hours of supervised practice in 12 to 36 months, including at least 50 hours of direct supervision (one hour per 40 hours of practice). Of the total required direct supervised hours, up to half may take place in a group, and up to one-fourth may be through telephone or video conferencing.
The supervisor must be an LADC or other qualified professional with at least three years of experience.
You must submit a Supervision Plan that’s been completed by an LADC supervisor. After you’ve completed the supervised experience, your supervisor must send a Verification of Supervised Professional Practice form to the Board.
Method D: Comprehensive Examination
Method D eliminates the supervised practice requirements and instead requires the passage of a comprehensive examination or written and oral exam that’s administered by an approved third party.
Examination Requirements
The BBHT recognizes three different exams as having met the examination requirements for LADC licensure:
- International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC)
- Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC) exam
- Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (AADC) exam
- The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
- National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level II (NCAC II)
The IC&RC exams are administered through the Minnesota Certification Board.
More information on the above exams can be found here.
The Application Process
To apply for the LADC, you must download, print, notarize, and send the completed application to the BBHT at 335 Randolph Avenue Suite 290 St. Paul, MN 55102. You must provide the BBHT with a copy of your passing exam score and your official college transcripts (sent directly from your school to the Board at [email protected]).
One you’ve submitted your application, the BBHT will email you a fingerprint information packet with instructions for completing a fingerprint-based criminal background check. The background check takes about two to three weeks to process. Once it has been processed, your license will be issued.
Reciprocity
You may qualify for reciprocity if you are credentialed in your jurisdiction and the Board recognizes that your requirements for certification/licensure are similar. You must provide the BBHT with a copy of the credentialing laws and rules that were in place at the time your credential was issued, along with proof that your credential is active and in good standing.
Additional Information
Questions? Contact the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy at [email protected] or (651) 201-2756.
The Minnesota Certification Board is another excellence resource for information on the profession and the practice of substance abuse counseling in Minnesota.