Chemical Dependency Counselor Requirements in Ohio

From the major cities of Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Ohio to the sprawling suburbs and rural regions, synthetic opioids, cocaine, and meth has taken hold of people, families, and communities, leaving death and devastation in its wake. But in the midst of despair, a community of passionate professionals has emerged, led by the state’s substance abuse counselors whose knowledge of substance use disorder and compassion for others allow them to make serious and meaningful inroads into communities plagued by addiction.

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Educational Requirements: Chemical Dependency Counselor II and III
Educational Requirements: Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor
Experience and Practical Training Requirements
Examination Requirement
Application Process
Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant Requirements
Additional Information Sources

Educational Requirements: Chemical Dependency Counselor II and III

To become an LCDC II, you must earn an associate’s degree in a behavioral science field or in nursing or a bachelor’s degree in any field. The Board maintains a list of endorsed colleges that are guaranteed to include all coursework required for licensure.

To become an LCDC III, you must earn a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science or nursing.

Both the LCDC II and LCDC III require an internship of 240 hours.

An academic semester hour may be credited as 15 hours, an academic quarter hour as ten. At least half of the required hours must be earned in the three years preceding the application.

LCDC II and LCDC III applicants must also complete 180 hours of chemical dependency education, broken down as follows:

24 hours in substance use disorder and recovery knowledge
30 hours in counseling procedures and strategies for those with SUD
18 hours in group processes and techniques
24 hours in SUD assessment and diagnosis
24 hours in family dynamics
18 hours in pharmacology (must include at least 6 hours in medication assisted treatment and recovery)
6 hours in relapse and recovery strategies
18 hours in treatment planning
18 hours in legal and ethical issues related to SUD professionals

Educational Requirements: Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor

To become an LICDC, you must earn a master’s degree or above in a behavioral science field or nursing that includes an internship/practicum. The Board maintains a list of endorsed colleges that are guaranteed to include all coursework required for licensure.

You can meet the requirements by completing a graduate degree in one of the following fields:

Addiction/SUD counseling
Clinical counseling
Clinical psychology
Counseling psychology
Pediatrics psychology
Social work

If you didn’t earn your degree in one of the above fields, you can also meet the educational requirements by earning a master’s degree or above and completing the following coursework as part of your degree:

40 hours in counseling theories
80 hours in individual and group counseling (at least 20 hours in individual counseling and 20 hours in group counseling)
90 hours in assessment and diagnosis of psychopathology
30 hours in cultural humility
30 hours in ethics

You must also complete 180 hours of chemical dependency education, broken down as follows:

24 hours in substance use disorder and recovery knowledge
30 hours in counseling procedures and strategies for those with SUD
18 hours in group processes and techniques
24 hours in SUD assessment and diagnosis
24 hours in family dynamics
18 hours in pharmacology (must include at least 6 hours in medication assisted treatment and recovery)
6 hours in relapse and recovery strategies
18 hours in treatment planning
18 hours in legal and ethical issues related to SUD professionals

Experience and Practical Training Requirements

All levels of licensing (LCDC II, LCDC III, LICDC) require at least 2,000 hours of work experience, with at least 220 hours of practical experience in the core functions. During this time, you must practice under a valid Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA) license.

At least 20 percent of the total experience hours must be spent in counseling.

Examination Requirement

All candidates must take and pass the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam. You must apply for licensure before taking the ADC exam. Once your application is approved by the Board, you’ll move to the “exam eligible” status, and you’ll receive an email from IC&RC that includes a link with instructions for registering for and taking the exam.

After passing the exam, the Board will email your certificate and ID wallet card.

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The Application Process

You’ll be required to complete a BCI Background check as part of the application process. You must print and take the BCI instructions to a WebCheck location to complete the fingerprinting process.

Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant Requirements

Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistants are licensed through a two-stage process. Although no degree is required, you must complete specific chemical dependency education in the following content areas: addiction knowledge, individual counseling, group counseling, treatment knowledge, service delivery, documentation, evaluation, and professionalism. You must have at least 40 hours of education to be eligible for Phase I licensure and another 30 hours for Phase II. You must hold Phase I status for at least ten months before progressing to Phase II.

The Board maintains a list of endorsed colleges that are guaranteed to include all coursework required for licensure.

Additional Information

The Ohio State Chemical Dependency Professionals Board can be reached at 614-387-1110 or i nfo@ocdp.ohio.gov.

The Ohio Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors is an additional resource for the state’s substance abuse professionals.

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