Addiction Counselor Requirements in the District of Columbia
From Anacostia and Congress Heights in Southeast D.C. to Trinidad and Ivy City in Northeast D.C., addiction counselors are on the streets and in neighborhood clinics, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers throughout The District fighting the good fight to provide those struggling under the weight of drug addiction with life-saving, evidence-based treatment.
The Board of Professional Counseling certifies addiction counselors in Washington D.C. at two levels:
- Certified Addiction Counselor I, (CAC I)
- Certified Addiction Counselor II (CAC II)
To qualify for certification in Washington DC, candidates must earn an associate degree or higher, complete Board-mandated coursework and a supervised practice requirement, and pass two examinations: 1) a national addiction counseling examination and 2) a jurisprudence examination.
Select a District of Columbia Addiction Counselor Topic Below…
- Education Requirements: Certified Addiction Counselor I
- Education and Training Requirements: CAC II
- The Jurisprudence Examination
- Background Checks
- Application Process
- Addiction Counselors Certified in Other U.S. Jurisdictions
- Internationally Educated Addiction Counselors
- Additional Information
Education and Training Requirements: CAC I
To become a CAC I, the entry-level addiction counselor credential in Washington D.C., you must earn an associate degree in a human services or health field such as aging studies, criminal justice, health education, mental health, and registered nursing. The degree should include the following coursework:
- Co-occurring disorders
- Crisis intervention
- Cultural factors
- Diagnostic and screening criteria
- Ethics, regulations, and rules
- Human behavior and family system dynamics
- Models of addiction, recovery process, motivational interviewing, treatment, stages of change, group dynamics and adjunctive support groups, relapse prevention
- Professional identity
- Psychopharmacology resources
- Substance abuse signs and symptoms
You can earn the above coursework as part of your degree program or outside of the program, provided it is taken through an accredited institution or through a program that holds National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) approval.
You must earn at least 500 hours of supervised experience under the supervision of a qualified professional. The experience must include at least 40 hours in each of the following areas:
- Understanding the dynamics of human behavior and family systems
- Signs and symptoms of substance abuse
- Recovery process, stages of change, relapse prevention, treatment approaches, group dynamics and other adjunctive treatment recovery support groups, motivational interviewing, and models and theories of addiction
- Ethics, rules and regulations
- Professional identity in the provision of substance abuse services
- Crisis intervention
- Substance abuse counseling treatment planning and research
- Counseling skills for individual and group, motivational interviewing
- Cultural factors and competencies in addiction
- Co-occurring disorders and interdisciplinary treatment
- Diagnostic and screening criteria in addictions
- Psychopharmacology resources in the treatment of addictions
And you must also pass the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC-NCC) Level I examination.
Education and Training Requirements: CAC II
To become a CAC II, you must earn a bachelor’s degree in a health or human services field like registered nursing, aging studies, criminal justice, health education, and mental health. Required coursework is similar to the CAC I credential but also includes courses in substance abuse counseling treatment planning, and research and counseling skills for individual and group, motivational interviewing.
You must also completed 180 hours of supervised experience with at least ten hours in each of the following:
- Client screening to determine eligibility and fit for a given program
- Client intake, including administrative and initial assessment
- New client orientation, familiarizing them with rules, goals, procedures, services, costs, and client rights
- Client assessment, looking at unique client characteristics and needs when developing a treatment plan
- Treatment planning to identify and prioritize, establish goals, and agree on treatment processes
- Client counseling using specialized skills in both individual and group treatment
- Case management to bring services, agencies, people, and resources together under a cohesive plan to achieve established goals
- Crisis intervention in the event the client experiences acute mental, emotional, or physical distress
- Client education to provide information about drug abuse and available services and resources
- Referring clients to specialists and resources to ensure needs and met and then assisting clients in using those resources
- Reporting and charting information about the client’s assessment, treatment plan, progress, discharge summaries, and other client-related data
- Consulting with other professionals to assure clients get comprehensive and high-quality care
And you must also take and pass the NAADAC-NCC Level II examination.
The Jurisprudence Examination
Candidates for certification at either level must take the District of Columbia Jurisprudence Examination. The exam covers the NAADAC code of ethics and DC statutes and regulations. The exam is administered at least three times per year. Retakes are allowed. However, any candidate who fails three examination attempts must take an approved refresher course. Study material for the exam can be found here.
Criminal Background Checks
All candidates for addiction counselor certification must undergo a criminal background check.
You’ll need to sign up through the DC Health online application portal and enter your information on the secure website. You’ll then schedule an appointment to have your fingerprinting completed at a fingerprint collection site close to you.
The Application Process
Candidates must apply online through the DC Health online portal. Additional documents, including course and supervision forms, can be found here.
Once your application has been approved by the Board, you’ll receive notice of your eligibility to sit for the required exam.
If you’ve already taken the required NAADAC examination, you can call the NAADAC at 1-800-548-0497 to request your exam scores.
The application fee for CAC I or CAC II is $190; there is an additional $50 fee for the criminal background check.
Addiction Counselors Certified in Other U.S. Jurisdictions
Addiction counselors who are certified by other U.S. jurisdictions can be endorsed into the District of Columbia. D.C. accepts either the NAADAC examination or another state-approved examination. All candidates must pass the D.C. jurisprudence examination.
Internationally Educated Addiction Counselors
Internationally educated addiction counselors are eligible for licensure in the District of Columbia if they’ve graduated from programs that were accredited in their own nations or if their education is found to be equivalent. Equivalency must be determined by a Board-approved evaluation service. Required documents that are not in English must be translated; the translator must attest to their accuracy. The Board may request an interview to ascertain that education and training are at the level DC requires.
Additional Information
Any questions can be directed to the Health Regulation and Licensing Administration’s Processing Center at 877-672-2174.
The Association of Addiction Professionals of the District of Columbia (AAPDC) serves as an excellent resource for addiction professionals in Washington D.C.