Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements in Iowa

With unwavering compassion and a tireless drive, Iowa’s substance abuse counselors are there for people caught in the grip of addiction, offering real, actionable guidance and support that makes all the difference. Through counseling, education, and advocacy, substance abuse counselors in the Hawkeye State are helping people with substance use disorder find their way to recovery.

The Iowa Board of Certification, a state member of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), provides certification for substance abuse counselors at three levels:

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
International Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IADC) – international reciprocity with other IC&RC members
International Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IAADC) – international reciprocity with other IC&RC members

ICB also offers a Certified Treatment Assistant certification and several specialty certifications (both IC&RC reciprocal and non-reciprocal).

Featured Programs:

Select an Iowa Substance Abuse Counselor Topic Below…

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) Requirements
Iowa’s International Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IADC) Requirements
International Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IAADC) Requirements
Application Process
Alcohol and Drug Counselor Reciprocity in Iowa
Specialty Certifications in Iowa
Additional Information

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) Requirements

You can meet the requirements for CADC certification through either education or primarily experience:

Education Track: To qualify for CADC through education, you’ll need a high school diploma or GED, along with:

24 semester hours of college-level credit in substance abuse or a related field like counseling, psychology, sociology, social work, human services, or criminal justice
150 clock hours of relevant education (e.g., college courses, trainings, workshops, etc.), broken down as follows:
- 45 clock hours in Counseling Theories & Techniques
- 45 clock hours in Alcohol and Drug Specific
- 6 clock hours in Special Populations
- 6 clock hours in Counseling Ethics
- 3 clock hours in Racial/Ethnic
- Remaining hours in any of the knowledge and skills competencies
Six months (1,000 clock hours) of full-time, supervised experience in substance abuse counseling within the past three years; of these hours, at least 500 must be spent performing alcohol and drug counseling and 36 hours must be in direct supervision with a qualified supervisor

Experience Track: To qualify for CADC through experience (if you don’t have a least 24 hours of college coursework), you’ll need a high school diploma or GED, along with:

150 clock hours of relevant education (e.g., college courses, trainings, workshops, etc.), broken down as follows:
- 45 clock hours in Counseling Theories & Techniques
- 45 clock hours in Alcohol and Drug Specific
- 6 clock hours in Special Populations
- 6 clock hours in Counseling Ethics
- 3 clock hours in Racial/Ethnic
- Remaining hours in any of the knowledge and skills competencies
18 months (3,000 clock hours) of full-time, supervised experience in substance abuse counseling within the past three years; of these hours, at least 500 must be spent performing alcohol and drug counseling and 36 hours must be in direct supervision with a qualified supervisor

All CADC applicants, regardless of track, must also take and pass the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC) exam.

International Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IADC) Requirements

To qualify for the IADC credential, you must have a high school diploma or GED, along with:

At least 300 clock hours of education (college courses, trainings, or workshops) related to alcohol and drug knowledge and skills competencies (at least 30 of the required hours must have been completed within the past 24 months), broken down as follows:
- 90 clock hours in Counseling Theories & Techniques
- 90 clock hours in Alcohol and Drug Specific
- 6 clock hours in Counseling Ethics
- 3 clock hours in Racial/Ethnic
Experience in the Four Domains (Screening, Assessment and Engagement; Treatment Planning, Collaboration and Referral; Counseling; and Professional and Ethical Responsibilities) of the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (hours vary according to your highest level of education in a related field):
- 2,000 hours (master’s degree in a related field)
- 4,000 hours (bachelor’s degree in a related field)
- 5,000 hours (associate’s degree in a related field)
- 6,000 hours (no college degree in a related field)
On-the-job supervision hours (hours vary according to your highest level of education):
- 100 hours (master’s degree in a related field)
- 200 hours (bachelor’s degree in a related field)
- 250 hours (associate’s degree in a related field)
- 300 hours (no college degree in a related field)
A passing score on the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC) exam.

International Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IAADC) Requirements

The IAADC credential is reserved for those with a graduate degree in a related field.

To qualify for the IAADC, you must:

Earn a master’s degree in a behavioral science-related field (counseling, psychology, sociology, social work, human services, or criminal justice)
Complete at least 180 clock hours of alcohol and drug-specific education
Complete at least six clock hours of counselor ethics, with at least three hours specific to racial/ethnic
Complete at least 2,000 clock hours of supervised experience performing all Four Domains (Screening, Assessment and Engagement; Treatment Planning, Collaboration and Referral; Counseling and Education; and Professional and Ethical Responsibilities) of the IAADC within the past six years
Complete at least 300 hours of on-the-job supervision in the Four Domains, with at least 25 hours in each domain
Take and pass the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC) exam

FIND SCHOOLS

The Application Process

All applications are available on the Iowa Board of Certification website. Your application packet must include original transcripts from the colleges you attended (sent directly to the IBC), copies of certificates of completion, a completed and signed Supervisor’s Evaluation (Form 9), an official written job description, and an application fee of $400. Applications are reviewed within 10 business days.

Once your application has been reviewed and accepted, the Board will notify you that you’ve been pre-registered for the exam. You’ll have one year from the date of notice of your pre-registration to take and pass the exam; otherwise, you’ll need to submit a new application to the Board. Once the Board has received your passing score from the IC&RC, they will mail your certificate to you.

Reciprocity

Alcohol and drug counselors certified by other IC&RC boards are granted reciprocity in Iowa without additional training or experience. There is a $100 fee for candidates requesting reciprocity.

Specialty Certifications

The IC&RC’s Certified Co‐Occurring Disorders Professional certifications (CCDP and CCDP‐D) both require academic degrees in behavioral sciences or co-occurring disorders. The CCDP requires a bachelor’s, the CCDP-D, a master’s. The experience requirement is lower for the CCDP-D certification.

The Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS), Certified Criminal Justice Professional (CCJP), and Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) certifications do not require academic degrees. However, individuals with higher education can achieve CCJP or CCS with fewer years of experience. The CCS is an add-on credential.

Learn more about these specialty credentials here.

Additional Information

You can contact the Iowa Certification Board at 515‐965‐5509 or at [email protected] / [email protected] with questions regarding the certification process.

FIND SCHOOLS