Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements in Alabama

Substance abuse counselors in Alabama provide compassionate, nonjudgmental care, education, and advocacy for individuals with substance abuse disorders. They empower this vulnerable population to pursue treatment, and through the application of evidence-based strategies, they provide a way forward for those willing to put in the work.

Standards for Alabama substance abuse counselors are delineated in Alabama administrative code. The state relies on nationally recognized independent certification to vet candidates for professional practice, and also recognizes other licensed professionals as being capable of providing addiction counseling, including social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, and other healthcare professionals.

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Requirements for Certification Through the Alabama Association of Addiction Professionals
Requirements for Certification Through the Alabama Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association (AADAA)
Earning QSAP Recognition Through the Alabama Department of Mental Health
Contacts and Additional Information

Requirements for Certification Through the Alabama Association of Addiction Professionals

To earn the Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) credential through the Alabama Association of Addiction Professionals, candidates must hold a high school diploma (or the equivalent) or higher and:

Complete a minumum of two years of full-time working experience in the substance use disorder field
Complete a minumum of 270 hours of training/contact hours/CEUs within the last 5 years:
- Applicants can substitute up to one year of full-time supervised experience (2,000 hours) in the substance use disorder field for 100 hours of training or two years for 200 hours. All work experience must have been earned within the last 5 years.
- Applicants can substitute a bachelor’s degree in a field related to human service, behavior science or healthcare for 100 hours of training or a master’s degree in a human service, behavior science or healthcare field for 200 hours of training.
Document at least 70 hours of training in the substance use disorder field, 6 of which must be in ethics education/training and 6 of which must be in HIV/other pathogens education/training; all training must have occurred within the last three years.
Take and pass the NCACI written exam

Applicants must download the application. A $150 application fee payable to AAACB must be included with the application. Once approved, you will receive word from the AAACCB with instructions for registering for and taking the NCACI exam. The cost of the exam is $160.

Requirements for Certification Through the Alabama Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association (AADAA)

To earn the Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC) designation through the Alabama Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association, candidates must:

Earn at least 6,000 hours of work experience; a bachelor’s degree in a human services field may be substituted for 2,000 hours of work experience, and a master’s degree in a human services field may be substituted for 4,000 hours of work
Complete at least 300 hours of supervised practice
Earn at least 300 clock hours of education/training from an accredited college or university, 6 of which must be in ethics education and 4 hours of which must be in AIDS/HIV education.
Pass the IC&RC ADC exam

To qualify for the Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (AADC) designation, applicants must:

Earn a master’s degree in a relevant field (180 hours must be specific to the AADC Job Analysis)
Complete 2,000 hours of work experience specific to the AADC Job Analysis
Complete 100 hours of supervised practice specific to the AADC Job Analysis
Pass the IC&RC-AADC exam

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Earning QSAP Recognition Through the Alabama Department of Mental Health

Substance abuse counselors in Alabama may choose to earn Qualified Substance Abuse Professional (QSAP) recognition through the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) at one of three levels:

Qualified Substance Abuse Professional III (QSAP III) (Initial recognition)
Qualified Substance Abuse Professional II (QSAP II) (Standard, mid-tier recognition)
Qualified Substance Abuse Professional I (QSAP I) (Highest level of recognition)

QSAP recognition is purely voluntary and not required by the state. But many professionals choose to pursue it for career development purposes and professional opportunities.

It takes a master’s degree to become a QSAP I, a designation reserved for social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, and other healthcare professionals.

QSAP II and QSAP III can be achieved with a bachelor’s degree and represents the standard when your main function is providing substance abuse counseling services.

You 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.

QSAP III:
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology; social work; community, rehabilitation, or pastoral counseling; family therapy; or in a similar behavioral health field that requires equivalent coursework; AND
- Working toward substance abuse counselor certification through the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors, the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, or the IC&RC
QSAP II:
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology; social work; community, rehabilitation, or pastoral counseling; family therapy; or in a similar behavioral health field that requires equivalent coursework; AND
- Holds a license as a Bachelor Level Social Worker in Alabama; OR
- Holds substance abuse counselor certification through the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors, the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, or the IC&RC
QSAP I:
- Holds a license in Alabama as a professional counselor, graduate level social worker, psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, marriage and family therapist, clinical psychologist, physician’s assistant, or physician; OR
- Has a master’s degree in in psychology, social work, counseling, psychiatric nursing, or other behavioral health area with coursework equivalent to a degree in counseling, psychology, social work or psychiatric nursing and has completed a clinical practicum; OR
- Has a master’s degree in in psychology, social work, counseling, psychiatric nursing, or other behavioral health area with coursework equivalent to a degree in counseling, psychology, social work or psychiatric nursing and has six months post master’s clinical experience

Contacts for Additional Information

Certification information is available from the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association and the Alabama Association of Addiction Professionals.

Substance abuse counselors are subject to regulations of the Alabama Department of Mental Health Substance Abuse Services.

The Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association can be contacted at (256) 432-2781. Contact information for the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors can be found on the NAADAC site.

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