Michigan Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements: CADC & CAADC
To earn Michigan CADC certification through MCBAP, you need 300 education hours, 100-300 supervised hours, 2,000-6,000 work hours (depending on your degree), and a passing IC&RC exam. The master’s-level CAADC requires a graduate degree, 186 education hours, 2,000 work hours, and 100 supervised hours.
You’ve seen what addiction does. Maybe you’ve carried that weight yourself, or you’ve watched someone you love fight to get free. Now you’re ready to turn that experience into purpose as a Michigan substance abuse counselor.
Michigan’s path to certification runs through the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP), a nonprofit member of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC). MCBAP administers Michigan’s addiction-professional certifications. Certification differs from state professional licensure, and additional licensing requirements may apply depending on your counseling role and practice setting.
That IC&RC membership means your Michigan CADC certification may transfer to other IC&RC member boards, though reciprocity isn’t automatic and doesn’t necessarily satisfy another state’s licensing requirements. Whether you’re just starting out or already hold a degree in a related field, Michigan offers clear pathways to the CADC (Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor) or the advanced CAADC.
Working Under an MCBAP Development Plan (CADC-DP and CAADC-DP)
If you’re not certified yet, an MCBAP Development Plan (DP) lets you start working in the field while you finish your requirements. A DP is a time-limited agreement between you and your employer. It isn’t a credential, and it doesn’t transfer if you change jobs.
Why does it matter? State-funded contracts, state licensing rules, other payers, and many employers expect staff providing substance use disorder services to hold an MCBAP credential or be working toward one. MCBAP doesn’t require a DP, but your employer may.
How Long a Development Plan Lasts
Each DP has a time limit based on full-time work:
- CADC-DP: 3 years
- CAADC-DP: 3 years
- CCS-DP (clinical supervisor): 3 years
- CCJP-M-DP (criminal justice): 3 years
- CPS-DP (prevention specialist): 2 years
- CPRM-DP (peer recovery mentor): 1 year
Part-time staff can ask for more time. A DP can’t be renewed, and you can’t hold the same DP again within seven years, so it’s worth mapping out how you’ll finish before you start.
How to List Your Development Plan
MCBAP asks you to list the credential you’re working toward with -DP after it, for example, “Jane Smith, CAADC-DP.” The -DP stays attached until you’ve earned the full credential. You may still see older terms like DP-C (counselor), DP-S (supervisor), and DP-P (prevention) in Michigan Department of Health and Human Services policy and some regional contracts, so don’t be surprised if an employer uses them.
What You Can and Can’t Do on a DP
You’ll work under a supervisor with a CCS, CCS-M, or CCS-DP credential, and you can’t provide counseling independently. To start a DP, you’ll need to meet MCBAP’s eligibility and supervision requirements, including the required ethics training, and live or work in Michigan at least 51% of the time. Michigan’s licensing rules expect anyone delivering substance use disorder services without full certification to work with appropriate review and oversight.
If you don’t have a degree in a behavioral health field, there’s one more step. MCBAP requires you to have been a Certified Peer Recovery Mentor (CPRM) or an MDHHS State Certified Recovery Coach for at least two years before starting a CADC-DP. For many people in recovery, that’s a natural first chapter.
Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADC) Certification
The CADC is Michigan’s foundational certification for substance abuse counselors. You can earn it with a high school diploma or GED, though a degree significantly reduces the supervision and work experience hours you need.
Education Requirements
Your degree level sets how much supervised training and work experience you’ll need. Qualifying degrees include:
- An associate or bachelor’s degree in counseling, psychology, social work, addiction studies, art therapy, marriage and family therapy, family studies, sociology, human services, criminal justice, public health, nursing, or social science
- A master’s degree or higher in counseling, psychology, social work, addiction studies, marriage and family therapy, or criminal justice
Whatever your education level, you’ll complete 300 education hours, including 180 substance-use-specific hours and 120 additional related or substance-use-specific hours, with six hours of required ethics education.
Supervised Training Hours
Your supervision requirement depends on your education:
- High school diploma/GED: 300 hours
- Associate degree: 250 hours
- Bachelor’s degree: 200 hours
- Master’s degree or higher: 100 hours
These hours are spread across the IC&RC performance domains, with at least 10 hours in each domain.
Work Experience Requirements
This is where your degree makes the biggest difference:
- High school diploma/GED: 6,000 hours
- Associate degree: 5,000 hours
- Bachelor’s degree: 4,000 hours
- Master’s degree or higher: 2,000 hours
Your hours can be paid or volunteer, must be in substance use disorder services, and must fall within the last 10 years. For perspective, 4,000 hours with a bachelor’s degree is roughly two years of full-time work. With a master’s degree, that’s about one year.
| Education Level | Education Hours | Supervised Training | Work Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| High School Diploma/GED | 300 hours (180 SUD-specific, 120 related, 6 ethics required) | 300 hours | 6,000 hours |
| Associate Degree | 300 hours (180 SUD-specific, 120 related, 6 ethics required) | 250 hours | 5,000 hours |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 300 hours (180 SUD-specific, 120 related, 6 ethics required) | 200 hours | 4,000 hours |
| Master’s Degree or Higher | 300 hours (180 SUD-specific, 120 related, 6 ethics required) | 100 hours | 2,000 hours |
Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CAADC) Certification
The CAADC is Michigan’s master’s-level certification for substance abuse counselors. It requires a graduate degree and positions you for clinical and leadership roles.
CAADC Requirements
To qualify for the CAADC, you’ll need:
- A master’s degree in counseling, psychology, social work, addiction studies, art therapy, or marriage and family therapy
- At least 2,000 hours of experience providing direct counseling services to people with substance use disorders
- 100 hours of post-master’s supervised training
- 186 education hours (180 hours specific to substance use disorders and 6 hours of ethics)
The CAADC prepares you for advanced clinical work in treatment facilities and recovery programs. It’s also one of the two credentials (along with the CADC) you’ll need to hold before applying for MCBAP’s Certified Clinical Supervisor credential.
IC&RC Examination Requirements
For Michigan’s MCBAP CADC and CAADC certifications, applicants must pass the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) and Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) examinations, respectively. Other states may use different credentials, licensing boards, examinations, or additional requirements.
Available Examinations
You’ll take one of these exams based on your credential:
- Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam for the CADC
- Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) exam for the CAADC
What the Exams Cover
IC&RC builds its exams based on what working counselors actually do. The ADC exam has 150 multiple-choice questions, a three-hour time limit, and four performance domains:
- Scientific principles of substance use and co-occurring disorders (25%)
- Evidence-based screening and assessment (20%)
- Evidence-based treatment, counseling, and referral (30%)
- Professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities (25%)
The AADC exam is also organized around four performance domains, at a more advanced clinical level.
How to Register
Complete the registration form on MCBAP’s IC&RC exams page and pay the exam fee through MCBAP’s website. Exam fees aren’t paid in Certemy. Once MCBAP processes your registration, you’ll receive an email with instructions to schedule your test date and time. Remote testing is available. If you don’t pass, you’ll wait 90 days before retesting.
Exam Preparation
IC&RC publishes candidate guides and other study resources on its website. MCBAP offers free monthly IC&RC test-prep sessions, and you can request study materials by emailing [email protected]. Give yourself real prep time. These exams test how you apply your knowledge, not just what you can recall.
Michigan Addiction Counselor Salary and Job Outlook
Knowing what the field pays helps you plan your next steps. Here’s what substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn in Michigan, based on May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data.
| Location | Employment | 10th Percentile | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan (Statewide) | 10,100 | $38,490 | $47,990 | $61,690 | $77,650 | $94,400 | $65,430 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 4,290 | $38,490 | $47,990 | $60,890 | $78,330 | $94,760 | $64,830 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | 1,130 | $42,860 | $51,690 | $64,100 | $77,970 | $99,020 | $68,460 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | 790 | $45,950 | $50,000 | $67,510 | $78,430 | $109,190 | $72,990 |
| United States | 491,930 | $38,940 | $47,100 | $59,350 | $76,530 | $97,590 | $64,440 |
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn has the most jobs by far, with 4,290 counselors. Lansing-East Lansing posts the highest median of the areas shown at $67,510. Statewide, Michigan’s median of $61,690 sits above the national median of $59,350. Actual earnings vary by experience, employer, role, and location. These occupational wage figures don’t distinguish CADC from CAADC credential holders.
Demand is growing, too. ProjectionsCentral’s 2024-34 long-term employment projections show Michigan employment for these counselors rising 18%, from 12,630 to 14,910 jobs, with about 1,280 openings each year. That’s faster than the 16.8% national growth in the same 2024-34 projections.
Other MCBAP Credentials
Beyond the CADC and CAADC, MCBAP offers specialized credentials for specific roles in Michigan’s substance use disorder system.
The Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) credential requires a master’s degree in an approved discipline plus 6,000 hours of experience, including 4,000 hours as a clinical supervisor. You’ll need a current MCBAP CADC or CAADC to apply. Michigan-only credentials don’t qualify.
Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) focuses on prevention rather than treatment. You’ll need 2,000 hours of prevention experience, 120 education hours, 120 supervision hours, and a passing IC&RC exam.
The Certified Prevention Consultant (CPC) is an advanced prevention credential that requires 8,000 hours of experience and 240 education hours.
Certified Peer Recovery Mentor (CPRM) lets people with lived recovery experience support others on their path. It requires 500 hours of experience, 46 education hours, and 25 hours of supervision. For applications submitted on or after January 1, 2027, the education hours include 6 hours of harm reduction. Our guide to becoming a certified peer support specialist explains this career path.
Certified Criminal Justice Professional Michigan (CCJP-M) is for professionals applying addiction counseling in criminal justice settings. Experience requirements range from 2,000 hours with a master’s degree to 6,000 hours with a high school diploma. It’s the only MCBAP credential that doesn’t require an IC&RC exam.
Visit MCBAP’s website for full requirements for each credential. These are Michigan requirements, and other states may differ.
The MCBAP Application Process
MCBAP processes all initial, Development Plan, and renewal applications through Certemy, an online credentialing platform. You’ll find links to the right Certemy application under each credential on MCBAP’s website.
The application process includes:
- Creating a Certemy account
- Submitting official transcripts
- Documenting your supervised training hours
- Verifying your work experience
- Providing proof of education hours
- Paying the application fee
Exam registration is a separate step. You’ll submit the IC&RC registration form and pay the exam fee through MCBAP’s website, not Certemy.
MCBAP lists typical review times of 10 to 14 business days for Development Plans and 21 to 42 business days for initial certification. Keeping your hours and documents organized as you go makes the final application much smoother.
Reciprocity With Other IC&RC States
One big advantage of Michigan’s MCBAP system is reciprocity through IC&RC. If you hold a reciprocal-level credential from another IC&RC member board, you may be able to transfer it to Michigan, and a Michigan credential may transfer to other member boards.
Start by checking the requirements in the state you’re moving to. Then request a reciprocity application from your current board, which sends your file through IC&RC to the new board. If you’re leaving Michigan, you’ll request that application from MCBAP.
Reciprocity isn’t automatic. Each receiving board decides eligibility under its own rules, and reciprocity doesn’t necessarily satisfy another state’s professional licensing requirements. Your credential must be current, and IC&RC recommends starting at least three months before it expires. Michigan-only credentials ending in -M, such as the CADC-M, aren’t reciprocal. If the receiving board finds gaps, you may need additional training, but it’s still usually faster than starting from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a degree to become a substance abuse counselor in Michigan?
What’s the difference between CADC and CAADC certification?
How long does Michigan certification take?
Can I work as an addiction counselor while completing certification requirements?
Does Michigan accept certifications from other states?
What does the IC&RC exam cover?
How much does CADC certification cost in Michigan?
What continuing education is required to maintain Michigan certification?
Key Takeaways
- Michigan substance abuse counselors are certified through MCBAP, a nonprofit IC&RC member, which may allow reciprocity with other IC&RC member boards, though it isn’t automatic.
- The CADC requires 300 education hours and 2,000 to 6,000 work hours depending on your degree, while the master’s-level CAADC requires 186 education hours, 2,000 work hours, and 100 supervised hours.
- A Development Plan lets you work under supervision while you finish, listed as CADC-DP or CAADC-DP, for up to three years of full-time work.
- Both credentials require an IC&RC exam (ADC or AADC) built on four performance domains.
- Michigan counselors earn a statewide median of $61,690 (May 2025 BLS), above the national median of $59,350, and employment is projected to grow 18% through 2034.
- MCBAP also offers credentials in clinical supervision, prevention, peer recovery mentoring, and criminal justice.
Ready to Start Your Michigan Addiction Counseling Career?
Find accredited addiction counseling programs in Michigan and take the first step toward CADC or CAADC certification. Whether you’re pursuing an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree, you’ll find programs designed to meet MCBAP requirements.
Salary figures for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, Social and Human Services Assistants (Peer Recovery Specialists), and Psychiatric Technicians and Aides (Substance Use Disorder Technicians) come from May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics city, state, and national data. 2024-34 job growth projections come from ProjectionsCentral state and national data. These figures are not school-specific, and conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.