Addiction Counselor Requirements in South Carolina
In 2024, the state Department of Administration commissioned a report on the state of South Carolina’s government agencies. The report concluded that South Carolina has one of the most fragmented agency structures in the entire country — especially when it comes to human services.
Fortunately, though, when it comes to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, the Addiction Professionals of South Carolina (APSC) have a handle on their mission. As a state affiliate of the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), the APSC offers an efficient, two-tiered counselor certification program. If you want to make sure no one slips through the cracks as legislators reform human service agencies, getting APSC-certified is a great way to prepare.
Select a South Carolina Addiction Counselor Topic Below…
- Alcohol and Drug Counselor Requirements
- Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor Requirements
- The Application Process
- Reciprocity
- Clinical Supervisor Requirements
- Additional Information
Alcohol and Drug Counselor Requirements
To become an Alcohol and Drug Counselor in South Carolina, the first thing you’ll need to do is earn a bachelor’s degree in a field related to human services from a regionally-accredited college or university. During your studies, you’ll need to complete 300 clock hours of classes and training on the four domains of counseling:
- Screening, assessment, and engagement
- Treatment planning, collaborating with other professionals, and making referrals
- Counseling
- Ethical and professional duties
You’ll also need to complete six hours of training in both professional ethics and addiction medicine and another three hours of training in HIV/AIDS-related issues.
Your next step is earning some experience hours. In the five years leading up to certification, you’ll need to accrue 4,000 hours (about two years) of work experience in the four domains. You’ll also need to complete 200 supervision hours under the guidance of an APSC-certified clinical supervisor. During that time, you’ll work on each domain for a minimum of ten hours each.
Once you’ve fulfilled the APSC’s education and experience requirements, you can register for the ADC Exam. The exam is made up of 150 multiple choice questions and was developed by the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), one of the nation’s leading substance use disorder counselor organizations.
The final step is scheduling an oral interview with the APSC. During your interview, you’ll demonstrate your knowledge of the domains, outline your philosophy of treatment, and present a case study you conducted as the primary counselor for a client from the beginning of their treatment to the end.
Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor Requirements
The process of becoming an Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor in South Carolina is similar to the process for ADCs with a few important differences. First, you’ll need a graduate degree in a human services-field and 450 clock hours of training and education in the four domains. You’ll also need six hours of training in ethics and addiction medicine and three hours in AIDS?HIV-related issues.
Like ADC applicants, AADC applicants need 200 hours of clinical supervision and need to spend at least 10 hours working on each domain. However, AADCs need a total of 8,000 hours or about four years of work experience with the domains.
Finally, you’ll need to pass the IC&RC’s AADC Exam. Like the ADC Exam, this test is made up of 150 multiple choice questions. But at this level, you won’t have to do a case study or an oral interview.
The Application Process
You can find all application materials for both levels of certification online and apply through the APSC website. No matter which level you choose, you’ll be asked to submit college transcripts, clinical supervisor evaluations, a signed copy of the APSC’s code of ethics, and other supporting documentation.
If you’re pursuing certification as an ADC with a bachelor’s degree, you can schedule your oral interview after you’ve passed the exam. The APSC conducts interviews in-person on set dates throughout the year. You’ll get your interview score and feedback within 21 business days. If you don’t pass the first time, you can re-do the interview up to three times in the same calendar year.
Along with submitting the right documents, be sure you keep all associated fees in mind, too. The initial certification fee is $175 for members of the NAADAC and the APSC and $225 for non-members. The fee for the oral exam is $100 for members and $175 for nonmembers while the fee for the written exam is $150 for members and $175 for nonmembers. Becoming a member of either the NAADAC or the APSC is totally up to you and not required for certification.
Reciprocity
Fortunately, the APSC has pretty generous reciprocity policies for substance use disorder counselors from other states who want to get certified in South Carolina. If you’re certified as a Nationally Certified Addiction Counselor (NCAC) Level I, an NCAC Level II, or a Master Addiction Counselor through the NAADAC, you’re good to go. The same’s true if you’re certified as a Clinical Counselor through the IC&RC or from a state that uses either the NAADAC or IC&RC exam.
However, you’ll also need to hold the right level degree, as well. On top of that, the APSC will likely request supporting documents and review your application individually. You’ll also need to pay a $75 fee.
Clinical Supervisor Requirements
When it comes time to find a clinical supervisor, you’ll need to find someone who meets some pretty specific requirements. According to the APSC, clinical supervisors need to be Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselors, have 30 hours supervision training, 24 hours of supervised experience, and 10,000 hours (about five years) of experience, two of which must have been spent as a clinical supervisor candidate. Supervisors must also pass the IC&RC’s Clinical Supervisor Exam.
To find a supervisor yourself, you can check the APSC database. However, not all supervisors in the database will be in the position to take on new supervisees. Fortunately, the APSC invites counselors-in-training to reach out the them over email and they can find one in your area.
Additional Information
For more information about the certification process, training opportunities, and anything else, you can reach out to the Addiction Professionals of South Carolina through their website.