Addiction Counselor Requirements in South Dakota
In a state like South Dakota where the population is so spread out, people travel for miles and miles just to get substance use disorder treatment. It takes a complex, multi-tiered workforce to meet their needs all in one place. Fortunately, the South Dakota Board of Addiction Professionals (BAPP) offers multiple levels of counselor credentials so no matter where you’re starting your career, you can dive into recovery support with rigorous training.
Select a South Dakota Addiction Counselor Topic Below…
- Addiction Counselor Trainee (ACT) Requirements
- Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) Requirements
- Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) Requirements
- Private Practice by LACs
- The Application Process
- Out-of-State Addiction Counselors
- Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) Requirements
- Additional Information
Addiction Counselor Trainee (ACT) Requirements
BAPP offers two levels of counselor credentials, but first, you’ll need to register as an Addiction Counselor Trainee (ACT). This is so you can gain experience hours later. You can register as an ACT with just a high school diploma or as a college student, but you need to work or volunteer for a substance use disorder recovery agency to qualify
You’ll have to renew your ACT credential every year. However, you can only be an Addiction Counselor Trainee for five years. In that time, you’ll need to complete everything you need to get fully certified or licensed. You can work directly with clients, but you’ll work under supervision the entire time.
Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) Requirements
You can become a Certified Addiction Counselor in South Dakota with a high school diploma. However, to meet education requirements, you’ll need to take undergraduate or graduate-level classes in a few specific areas:
- Introduction to use and abuse of alcohol
- Introduction to use and abuse of drugs
- Individual counseling foundations
- Group alcohol and drug counseling
- Treatment continuum
- Counseling families with drug or alcohol issues
- Diverse populations
- Ethics for substance abuse professionals
- Elective (specific to alcohol/ drug use)
For these classes to count, they should be taken at the undergraduate or graduate level, and you’ll need to earn at least a C. The BAPP says you should take three semester hours of classes in each topic.
When it comes time to earn your supervised experience hours, how many you need depends on your highest level of education. With a high school diploma, you need 8,000 hours, 6,000 hours with an associate degree, 4,000 with a bachelor’s, and just 2,000 with a graduate degree. To qualify for an hour reduction, though, you must have a degree in a field related to behavioral science from an accredited program.
But no matter how many hours you need, you’ll spend at least 300 working on the 12 core functions of being an addiction counselor. The BAPP says you need to spend at least 10 hours working on each function, but you can break up the remaining hours working on whichever functions you and your supervisor think you need more practice with. You’ll also need to work directly with your supervisor for one hour for every 10 hours of client contact you have.
Once you’ve completed all other requirements, you can apply for and take the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium’s (IC&RC) Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) Exam. The exam is made up of 150 multiple choice questions and you can find prep materials on the IC&RC website.
Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) Requirements
If you want to become a Licensed Addiction Counselor in South Dakota, you need a master’s degree in a human services-related field at minimum. You also need to take at least three semester hours of classes on each of the following topics:
- Theories and techniques of addiction counseling
- Psychopathology or psychopharmacology
- Treatment planning
- Case management/ assessment of co-occurring disorders
- Multicultural competency
- Ethical, legal, and professional standards
- Clinical supervision
Like CAC applicants, LAC applicants need to get at least a C in these classes. However, only five of these classes need to be taken at the graduate level. The other two can be taken at the undergraduate level.
Because you’ll be going through a pretty rigorous academic process, you only need 2,000 supervised work hours to become a Licensed Addiction Counselor. Once again, though, you need to spend 300 hours working on the 12 core functions and spend at least 10 hours working on each one.
At the end of the process, you’ll take the IC&RC’s Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) Exam. Like the ADC Exam, the AADC exam is made up of 150 multiple choice questions.
Private Practice by LACs
One of the main benefits of becoming an LAC in South Dakota is that they can work unsupervised and run their own private practices. However, you won’t get that privilege right when you earn your license. You’ll need to work for at least two years first.
The Application Process
You can find all forms and application materials for every type of license and certification on the BAPP website. You’ll also be asked to submit transcripts, a current job description, supervisor evaluations, a signed code of ethics, and any information regarding past convictions. If you’re not sure if some of your classes will meet education requirements, you can submit a course approval request form and the BAPP will review them.
As far as fees go, you’ll pay a $50 application and $100 trainee recognition fee to become an Addiction Counselor Trainee. There’s also a $250 testing and application fee for CACs and LACs. There’s also a $250 fee for upgrading from a Certified to a Licensed Addiction Counselor.
Once you submit all forms and complete all requirements, you’ll work with the BAPP to schedule your exam at an approved testing site. Currently, there are two testing sites in Rapid City and one in both Sioux Falls and Spearfish.
Out-of-State Addiction Counselors
South Dakota doesn’t have a full reciprocity program for out-of-state counselors. However, if you’re certified through another IC&RC member board in another state, you can apply for reciprocity through them and pay a $100 fee to get certified or licensed in South Dakota.
Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) Requirements
If you’re not interested in becoming a counselor but frequently work with people battling substance use disorders as a social worker, healthcare provider, or another type of professional, you may want to consider becoming a Certified Prevention Specialist. To become one, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree and take classes on:
- The study of substance use disorders
- The study of alcohol abuse
- The foundations of substance use disorder prevention
- Prevention theory
- Professional ethics including six contact hours of training specifically about prevention specialist ethics
You’ll need to complete three semester hours of classes on each topic. Then, you’ll need to spend 2,000 supervised hours working in addiction prevention. 750 of those hours should be dedicated to practical training. You’ll dedicate at least 50 hours to each domain of prevention.
At the end, you’ll take the IC&RC’s Prevention Specialist (PS) Exam. The application and testing fee is $250.
Additional Information
You can direct any questions you have about becoming an addiction counselor in South Dakota to the Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals. You can reach them by email or phone at 605-224-1721.
Another great resource is the South Dakota Association of Addiction and Prevention Professionals (SDAAPP). Though named similarly, they’re a different organization than the BAPP. They host conferences, connect people with peer assistance, and advocate for addiction counselors and the people they serve on a legislative level.