Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Requirements in Vermont
In mid 2024, the Vermont legislature made an important update to their laws concerning substance use disorder (SUD) counselors. It used to be that if you wanted to be certified as a counselor, you had to go through a third-party organization. But now, you can get certified directly through the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) at three levels.
This did two important things: it made certification more accessible to new counselors and made it easier for patients to bill life-saving recovery services through insurance.
Whether you want to become an entry-level Apprentice Addiction Professional (AAP), a state-certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC), or a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) who can work independently, here’s what you need to know to get started.
Select a Vermont Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Topic Below…
- Apprentice Addiction Professional Certification
- Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification
- Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification
- The Application Process
- Reciprocity
- Additional Information
Apprentice Addiction Professional Certification: Education and Exam Requirements
To become an entry-level Apprentice Addiction Professional in Vermont, OPR regulations say you need an associate degree and 40 hours of substance use disorder education. You can complete this requirement by taking classes at a college or university or attending workshops and seminars.
Wherever you do your training, you’ll need to take classes on the four domains of SUD counseling:
- Screening, assessment, and educating clients, the families, and the community
- Making treatment plans, collaborating with other professionals, and making referrals
- Counseling methods and theory
- Ethics
OPR doesn’t say how many hours of education you need in each area, but you’ll need at least six hours in ethics. At the end, you’ll take a Vermont-specific AAP exam. It’s typically made up of 100 multiple-choice questions.
Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification: Education, Experience, and Exam Requirements
Getting certified as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Vermont requires a bachelor’s degree. At this level, you’ll need 270 hours of SUD education with a specific number of hours in specific topics.
You’ll need to dedicate at least six hours each to ethics, medication-assisted treatment, and co-morbid disorders. Another 36 hours should be dedicated to SUD counseling and treatment. That leaves you with 216 hours which the state says can be spread out amongst learning about:
- Co-occurring disorders
- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
- Patient and client placement criteria as set forth by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
- Human lifespan development
- Client engagement and motivational interviewing
- Screening
- Trauma
- Relapse prevention strategies
- Case management and coordinating services
- Treatment planning and clinical assessment
- The neurobiology of substance use disorders
- Serving diverse clients
Any classes you take at a college or university are worth 15 hours per credit hour.
After you complete your education, your next goal is to accrue 2,000 supervised experience hours. At least half of those hours should be spent providing direct clinical counseling services and you’ll spend at least 10 hours on each of the four domains.
Your final step to becoming an ADC is passing the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium’s (IC&RC) 150-question ADC Exam.
Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification: Education, Experience, and Exam Requirements
Becoming a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, the state’s highest credential, requires a master’s degree in a field related to human services. This can be in SUD counseling or something like social work or psychology. You’ll need to take at least 60 credit hours of classes. During your studies, you’ll also need to complete a 600-hour internship during your studies.
After graduation, you’ll need to complete 2,000 hours of supervised clinical practice following the same standards ADCs follow. Unfortunately, internship hours don’t count for this requirement.
Finally, you’ll need to pass the IC&RC’s Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) Exam. Like the ADC Exam, this is a 150-multiple-choice-question test. Keep in mind that to be eligible for full licensure, you’ll need to be a current ADC or be certified through an IC&RC board in another jurisdiction.
The Application Process
To apply, you can visit the Office of Professional Regulation’s Online Service Platform. You’ll have to submit official transcripts from your school and any certificates of completion you get from workshops and seminars. At the end of your supervised experience, your supervisor will submit an evaluation form, as well. All levels of certification and licensure come with a $260 application fee.
Reciprocity
If you’re certified or licensed in another state, you can apply for licensure by endorsement in Vermont through the Online Service Platform. You can start this process by requesting a license or certification verification through your current state’s licensing board. Vermont grants licenses to out-of-state SUD counselors if their home state’s requirements are the same, but they generally handle it on a case-by-case basis.
Additional Information
While all application materials are available once you’ve registered on Vermont’s Online Service Platform, you can find other forms, application instructions, exam information, and other resources on the OPR’s website. If you have any other questions, you can contact the OPR at 802-828-1505.
For training opportunities, conferences, and other professional resources, check out the Vermont Addiction Professionals Association (VAPA), a local affiliate of the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC).