Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements in Wisconsin
From overloaded treatment facilities in Milwaukee to the countless small clinics charged with helping the rural communities find recovery, Wisconsin’s substance use disorder (SUD) treatment network always has room for more impassioned counselors. If that’s your calling, the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) makes becoming a substance abuse counselor in Wisconsin a streamlined affair.
Your main options are becoming either a Substance Abuse Counselor who provides vital behavioral health treatment or a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor who supports clients with complex needs. Whichever path you choose, your journey will be one of education, examination, and supervised experience.
Select a Wisconsin Substance Abuse Counselor Topic Below…
- Requirements: Substance Abuse Counselor-in-Training
- Substance Abuse Counselor Education Requirements
- Substance Abuse Counselor Experience Requirements
- Substance Abuse Counselor Examination Requirements
- Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements
- Application Process
- Out-of-State Substance Abuse Counselors
- Additional Information
Requirements: Substance Abuse Counselor-in-Training
Before you get started on earning full certification in Wisconsin, you’ll need to register as a Substance Abuse Counselor-in-Training. This is so you can complete your supervised work experience later in the process.
To register, you’ll need at least 100 hours of training and education in substance use disorders. You’ll need 15 hours of training in assessment, counseling, and education, 10 hours in case management, and 20 hours in professional responsibility. The remaining 25 hours can be spent learning about any of those topics.
You can earn these hours through a college, university, or any of the organizations listed in the DSPS’s approved training provider database. You’ll also need to submit an employment verification form showing you have a supervisor and a plan for gaining your experience hours. According to Wisconsin state law, you can only renew your training license twice.
Substance Abuse Counselor Education Requirements
To become a substance abuse counselor in Wisconsin, you’ll need to complete 360 hours of classes on substance use disorders including the 100 hours you need to qualify for training. Once again, training needs to come from a college or university degree program or a DSPS-approved provider. While you can choose to earn a degree to become a Substance Abuse Counselor in Wisconsin, you only need a high school diploma or GED.
However, the Department of Safety and Professional Services says you should complete 60 hours of classes on five specific topics: assessment, counseling, case management, patient education, and professional responsibilities. You’ll also need at least six hours of training on ethics. The remaining 54 hours can be spread out in any way amongst those six topics.
Substance Abuse Counselor Experience Requirements
In total, you’ll need to complete 3,000 work experience hours as a substance abuse counselor-in-training under the guidance of a clinical supervisor. 1,000 of those hours should be dedicated specifically to substance use disorder counseling, 500 of which should be earned counseling clients one-on-one.
Keep in mind that you’ll have to earn these hours within five years of submitting your application for full certification. On top of that, you’ll also need to complete 200 hours of counseling in the year before submitting your application. 100 of those hours should be one-on-one.
Substance Abuse Counselor Examination Requirements
After you’ve completed your education hours but before you complete your supervised experience hours, you’ll need to register for the National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level I (NCAC I) Exam. The exam is made up of 150 multiple choice questions. A 67% is a passing score meaning you only need to answer 100 questions correctly.
While the NCAC I Exam is administered and created by the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), you’ll register for it through the DSPS. There are 9 testing sites across Wisconsin including sites in Oshkosh, Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Madison.
If you haven’t already done so, you’ll also need to pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Administrative Code Exam. This open-book exam tests your knowledge of Wisconsin law as it pertains to your new vocation.
Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements
If you want to become a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor in Wisconsin, you’ll need an associate degree or higher in a field related to behavioral science (counseling, addiction studies, social work, etc.). Like Substance Abuse Counselors, clinical professionals need 360 hours of education and/or training.
When it comes to supervised experience hours, though, you’ll need to complete 5,000 within the five years preceding the submission of your application. If you became a certified Substance Abuse counselor in that time, the experience hours you earned for that credential can also be applied to your clinical requirements, as well.
Another advantage from going from Substance Abuse Counselor to Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor is that clinical professionals must also pass the NCAC I Exam. If you’ve already done that, all you’ll really have to do to upgrade your license is complete your supervised experience hours.
The Application Process
Nowadays, you can apply for any substance abuse counselor license in Wisconsin through the DSPS’s LisencE portal. You’ll be asked to complete evidence that you’ve completed your education and work experience and passed all required exams.
The DSPS charges a $60 fee for both levels of full certification as well as for counselor-in-training certification. The NAADAC charges a $150 testing fee.
Out-of-State Substance Abuse Counselors
While Wisconsin doesn’t have a rigid path for out-of-state professionals, they’ll generally certify counselors who have unexpired licenses in other states with similar requirements. If that includes you, you’ll only have to fill out an application and pay the certification fee. If not, the DSPS may require you to complete any additional requirements.
Additional information
Your biggest resource for requirements and changes in those requirements is the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. You can find out more about each level of substance use disorder counselor certification by browsing their list of regulated professions.
Another excellent resource is Recovery and Addiction Professionals of Wisconsin (RAP-WI). They’re the state’s local NAADAC affiliate and host conferences, workshops, and all sorts of other events for future and working counselors in Wisconsin.