TPC-Journal-V2-Issue1

The Professional Counselor \Volume 2, Issue 1 59 content falls outside the professional counseling scope of practice. For instance, if the graduate counseling program does not possess an addiction track, a cursory review of curriculum at CACREP and non-CACREP programs found the typical option of one addiction course as an elective. However, curricular reviews of numerous programs find few to no electives on other DSM-IV-TR disorders (e.g., mood, anxiety). Thus, the authors argue this produces a confusing mixed message in that licensure as a professional counselor covers practice areas that typically receive minimal exclusive attention (e.g., one-week discussion on anxiety disorders in a maladaptive behavior course), yet an area where one (or more) electives are typically offered for in-depth study of a disorder (such as addiction) comes with an entirely unique and separate licensure process. The presence of a separate licensure/credentialing process for addiction counseling seems antiquated considering the extensive training required for a graduate counseling degree. Furthermore, most states consider addiction work within the professional counselor scope of practice (Tabor et al., 2011). Thus, the pioneering issue this paper addresses is whether it is time to thoughtfully reconsider how addiction is conceptualized in professional counseling (beyond the inclusion in the most recent CACREP standards) and recalibrate the education and licensure processes accordingly. In order to begin this dialogue a brief review of the history of the licensure/credentialing process of addiction counselors needs to be provided. Historical Origins of the Issue Historically across most states, the advent of addiction counseling licensure/credentialing standards occurred parallel with the professionalization of the counseling field (i.e., the master’s-level state licensure laws). States mandated that graduate school-level professionals conduct counseling, leaving many long-time and effective addiction counselors (many of whom possessed only a high school diploma or GED) out of the counseling mainstream. Consequently, addiction licensure/credentialing boards were established to achieve two goals. The first goal was to professionalize the addiction counseling field in a manner similar to professional counseling via mandated supervised practice hours and education across a subscribed addiction curriculum. The second goal was to provide a mechanism to grandfather into the profession those addiction counselors who had long worked in the field and provided outstanding services. Without the grandfather clause, many of these addiction counselors would have lost their profession or would have needed to put their career on pause as they obtained the required education and/or training. The professionalization of addiction counseling, including licensure and credentialing, strengthened the field and provided a higher quality of care to those struggling with addiction. Unfortunately, a system also was established that over 30 years reinforced the notion that addiction falls outside the scope of practice for professional counseling (i.e., the presence of a separate licensure and certification processes focused on addiction counseling). While the addiction counseling field did need professionalization, perhaps the original high standards (e.g. upwards of 3,000 hours of clinical practice with supervision) now require recalibration that takes into account a new era where counselor training for those engaged in addiction work extends far beyond a high school diploma or GED. Professionalization or Deterrent? The authors’ perspective in this paper is that imbedded in the current licensure and credentialing process for addiction counseling is the message that LPCs cannot or should not do addiction work. The message comes from a confusing mixed array of information. Using the graduate trainee (the next generation of counseling professional) as an example, it becomes clear as to how future LPCs may shy away from addiction work. For instance, in the classroom graduate students read about how counseling includes working in the addiction area (as per the latest CACREP standards). Graduate students are trained in a graduate counseling curriculum that offers advanced addiction course electives and the possibility of doing practicums or internships at an addiction facility. Many of these graduate students may even attend school in a state where addiction work is covered in the professional counseling scope of practice. But, these students also see professional counselors with separate addiction licenses (e.g., LPC and LCADC) and employment announcements requesting/requiring an addiction license. Even the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Master Addiction Counselor Credential (MAC) focused on this one DSM-IV-TR disorder class (with no other NBCC credential so narrowly focused on one DSM-IV-TR disorder). Because the student does not see an NBCC credential for mood disorders or sees a licensure for anxiety disorders, the imbedded message is strengthened.