TPC-Journal-V2-Issue1

62 The Professional Counselor \Volume 2, Issue 1 flexibility is the result of minimum requirement variation in the areas of education , training , experience , and supervision (Criteria A, B, & C), as well as professional discipline (e.g., psychology, social work, counseling—Criteria D). For specific guidelines and clarification of this summary, the reader is referred to: http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/ Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_90/Article_5C.html. In terms of similarities for the individual applying for licensure, there are two aspects that remain the same under Criteria A, B, and C : the submission of three letters of reference (there is some variation allowed for the individuals who can write these letters) and a passing score on a master’s level written examination administered by the Board. The variations under these criteria are as follows. In the area of education, Criteria A and B require a minimum of a master’s degree with a clinical application in a human services field from a regionally accredited college or university. In addition, in terms of training , Criteria A requires 180 hours of substance abuse specific training from either a regionally accredited college or university, which may include unlimited independent study or from training events of which no more than fifty percent (50%) shall be in independent study. Criteria C combines the education and training requirement in the minimum requirement of a master’s degree in a human services field with both a clinical application and a substance abuse specialty from a regionally accredited college or university that includes 180 hours of substance abuse specific education and training. In the area of experience , Criteria A requires two years postgraduate supervised substance abuse counseling experience, while Criteria B requires the applicant to be certified as a substance abuse counselor. Finally, regarding supervision , Criteria A requires documentation of a minimum of 300 hours of supervised practical training and provision of a board-approved supervision contract between the applicant and an applicant supervisor, while Criteria C requires one year of postgraduate supervised substance abuse counseling experience. Criteria D simply requires that the applicant has a substance abuse certification from a professional discipline that has been granted deemed status by the Board (i.e., possession of a certification to practice addictions work under another discipline, such as social work, and that certification is recognized by the counseling board). Note that the Board also offers numerous credentials through certification for non-master’s-level professionals. These include the Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC), Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Consultant (CSAPC), Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP) and the Substance Abuse Residential Facility Director (CSARFD) credentials. In terms of the CSAC and the CSAPC, the applicant needs to be of good moral character, not be (or have been) engaged in any practice or conduct that would be grounds for disciplinary action, have a minimum of a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate, sign a form attesting to the intention to adhere fully to the Board’s ethical standards, and submit a complete criminal history record check. Additionally, a CSAC who completes a clinical master’s degree program in a human services field can seek the LCAS via Criteria B as outlined above. This criterion recognizes the fact that the CSAC has already completed a 300-hour supervised clinical practicum and has substance abuse specific work experience. In addition to submitting proof of one’s master’s degree, all one has to do to obtain the LCAS via this criteria is to submit three letters of reference from LCAS’s and/or master’s level CSAC’s and pass the LCAS examination. This tiered system allows the counselor to enter the field with or without a masters’ degree and allows the master’s=level counselor to have an accelerated process if they acquire clinical application experience enhancing the possibility they are both technically and philosophically prepared to work in the addiction counseling field. The requirement of the clinical application experience may be a barrier for some counselors, but the intent is to serve the best interests of the public. Finally, there is collaboration between the Board and specific university degree programs regarding the type and quality of the courses, thus increasing the chance that counselors are effectively trained to work in the addiction counseling field. While there is not “board approval” on the content areas, programs are approved for addiction counseling. Students who graduate from these master’s degree programs may seek the LCAS license via Criteria C (outlined above). The Board maintains a current list of school programs approved for application under Criteria C on its website: http://www.ncsappb . org/certificationssteve/criteriaschools2.htm. While North Carolina’s tiered system of licensure and credentialing allows for greater flexibility for the individual applying to work in the addiction counseling field, the system can be overwhelming and does contribute to the perception