General Assembly Passes Clinical Addictions Specialists Bill

Advanced Substance Abuse Credential Bill Becomes Law on Last Day of Session

by Karen Blicher

At 12:05 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 1997, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 712, the Certified Clinical Addictions Specialist bill. This legislation adds to the statute passed in 1994 that established the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board as the credentialing body in the state for substance abuse professionals.

The Certified Clinical Addictions Specialist (CCAS) doesn't replace any credential already offered by the Board. It is a brand new credential that is still experienced-base in its approach to substance abuse certification but which also recognizes academic achievement as part of that process. After the grandparenting period, which is explained below, all persons will be required to hold a master's degree in a human services field in order to apply for and hold this credential.

The process of developing this legislation took approximately three years to complete. Many people involved in substance abuse services across the state were active participants in the process and the Board wishes to thank everyone who helped make this possible.

In particular, however, the Board is deeply indebted to the late Dr. Julian F. Keith, Jr. who had this vision and challenged the Board to move forward with this historic legislation. To our knowledge, no other substance abuse credentialing board in the country has legislation quite like this bill, as you will see in the description listed below. In addition to the advanced level credential for substance abuse professionals, there is now in North Carolina a process whereby persons from other professional disciplines may be credentialed as substance abuse professionals without going through the three-year process that has existed up until this time. This vision was Julian Keith's and we regret that he could not be wit us to share in the joy over the passage of this bill. Yet we know that his spirit lives on through this bill.

The Board would also like to thank Senator Eric Reeves ( ake) for sponsoring and shepherding this bill through the legislative process. Senator Reeves, a first-term legislator and former city councilor from Raleigh, is an attorney in the law firm of Morgan and Reeves. Our thanks to him and to Representative Martha Alexander (D- Charlotte), who managed the bill on the House floor.

Most notably, however, the Board wishes to thank all those persons who were involved in this process over the past three years; for the meetings you attended, the telephone calls, letters, e-mails and other communications with members of the North Carolina General Assembly that each of you made. Your input made the difference and the Board is most appreciative of those efforts.

The Application Process

There are several different ways persons may apply to be certified as a clinical addictions specialist in addition to the grandparenting that will last for twelve months. Listed below are the criteria for applying to become a certified clinical addictions specialist. Following that will be information on grandparenting, which began October 1, 1997 and will end on October 1, 1998. In order to be certified with this credential, the applicant must meet one of the following four criteria.

Criteria A:

• a minimum of a master's degree with a clinical application in a human services field
• two years post-graduate supervised substance abuse counseling experience
• three letters of reference from certified clinical addictions specialists or certified substance abuse professionals
• achieves a combined score set by the Board on master's level written and oral examinations administered by the Board
• 180 hours of substance abuse specific training as defined in the statute and in policy statement of the Board
• signed verification statements attesting to the intention to adhere fully to the ethical standards of the Board
• the applicant is not and has not engaged in any practice or conduct that would be grounds for disciplinary action under this statute
• Payment of fees

Criteria B:

• a minimum of a master's degree with a clinical application in a human services field
• current certification as a substance abuse, alcoholism or drug abuse counselor
• one year of post-graduate supervised substance abuse counseling experience
• achieves a passing score on a master's level written examination administered by the Board
• three letters of reference from certified clinical addic-tions specialists or certified substance abuse professionals
• signed verification statements attesting to the intention to adhere fully to the ethical standards of the Board
• the applicant is not and has not engaged in any practice or conduct that would be grounds for disciplinary action under this statute
• Payment of fees

Criteria C:

• a minimum of a master's degree in a human services field with a substance abuse specialty that includes 180 hours of substance abuse specific training/education
• one year of post-graduate supervised substance abuse counseling experience
• achieves a passing score on an oral examination administered by the Board
• three letters of reference from certified clinical addic-tions specialists or certified substance abuse professionals
• signed verification statements attesting to the intention to adhere fully to the ethical standards of the Board
• the applicant is not and has not engaged in any practice or conduct that would be grounds for disciplinary action under this statute
• Payment of fees

Criteria D:

• The applicant must be a member of a professional discipline granted deemed status by the Board. The applicant must be licensed, certified or otherwise recognized by that discipline as having met the standards of a substance abuse specialist and must hold a substance abuse certification from that professional discipline which has been granted deemed status by the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board. This certification may be obtained through this process and by the payment of the certification fees.

Grandparenting Provisions

The North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board may certify a person as a clinical addiction specialist for a period of one year following the effective date of the statute (October 1, 1997) upon submission of proof to the Board of one of the following sets of criteria.

• Current CSAC with a Master's Degree in a human services field
• Equivalent of two years of post graduate supervised substance abuse experience
• Three letters of reference from certified substance abuse professionals who have master's degrees
• Payment of fees

• Current CSAC with a Bachelors's Degree in a human services field
• Equivalent of five years full time, post graduate supervised substance abuse experience
• Passing score on a master's level written examination Three letters of reference from certified substance abuse professionals who have master's degrees
• Payment of fees

• Current CCS with a Master's Degree with a clinical application in a human services field
• Three letters of reference from certified substance abuse professionals who have master's degrees
• Payment of fees

• Current CSAC with a Master's Degree with a clinical application in a human services field with a substance abuse specialty
• Three letters of reference from certified substance abuse professionals who have master's degrees
• Payment of fees

• Certification before July 1, 1994 as a CSAC, CAC or CDAC
• Equivalent of ten years of documented full-time substance abuse work experience
• Three letters of reference from certified substance abuse professionals who have master's degrees
• Payment of fees

The North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board may also certify an applicant as a clinical addictions specialist for a limited period of three years beginning October 1, 1998 and ending on October 1, 2001, if the applicant completes and submits proof of the following items.

• Current CSAC Documentation of the equivalent of ten-years of supervised, full time substance abuse counseling experience
• Passing scores on a master's level written and oral examination
• Three letters of reference from certified substance abuse professionals who hold master's degrees
• Payment of fees

In order to make application to the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification board for the certified clinical addictions specialist credential, mail $25.00 for an application packet along with a letter of request and intent to apply according to one of the sets of criteria listed above to:

Jim Scarborough, M.Div., Administrator North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board Post Office Box 10126 Raleigh, NC 2760S

If you have additional questions, please contact the Board administrator at 919-832-0975.

Karen Blicher, who just began her second term on the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board, is director of mental health education at the Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville.

Revised October 14, 1997

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