Section 62. Educational requirements for substance abuse counseling assistants

A. An applicant for certification as a substance abuse counseling assistant shall:

1. Have an official high school diploma or general educational development (GED) certificate; and

2. Have completed 300 clock hours of substance abuse education from one of the following programs:

a. An accredited university or college; or

b. Seminars and workshops that meet the educational requirements specified in subsection B of this section and are offered or approved by one of the following:

(1) The American Association of Marriage and Family Counselors and its state affiliates.

(2) The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and its state affiliates.

(3) The American Association of State Counseling Boards.

(4) The American Counseling Association and its state and local affiliates.

(5) The American Psychological Association and its state affiliates.

(6) The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.

(7) NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals and its state and local affiliates.

(8) National Association of Social Workers.

(9) National Board for Certified Counselors.

(10) A national behavioral health organization or certification body.

(11) Individuals or organizations that have been approved as continuing competency sponsors by the American Association of State Counseling Boards or a counseling board in another state.

B. Substance abuse education.

1. The education will include 120 hours spent in receiving didactic training in substance abuse counseling. Each applicant shall have received a minimum of 10 clock hours in each of the following eight areas:

a. Understanding the dynamics of human behavior;

b. Signs and symptoms of substance abuse;

c. Treatment approaches;

d. Case management skills and continuum of care;

e. Recovery process and relapse prevention methods;

f. Ethics;

g. Professional identity in the provision of substance abuse services; and

h. Crisis intervention.

2. The education shall include 180 hours of experience performing the following tasks with substance abuse clients while under supervision:

a. Screening clients and gathering information used in making the determination for the need for additional professional assistance;

b. Intake of clients by performing the administrative tasks necessary for admission to a program;

c. Orientation of new clients to program's rules, goals, procedures, services, costs and the rights of the client;

d. Assisting the client in identifying and ranking problems to be addressed, establish goals, and agree on treatment processes;

e. Implementation of a substance abuse treatment plan as directed by the supervisor;

f. Implementation of case management activities that bring services, agencies, people and resources together in a planned framework of action to achieve established goals;

g. Assistance in identifying appropriate crisis intervention responses to clients' needs during acute mental, emotional or physical distress;

h. Education of clients by providing information about drug abuse and available services and resources;

i. Facilitating the client's utilization of available support systems and community resources to meet needs identified in clinical valuation or treatment planning;

j. Reporting and charting information about client's treatment, progress, and other client-related data; and

k. Consultation with other professionals to assure comprehensive quality care for the client.

Each of these tasks shall be performed for at least eight hours under supervision and shall be verified as a part of the application by the supervisor.

C. Groups and classes attended as a part of a therapy or treatment program shall not be accepted as any part of the educational experience.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 19, Issue 18, eff. June 18, 2003; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 26, eff. October 15, 2009.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3505 of the Code of Virginia.