COUC 691 WK 2 Certification Process for Substance Abuse Counselors Discussion

Description Please respond to the following to discussion posts  1. KK Posted: In my state of Washington, those wanting to work as a substance abuse counselor must obtain certification as a Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP; Washington State Department of Health, n.d.). One may start as a Substance Use Disorder Professional Trainee (SUDP-T) to earn hours toward certification. The SUDP-T certification is for those currently enrolled in an approved school who are gaining experience toward their SUDP certification. SUDP applicants must hold at least an associates degree in a human services or related field, or 60 semester college credits, 30 of which must be related to the substance use disorder profession. Alternatively, applicants may use another related license (psychologist, MFT, LMHC, social worker, etc.) to meet the educational requirements. In addition to the educational requirements, applicants must report a number of substance use disorder (SUD) counseling hours, depending on the applicant’s degree (2,500 for associates, 2,000 for baccalaureate, 1,500 for master’s or doctoral, and 1,000 for those with a related license). Of these hours, 200 must be clinical evaluation hours, 100 must be face-to-face patient contact hours, and 600 must be face-to-face counseling hours (individual, group, etc.). “The first 50 hours of any face-to-face patient contact must be under direct observation of an approved supervisor or a substance use disorder professional” (Washington State Department of Health, n.d.). Required exams include any of the following: The National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) level one or higher, the Intentional Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (ICRC), the Alcohol Drug Counselor (ADC), or the Advanced Alcohol Drug Counselor (AADC) exam. SUDP’s must renew their certification annually and must complete 40 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years (Washington State Department of Health, n.d.). Upon graduating from Liberty with my MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, I will meet the educational requirements for the SUDP certification (enough of my course work is applicable), but I will still need to earn 1,500 SUD counseling hours under the supervision of an approved supervisor. My supervisor would need to have a SUDP certification with 3,000 hours of experience (Washington State Department of Health, n.d.). I would also need to pass one of the required exams. Those suffering from a SUD often describe their condition as one of slavery; they feel trapped or enslaved by alcohol, drugs, etc. This relationship seems to reflect how Paul describes the human condition of being enslaved to sin (New International Bible, 1978/2011, Romans 6:15-23). Therefore, the work of an addiction counselor in providing clients with tools to free themselves from slavery seems perfectly in line with Christian mission. References New International Bible. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978) Washington State Department of Health. (n.d.). Chemical Dependency License Requirements. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertifica…                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2.  R.M Posted:                                                                                                                                                                                   State Name/Title of Licensure: Virginia/ Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) Courses and number of credits required for certification: A minimum of 16 clock hours in each of the thirteen following areas: Dynamics of human behavior. Signs and symptoms of substance abuse. Counseling theories and techniques. Continuum of care and case management skills. Recovery process and relapse prevention models. Professional orientation and ethics. Pharmacology of abused substances. Trauma and crisis intervention. Co-occurring disorders. Cultural competency. Substance abuse counseling approaches and treatment planning. Group counseling. Prevention, screening, and assessment of substance use and abuse (Virginia Department of Health Professions, 2022). Total hours required during training/internship/practicum/supervision: To achieve the credential of a CSAC, you must have: A Bachelor’s degree Two hundred and forty clock hours of didactic training in substance abuse education from one of the following programs: A regionally accredited college or university. Seminars or workshops from one of the approved providers and the core content areas listed in 18VAC115-30-50. One hundred twenty of the required two hundred and forty hours must be completed before supervision registration. One hundred sixty hours of experience (required) must include a minimum of eight clock hours of experience under supervision with a qualified supervisor performing the following tasks with substance abuse clients (Virginia Department of Health Professions, 2022). Residency Requirements: After corroborating the educational requirements and obtaining approval for residency, the applicant must complete: Two thousand hours of supervised experience in the practice of clinical substance abuse counseling. One to four hours per forty hours of work experience under supervision between the supervisor and the supervisee for a total of one hundred hours. Group supervision hours are equivalent to individual supervision hours but are limited to fifty of the required one hundred hours. The supervised experience must be completed in no less than twelve months and no more than sixty months. One hundred sixty hours of experience performing the following tasks with substance abuse clients. The following functions must be completed for a least eight hours under supervision, as verified by the supervisor (Virginia Department of Health Professions, 2022). Requirements for professionals permitted to provide supervision: Be a licensed substance abuse treatment practitioner (LSATP); or Be a licensed professional counselor (LPC), licensed clinical psychologist (LCP), licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed marriage & family therapist (LMFT), medical doctor, (MD), or registered nurse (RN) with either: A Board recognized national certification in substance abuse counseling, such as the MAC, AADC, or NCA CII; or, A Virginia CSAC; or, A minimum of one year of experience in substance abuse counseling and at least one hundred hours of didactic training covering: Dynamics of human behavior; Signs and symptoms of substance abuse; Counseling theories and techniques; Continuum of care and case management skills; Recovery process and relapse prevention methods; Professional orientation and ethics; Pharmacology of abused substances; Trauma and crisis intervention; Co-occurring disorders; Cultural competency; Substance abuse counseling approaches and treatment planning; Group counseling; and Prevention, screening and assessment of substance use and abuse (Virginia Department of Health Professions, 2022). Be a Virginia CSAC who has: Two years of experience as a Virginia CSAC. Name of the exam needed for certification: Once supervised experience, residency requirements, and the supervisee met the remaining 240 clock hours of didactic substance abuse education, an application for examination could be submitted. The name of the exam is CACTI, and the National Certification Commission administers this exam for Addiction Professionals. The cost for the analysis is $115.00 per test (Virginia Department of Health Professions, 2022). Biblical worldview as it relates to being an addiction counselor Scripture considers temptation in detail. It is described as situations where we experience a challenge to choose between fidelity and infidelity to our obligations toward God. However, temptation does not come from God. In John 2:16, the Bible states: “For everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, comes not from the Father, but the world” (New Living Translation, 2011). As Christian counselors, our role is to provide an entryway towards finding meaning, purpose, and strength to battle the pervasive, destructive, vicious, and brutal consequences of substance addiction and abuse. This is found in the transforming and omnipotent power of God’s word, His Holy Spirit, and the eternal salvation given by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. In John 16:33, Jesus stated: “I have told you these things, so that in me, you may find peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (New Living Translation, 2011). References New International Version Bible (2011). Zondervan: The New International Version Bible. https://.thenivbible/(Original work published 1978) Virginia Department of Health Professions (2022). CSAC and CSAC-A Certification Process Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/counseling/counseling_forms.htm#QMHP on January 17, 2022.