Credentialing: pathways for professional success

Addiction professionals in the U.S. have the ability to choose a number of career directions, but success relies on a solid foundation of education and training. Both of our organizations-the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (ICandRC) and the National Certification Commission (NCC)-have for decades championed the necessity of credentialing to our profession. Recently, we have begun to discuss how we can collaborate to benefit both of our constituencies.

With the implementation of healthcare reform and the National Drug Control Strategy on the horizon, the addiction profession is anticipating a great deal of change, and we believe that we have more to gain from advocating together than separately. In that spirit, we have been seeking shared values and common goals, on which we can base a fruitful partnership.

A history of two organizations

While the NCC and ICandRC both grew out of similar impulses-the desire to recognize and improve quality in the addiction profession-we have taken differing paths.
Incorporated in 1981, ICandRC is the international organization that protects the public by establishing standards and facilitating reciprocity for the credentialing of addiction-related professionals. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., ICandRC is a not-for-profit voluntary membership organization made up of certifying agencies involved in credentialing or licensing alcohol and drug counselors, clinical supervisors, prevention specialists, co-occurring disorders professionals, and criminal justice professionals. It represents 72 member boards, including those in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, two U.S. territories and 12 countries, as well as affiliations with the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines.

In January 2010, ICandRC announced that the number of professionals who hold its credentials had crossed the 40,000 mark. Up to half of all substance abuse professionals in the U.S. hold ICandRC certificates. Substance abuse counseling is one of the fastest-growing professions, projected to grow 20 percent by 2016. In this era of rapid change, ICandRC will continue to be the global resource for the highest standards in addiction-related healthcare credentialing.

In 1990, the National Certification Commission came into existence as NAADAC addiction counselors pressed for recognition as professionals at the national level. The founders envisioned a nationally recognized credential that would afford professionals easy movement from state to state. The National Certification Commission comprises NAADAC members who define the standards for addiction treatment counselors. The NCC continues to accomplish this by creating certifications and endorsements outlining the highest standards of clinical practice.

The commission develops and maintains national standards of requisite knowledge in alcoholism and drug abuse counseling and provides evaluation mechanisms for measuring and monitoring the level of knowledge required for national credentialing. The NCC also establishes appropriate policies for acquiring and maintaining national credentials and provides formal recognition to those individuals who meet the national standards.

The shared value of credentialing

The NCC and ICandRC find common ground in our belief that credentialing advances our profession. Credentialing facilitates standardized practice across a wide variety of treatment settings and regulatory environments. Most importantly, it ensures that trained, ethical counselors are available to clients and families across the U.S.

For employers of addiction professionals, and people who use their services, credentialing offers the security of knowing that counselors are competent, knowledgeable of evidence-based practices and committed to ongoing enhancement of their skills.

Not to be overlooked are the benefits to certificants themselves. A credential offers a third-party, objective endorsement that enhances their professional reputation and increases opportunities for career advancement. Demonstrating the high level of commitment, knowledge and skill that is required to qualify for a credential is a personal accomplishment to be proud of.

Pathways to the profession

With these values in common, both the NCC and ICandRC offer specialized credentials that are the pathway to a multitude of career designations. They enable us to provide specific services ethically and professionally within the addiction profession.

NCC offers the following credentials and endorsement:

• National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level I (NCAC I) is a national certification intended for professionals working within addiction-related disciplines who wish to demonstrate their skills gained through years of supervised work experience.

• National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level II (NCAC II) is a national certification intended for professionals working within addiction-related disciplines who wish to demonstrate their specialized addiction treatment skills gained through years of supervised work experience and specific undergraduate coursework.

• Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) is a national certification intended for professionals working within addiction-related disciplines who wish to demonstrate their specialized addiction treatment skills gained through years of supervised work experience and specific graduate coursework.

• Nicotine Dependent Specialist Credential (NDS) provides a foundational knowledge of tobacco addiction, develops skills and strategies for tobacco addiction counseling, and examines related recovery and wellness issues.

• Adolescent Specialist Endorsement (ASE) is intended to standardize competencies and to recognize nationally a high level of effective clinical practice in treating adolescent substance use disorders.

All candidates applying for any level of credentialing through the NCC must agree to abide by NAADAC's national Code of Ethics. Full requirements for the NCC credentials and the Code of Ethics are available for review at the NAADAC Web site (https://www.naadac.org).

ICandRC has developed seven credentials:

• Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICADC) requires 6,000 hours of supervised work experience, 270 hours of education, 300 hours of supervision, successful completion of a written examination, and a signed code of ethics statement or affirmation statement.

• Internationally Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICAADC) requires 2,000 hours of supervised work experience, a master's degree in behavioral science, 300 performance hours of supervised practicum, successful completion of a written examination, and a signed code of ethics statement or affirmation statement.

• Internationally Certified Clinical Supervisor (ICCS) requires a current ICandRC credential or other master's-level credential, 10,000 hours of ADC counseling-specific work experience, 30 hours of education, successful completion of a written examination, and a signed code of ethics statement or affirmation statement.

• Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist (ICPS) requires 2,000 hours of alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention work experience, 100 hours of prevention-specific education, 120 hours of supervision, successful completion of a written examination, and a signed code of ethics statement or affirmation statement.

• Internationally Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (ICCJP) requires 6,000 hours of supervised work experience, 270 hours of education, 200 hours of supervised practical training, successful completion of a written examination, and a signed code of ethics statement or affirmation statement.

• Internationally Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Professional (ICCDP) requires 4,000 hours of co-occurring specific work experience and 2,000 hours of documented work experience in counseling in the last 10 years, a minimum of a bachelor's degree in co-occurring disorder or behavioral science, 200 hours of supervision, successful completion of a written examination, and a signed code of ethics statement or affirmation statement.

• Internationally Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Professional Diplomate (ICCDPD) requires 2,000 hours of co-occurring specific work, a master's degree or higher in co-occurring disorder or behavioral science, 100 hours of supervision, successful completion of a written examination, and a signed code of ethics statement or affirmation statement.

Additional information about ICandRC credentials, such as which jurisdictions offer each credential and the latest on testing schedules, can be found at the ICandRC Web site (www.icrcaoda.org).

While the specific requirements of our credentials differ, we believe that our common focus on ethical, competent professionals demands that we work together in upcoming national policy discussions.

The work ahead

ICandRC and NCC recently have begun to collaborate, because we believe that it is a critical time for our profession. Both healthcare reform and the president's National Drug Control Strategy have the potential to transform our profession completely. The implementation of these important policies is being worked out at the highest levels of the federal government.

Our organizations are optimistic about the effects of healthcare reform, even as we recognize the sea of change that it can bring about in how we do our work. Fundamentally, the fact that substance use disorder and mental health services will be required benefits-and that all insurance plans will be required to comply with the Wellstone/Domenici parity act-is a major step forward. We are also heartened that the legislation included the behavioral health workforce as a high-priority topic in its National Workforce Strategy section. However, we know that we must advocate strongly for certified professionals to be recognized in regulations.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has announced the goals and objectives of the Obama administration, but the process of implementing the National Drug Control Strategy continues. With an overarching message that substance abuse treatment and prevention need to be absorbed into “mainstream” healthcare, it appears that ONDCP seeks for substance abuse to be elevated to the status of other chronic diseases in the eyes of the healthcare system and the public. While public recognition is valuable, it is vital to our constituents that the specialized skills of addiction professionals not be undervalued in a healthcare marketplace.

Our best strategy for advocacy is to stand united on behalf of all of our constituents. We are committed to working together to ensure that certified addiction professionals are represented in the current healthcare reform discussions and the subsequent regulatory efforts.

Both ICandRC and NCC recognize the need to speak with one voice for our profession if we hope to address effectively the needs of our respective constituencies in the current political climate and as U.S. healthcare reform moves forward. The time is now!

Shirley Beckett Mikell is the Director of Certification and Education for NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and provides staff support for the National Certification Commission (NCC). Her e-mail address is sbeckett@naadac.org.
Mary Jo Mather is the Executive Director of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (ICandRC), the international organization that establishes standards and facilitates reciprocity for the credentialing of addiction-related professionals. Her e-mail address is maryjo@icrcaoda.org. Addiction Professional 2010 September-October;8(5):26-29