Georgia Substance Abuse Counselor Certification

Sober College School of Addiction Studies (SCSAS) offers an Alcohol & Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBG) approved curriculum that meets all the Georgia Alcohol & Drug Counselor Requirements. Our program was designed by working addiction professionals and can help you become a Certified Counselor in as little as 6 months.

Our counselor training curriculum was designed by working addiction professionals and can help you become:

Certified Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADC I & II)
Certified Advance Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC)

SCSAS offers a flexible online options to fit your schedule while still providing you with all the information you need to become a CADC or CAADC in Georgia at your own pace. You can start classes anytime and the consultation with out Admissions team in completely free.

Georgia Requirements To Become A Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC I, CADC II, CAADC)

Below are the Georgia licensed alcohol and drug professional counselor requirements for becoming a CADC I, CADC II and CAADC based on the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia (ADACBG) site. Applicants must live and/or work within the jurisdiction of the ADACBGA. at least 51% of the time, or live in a nearby jurisdiction where IC&RC certification is not available.

Experience

Defined as supervised, paid or voluntary work experience in which the applicant has direct contact and responsibility for the AODA client.

For a CADC II or CAADC a total of 4,000 work experience hours must be documented.
The CADC I (no degree) must document 6,000 work experience hours.

Education:

Defined as formal classroom style education (workshops, seminars, online courses, institutes, in-services, and college/university work).

One clock hour of education is equal to fifty (50) minutes of continuous instruction. For the purpose of certification, clock hours of education must be related to the knowledge and skill base associated with the counselor core functions.
A minimum of six (6) hours of professional ethics education must be documented as a part of the educational hours required.
A total of 270 hours of addiction-specific education must be documented by copies of transcripts, certificates of attendance, in-service reports, etc.
All candidates for CADC II certification must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
Applicants for the CADC I need a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalency.
Applicants for the Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor must have a minimum of a Masters’ Degree in a human service field with a clinical application.

Official transcripts must be sent directly to the board from the college/university.
Such college/university credits must be from a college or university licensed or accredited by the local government in order to be eligible.

Supervised Practical Experience

Defined as a supervised AODA setting which teaches the knowledge and skills of professional AODA counseling. This training may be part of the eligible work experience or may be completed under more than one supervisor or agency.

A recommended minimum ratio is one (l) hour of supervision to ten (10) hours of practical experience. Examples of such training are observation, co-leading a skill area, solo experience, group supervision and supervision of process.
A total of 300 supervised training hours must be documented, with a minimum of 10 hours in each of the twelve counselor core functions.
Applicants must also receive a minimum of a total of 120 hours of face to face supervision during the supervised practical experience. Acceptable credentials for clinical supervisors are CCS, CADCII, CCDP, CCDP-D, CAADC, CACII, MAC or any licensed behavioral health professional such as LPC, LCSW, LMFT, RN, PsyD. or Psychiatrist who have a minimum of 5 hours of Co-Occurring or Addiction specific continuing education hours per year; certification of attendance/ completion may be requested.

For the best examination results, we recommend that some of your supervision experience come from an ADACBGA CCS (Certified Clinical Supervisor).

Evaluations

The applicant must provide three professional evaluations with an acceptable score on each one.

One evaluation must be from the latest work experience supervision
The other two must be from professional colleagues who have had the opportunity to observe the applicant’s skills and competencies.
Evaluations must be returned directly to the board by the raters. Or they may be returned to the applicant only if they have been placed in a sealed envelope with a signature across the back seal.

Code of Ethics

The counselor must sign the code of ethics form provided in their application packet. Once an applicant has been notified that their application is complete, they must schedule their examination within one year, or their application will expire and be closed and all fees paid are forfeited and non-refundable or applicable towards future applications or exam fees. A new application with all required paperwork and fees may have to be submitted in order to become recertified.

Georgia Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Examination

Once you receive notification that your application is complete, you will receive a test registration form.
Complete the test registration form and return to our office along with payment.
You will then be registered for the appropriate examination.
Once you have been registered, the testing company will send final registration instructions via email.
You will then select your testing date, time and location.

You will have one year from date of pre registration to complete your examination. The examination administered by the ADACBGA. are based on the Job Analysis for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, and Advanced Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, conducted by the IC&RC.

The tests have been proved valid, reliable, and legally defensible. In order to sit for the examination, the applicant must meet all application requirements and submit an exam registration form for the CADC I or II or CAADC examination, at which time a letter of instruction on how to register for the computer based examination will be sent to the applicant after all application requirements have been met. The examination fee is $180 each time you sit for the exam.

Applicants must successfully pass the examination within two (2) years, and may only fail twice (2)…If failed examination twice, the application process must begin with new paperwork, supervision with an ADACBGA Certified Clinical Supervisor, education hours, and payment of application and examination fee. All fees paid are forfeited, non-refundable and may not be applied to future applications or examination fee.

Georgia Certified Addiction Counselor Requirements for Recertification

CADC I and II and CAADC certification is for a period of two (2) years. Counselors will be notified of certificate expiration via email approximately six to eight(8) weeks prior to submission deadline, however it is your responsibility to keep your certification in effect.

Candidates for recertification are required to provide documentation to the board that they have completed 40 contact hours of professional education and development during the previous two (2) years, five (5) of these hours must be in professional ethics. The training must relate to Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling and should include training in the development of professional skills described in the 12 core functions.

Once a certification has expired, recertification packets postmarked past that date will be assessed a $35 late fee for reinstatement. Each month past the due date an additional $10 will be assessed for reinstatement. Continuing education requirements of 20 contact hours per year must be documented.

If, after all attempts to contact the certificate have failed, portfolios will be discarded once the certificate has expired for two (2)years. A new application and fees must be submitted and testing taken again.

Georgia Certified Addiction Counselors Code of Professional Ethics

Modeled after the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) Ethical Standards. Click on a principle below to read more.

Principle 1: Non-Discrimination

Principle 2: Responsibility

The substance abuse professional should espouse objectivity and integrity and maintain the highest standards in the services the counselor offers.

a. The substance abuse professional, as teacher, should recognize the counselor’s primary obligation to help others acquire the knowledge and skill in dealing with the disease of chemical dependency.
b. The substance abuse professional, as practitioner, should accept the professional challenge and responsibility deriving from the counselor’s work.

Principle 3: Competence

The substance abuse professional should recognize that the profession is founded on national standards of competency which promote the best interests of society, of the client and of the profession as a whole. The counselor should recognize the need for ongoing education as a component of professional competency.

a. The substance abuse professional should prevent the practice of substance use counseling by unqualified and unauthorized persons.
b. The substance abuse professional who is aware of unethical conduct or of unprofessional modes of practice should report such violations to the appropriate certifying authority.
c. The substance abuse professional should recognize boundaries and limitations of the counselor’s competencies and not offer services or use techniques outside of these professional competencies.
d. The substance abuse professional should recognize the effect of professional impairment on professional performance and should be willing to seek appropriate treatment for oneself or for a colleague. The counselor should support peer assistance programs in this respect.

Principle 4: Legal Standards and Moral Standards

The substance abuse professional should uphold the legal and accepted moral codes which pertain to professional conduct.

a. The substance abuse professional should not claim either directly or by implication, professional qualifications/affiliations that the counselor does not possess.
b. The substance abuse professional should not use the affiliation with the ADACBGA. for purposes that are not consistent with the stated purposes of the board.
c. The substance abuse professional should not associate with or permit the counselor’s name to be used in connection with any services or products in a way that is incorrect or misleading.
d. The substance abuse professional associated with the development or promotion of books or other products offered for commercial sale should be responsible for ensuring that such books or products are presented in a professional and factual way.

Principle 5: Public Statements

The substance abuse professional should respect the limits of present knowledge in public statements concerning alcoholism and other forms of drug addiction.

a. The substance abuse professional who represents the field of alcoholism counseling to clients, other professionals or to the general public should report fairly and accurately the appropriate information.
b. The substance abuse professional should acknowledge and document materials and
techniques used.
c. The substance abuse professional who conducts training in alcoholism or drug abuse counseling skills or techniques should indicate to the audience the requisite training/qualifications required to properly perform these skills and techniques

Principle 6: Publication Credit

The substance abuse professional should assign credit to all who have contributed to the published material and for the work upon which the publication is based.

a. The substance abuse professional should recognize joint authorship, major contributions of a professional character, made by several persons to a common project. The author who has made the principle contribution to a publication should be identified as first listed.
b. The substance abuse professional should acknowledge in footnotes or an introductory statement minor contributions of a professional character, extensive clerical or similar assistance and other minor contributions.
c. The substance abuse professional should acknowledge, through specific citations, unpublished, as well as published material, that has directly influenced the research or writing.
d. The substance abuse professional who compiles and edits for publication the contributions of others should list oneself as editor, along with the names of those others who have contributed.

Principle 7: Client Welfare

The substance abuse professional should respect the integrity and protect the welfare of the person or group with whom the counselor is working.

a. The substance abuse professional should define for self and others the nature and direction of loyalties and responsibilities and keep all parties concerned informed of these commitments.
b. The substance abuse professional, in the presence of professional conflict should be concerned primarily with the welfare of the client.
c. The substance abuse professional should terminate counseling or consulting relationship when it is reasonably clear to the counselor that the client is not benefiting from it.
d. The substance abuse professional, in referral cases, should assume the responsibility for the client’s welfare either by termination by mutual agreement and/or by the client becoming engaged with another professional.

In situations when a client refuses treatment, referral or recommendations, the substance abuse professional should carefully consider the welfare of the client by weighing the benefits of continued treatment or termination and should act in the best interests of the client.

e. The substance abuse professional who asks a client to reveal personal information from other professionals or allows information to be divulged should inform the client of the nature of such transactions. The information released or obtained with informed consent should be used for express purposes only.
f. The substance abuse professional should not use a client in a demonstration role in a workshop setting where such participation would potentially harm the client.
g. The substance abuse professional should ensure the presence of an appropriate setting for clinical work to protect the client from harm and the counselor and the profession from censure.
h. The substance abuse professional should collaborate with other health care professionals in providing a supportive environment for the client who is receiving prescribed medications.

Principle 8: Confidentiality

The substance abuse professional should embrace, as a primary obligation, the duty of protecting the privacy of clients and should not disclose confidential information acquired, in teaching, practice or investigation.

a. The substance abuse professional should inform the client and obtain agreement in areas likely to affect the client’s participation including the recording of an interview, the use of interview material for training purposes and observation of an interview by another person.
b. The substance abuse professional should make provisions for the maintenance of confidentiality and the ultimate disposition of confidential records.
c. The substance abuse professional should reveal information received in confidence only when there is clear and imminent danger to the client or to other persons and then only to appropriate professional workers or public authorities.
d. The substance abuse professional should discuss the information obtained in clinical or consulting relationships only in appropriate settings and only for professional purposes clearly concerned with the case. Written and oral reports should present only data germane to the purpose of the evaluation and every effort should be made to avoid undue invasion of privacy.
e. The substance abuse professional should use clinical and other material in classroom teaching and writing only when the identity of the persons involved is adequately disguised.

Principle 9: Client Relationships

The substance abuse professional should inform the prospective client of the important aspects of the potential relationship.

a. The substance abuse professional should inform the client and obtain the client’s agreement in areas likely to affect the client’s participation including the recording of an interview, the use of interview material for training purposes and/or observation of an interview by another person.
b. The substance abuse professional should inform the designated guardian or responsible person of the circumstances which may influence the relationship, when the client is a minor or incompetent.
c. The substance abuse professional should not enter into a professional relationship with members of one’s own family, intimate friends or close associates or others whose welfare might be jeopardized by such a dual relationship.
d. The substance abuse professional should not engage in any type of sexual activity with a client.

Principle 10: Inter-professional Relationships

The substance abuse professional should treat colleagues with respect, courtesy and fairness and should afford the same professional courtesy to other professionals.

a. The substance abuse professional should not offer professional services to a client in counseling with another professional except with the knowledge of the other professional or after the termination of the client’s relationship with the other professional.
b. The substance abuse professional should cooperate with duly constituted professional ethics committees and promptly supply necessary information unless constrained by the demands of confidentiality.

Principle 11: Remuneration

The substance abuse professional should establish financial arrangements in professional practice and in accord with the professional standards that safeguard the best interests of the client, of the counselor and of the profession.

a. The substance abuse professional should consider carefully the ability of the client to meet the financial cost in establishing rates for professional services.
b. The substance abuse professional should not send or receive any commission or rebate or any other form of remuneration for referral of clients for professional services.The counselor should not engage in fee splitting.
c. The substance abuse professional in clinical or counseling practice should not use one’s relationship with clients to promote personal gain or the profit of an agency or commercial enterprise of any kind.
d. The substance abuse professional should not accept a private fee or any other gift or gratuity for professional work with a person who is entitled to such services through an institution or agency. The policy of a particular agency may make explicit provisions for private work with its clients by members of its staff and in such instances the client must be fully apprised of all policies affecting the client.

Principle 12: Societal Obligations

The substance abuse professional should advocate changes in public policy and legislation to afford opportunity and choice for all persons whose lives are impaired by the disease of alcoholism or other forms of drug addiction. The counselor should inform the public through active civic and professional participation in community affairs of the effects of alcoholism and drug addiction and should act to guarantee that all persons, especially the needy and disadvantaged, have access to the necessary resources and services. The substance abuse professional should adopt a personal and professional stance which promotes the well-being of all human beings.

Have questions regarding becoming a Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor in Georgia?

Call 424.229.4179 to speak with an Admissions Counselor.

Requirements to Become a Substance Use Counselor in Georgia