Missouri Substance Use Counselor Requirements

Prevention Specialists work to prevent the challenges that communities face, including violence, drug abuse, crime, illness and more. Through education and intervention, Prevention Specialists help prevent drug abuse and other damaging problems in schools, government institutions and more.

• Completion of Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training (SAPST) – Contact ACT Missouri at 573-635-6669 for information about attending this training.
• HS Diploma/GED & 4000 hours prevention work experience within last 10 years or
• Bachelor Degree (Higher) & 2000 hours prevention work experience within last 10 years
• Degree must be from a college or university found in the US Dept. of Education’s database of accredited schools.
• 120 Performing Hours of Supervised Practicum in the 6 IC&RC prevention domains with a minimum of 10 performing hours in each domain
• 120 Total Contact Hours of Education relating to the 6 IC&RC prevention domains. Within the 120 hours, there are some specific requirements including:

• 6 contact hours of live prevention ethics (not online or home study)
• 24 contact hours of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug prevention training
• 20 hours of the 120 hours must have been obtained in the 12 months prior to applying

• Pass the IC&RC International Prevention Specialist Examination

Advanced Certified Prevention Specialists are a higher level than the Reciprocal Prevention Specialists and are responsible for intervention and prevention in communities, schools, and government institutions to help individuals prevent drug abuse and other damaging behaviors before they spread or become worse. Through education and community involvement, prevention specialists help communities thrive.

I. Criteria for those with an applicable Associate Degree or an applicable 1 year Addiction Certificate program

• An applicable Associate Degree or applicable 1 year Addiction Certificate program
• 3 contact hours of live ethics training (not online or home study)
• Signed Mentoring & Clinical Supervision Agreement by a MCB qualified supervisor
• Signed Professional Development Contract by a MCB qualified supervisor

II. Criteria for those with a HS Diploma/GED

• HS Diploma/GED
• 160 – 300 hours of applicable work experience within the last 10 years
• 3 contact hours of live ethics training (not online or home study)
• Signed Mentoring and Clinical Supervision Agreement by a MCB qualified supervisor
• Signed Professional Development Contract by a MCB qualified supervisor

Applicable Associate Degrees

(A degree must be from a college or university found in the US Dept. of Education’s database of accredited schools. The database can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.)

*If your Behavioral Science Degree (Major) is in one of the above areas but has a different transcript title, please contact the MCB office at 573-616-2300 to verify it will be accepted as an applicable degree.

Applicable Work Experience

Work experience is defined as supervised work experience in a position with job duties that assist clients in the recovery process by performing the 4 substance use disorder counselor performance domains. Experience as a volunteer, intern and/or payment of a stipend qualifies as work experience if the same work is performed that a paid employee would perform.

All qualifying work experience must have been accrued during the ten (10) years immediately prior to application being made.

Work experience must be verified by an employment verification form from the agency(s) in which the applicant has been employed.

Applicable Degrees

(A degree must be from a college or university found in the US Dept. of Education’s database of accredited schools. The database can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.)

*If your Behavioral Science Degree (Major) is in one of the above areas but has a different transcript title, please contact the MCB office at 573-616-2300 to verify it will be accepted as an applicable degree.

Applicable Degrees

(A degree must be from a college or university found in the US Dept. of Education’s database of accredited schools. The database can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/).

*If your Behavioral Science Degree (Major) is in one of the above areas but has a different transcript title, please contact the MCB office at 573-616-2300 to verify it will be accepted as an applicable degree.

Criteria for those with an applicable Masters Degree

• Applicable Masters Degree with Clinical Application (i.e. practicum/internship)
• 2,000 hours of applicable work experience within the last 10 years
• 300 hours of a Supervised Practicum in the 4 Performance Domains
• Signed Competency Rating Form from MCB qualified supervisor
• 180 Contact Hours of Education to include the following:

• 6 live ethics hours (not from online or home study)
• 20 of the 180 hours obtained within the prior 12 months of applying

• Pass IC&RC International AADC Examination