Temporary Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (tCADC)
1 through 2 required
- Satisfy the EDUCATION requirements under the Education Track or Experience Track for CADC
(see below). - Receive a passing score on the IC&RC ADC exam.
This credential is for students or those new to the field who have met all education requirements for CADC or IADC but have little to no formal experience or supervision in the field as a substance use counselor.
The applicant will complete the tCADC application (available on the IBC website) and submit it to the IBC office with certificates of completion for trainings completed, and will request transcripts be sent directly to IBC via U.S. Mail from any college/university attended, along with the applicable fees. When the IBC office determines that the education requirement has been fully met, the applicant will be pre-registered for the exam. Upon notification of a passing score on the exam by
the applicant, the IBC office will issue a 2-year temporary certification to the applicant.
Once certified, the tCADC will have two (2) years to meet the experience and supervision
requirement for CADC or IADC, and will need to upgrade to the CADC or IADC credential. There is no recertification for a tCADC.
**Only 50% of initial counselor education can come from online; and only 20 hours of online education can count toward recertification in the state.
When an individual applies for their credential/license with the Iowa Board of Certification, they must also apply for CEU Approval.
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
1 through 3 required
- Satisfy the requirements under the Education Track or the Experience Track (see below).
- Receive a passing score on the Supervisor’s Counselor Evaluation (Form 09).
- Receive a passing score on the IC&RC ADC exam.
Education Track
High school diploma or general education diploma. 24 semester hours (or 33 quarter hours) of college level credit in substance abuse or its related fields (related fields are Counseling, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Human Services, and Criminal Justice). A minimum grade of “C” must be earned or the course will be ineligible. Documentation of the 24 Iowa Board of Certification CADC/IADC/IAADC semester hours will be according to instructions on Form 03, “Education Resume.” Only original transcripts sent directly from the college/university to the IBC office via U.S. Mail will be accepted and reviewed.
In addition, a minimum of 150 clock hours of relevant education is required. These 150 clock hours may be a combination of college courses, trainings, and workshops. Some special conditions apply; namely,
* Specifically, hours must be earned as:
- 45 clock hours in Counseling Theories & Techniques
- 45 clock hours in Alcohol and Drug Specific
- 6 clock hours in Special Populations
- 6 clock hours in Counseling Ethics
- 3 clock hours in Racial/Ethnic
- The remaining hours may be earned under any of the Knowledge and Skill
Competencies (see Addendum II).
* Applicants may utilize up to 50% of the education hours from online/distance learning or IBC approved in-service training. An in-service training is the education and training which occurs within the counselor’s agency, only for agency staff and conducted only by agency staff.
* If using college classes, the formula for converting college credit to clock hours is: one semester hour equals 15 clock hours and one quarter hour equals 10 clock hours. A minimum grade of “C” must be earned or the course will be ineligible.
Documentation of this will be according to instructions on Form 04, “Workshop
Documentation.”
And Six months full-time (or 1,000 clock hours) of supervised experience in substance use counseling within the past three years. Please see page 7 for information regarding supervised experience. Documentation of this will be according to instructions on Form 05.
“Experience Resume.”
Of the supervised experience, at least 500 clock hours must be documented in performing
the 4 Domains of the Alcohol and Drug Counselor, with a minimum of 20 hours in each
Domain, and 36 of the hours in direct supervision with a qualified supervisor.
OR
Experience Track
High school diploma or general education diploma. 150 clock hours of training in the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Knowledge and Skill Competencies. These 150 clock hours may be a Iowa Board of Certification CADC/IADC/IAADC combination of college courses, trainings, and workshops. Some special conditions apply; namely,
* Specifically, hours must be earned as:
- 45 clock hours in Counseling Theories & Techniques
- 45 clock hours in Alcohol and Drug Specific
- 6 clock hours in Special Populations
- 6 clock hours in Counseling Ethics
- 3 clock hours in Racial/Ethnic
- The remaining hours may be earned under any of the Knowledge and Skill
Competencies.
* Applicants may utilize up to 50% of the education hours from online/distance learning or IBC approved in-service training. An in-service training is the education and training which occurs within the counselor’s agency, only for agency staff and conducted only by agency staff.
* If using college classes, the formula for converting college credit to clock hours is: one semester hour equals 15 clock hours and one quarter hour equals 10 clock hours. A minimum grade of “C” must be earned or the course will be ineligible.
Documentation of college hours will be according to instructions on Form 03, “Education
Resume,” and workshop hours will be according to instructions on Form 04, “Workshop
Documentation.”
One and a half years full-time (or 3,000 clock hours) of supervised experience in performing the 4 Domains of the Alcohol and Drug Counselor within the past three years. Please see page 7 for information regarding supervised experience. Documentation of this will be according to instructions on Form 05, “Experience Resume.”
Of the supervised experience, at least 500 clock hours must be documented in performing
the 4 Domains of the Alcohol and Drug Counselor, with a minimum of 20 hours in each
Domain, and 36 of the hours in direct supervision with a qualified supervisor.
**Only 50% of initial counselor education can come from online; and only 20 hours of online education can count toward recertification in the state.
When an individual applies for their credential/license with the Iowa Board of Certification, they must also apply for CEU Approval.