Substance Abuse Counseling Certification in Iowa

Iowa has three levels of certification for Substance Abuse Counselors. The three titles are: the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), the International Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IADC) and the International Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IAADC). The IAADC level requires a Master’s degree in a Behavioral Science with credits in Counseling or a closely related subject.

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For the CADC Level

• You must pass a criminal background check.
• You must have a High School diploma or GED 24 semester hours of college credits in substance abuse or a highly relevant area of study. (Disciplines that qualify include: Counseling, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Human Services, and Criminal Justice).
• You will need 150 hours of education on AODA subjects including the following classes specifically: (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
• You will need 1000 hours of supervised A&D work experience to be certified.
• You must have a minimum of 500 clock hours doing tasks related to the performing the eight ADC domains which are: Clinical Evaluation, Treatment Planning, Referral, Service Coordination, Counseling, Client, Family and Community Education, Documentation and Professional and Ethical Responsibilities.
• You are required to show proof of 36 hours of direct supervision.
• You can find the necessary forms here.

For the IADC Level

• The International Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IADC) is a more advanced title.
• You must pass a criminal background check.
• You must have a High School diploma or GED, an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a Behavioral Science will help to reduce the amount of time you need in terms of supervised experience. (See below)
• You will need 270 hours of education on AODA subjects including the following classes specifically: (90 clock hours in Counseling Theories & Techniques; 90 clock hours in Alcohol and Drug Specific; 6 clock hours in Counseling Ethics; 3 clock hours in Racial/Ethnic
• You will need 6000 hours of supervised A&D work experience to be certified.
• If you do not have a degree you will need 6000 hours of supervised A&D work experience to be certified.
• If you have an Associate’s degree you will need 5000 hours of experience.
• A Bachelor’s degree requires 4000 hours.
• A Master’s degree requires only 2000 hours.
• You must have a minimum of 300 clock hours doing tasks related to the performing the eight ADC domains which are: Clinical Evaluation, Treatment Planning, Referral, Service Coordination, Counseling, Client, Family and Community Education, Documentation and Professional and Ethical Responsibilities.
• If you do not have at least a Bachelor’s degree you will need 500 clock hours of supervision in the eight domains.
• You must pass the IC&RC Exam for this level of certification.
• You can find the necessary forms here.

For the IAADC Level

• The International Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IAADC) is the highest level of certification in Iowa. It requires that you have a minimum of a Master’s degree.
• You must possess a Master’s degree or Ph.D. in a Behavioral Science with at least 30 hours at the graduate level in Counseling classes or highly related field.
• You need at least 6 hours of course work in Counselor Ethics and 3 hours in Racial/Ethnic
• You must have a minimum of 2000 clock hours doing tasks related to the performing the ten ADC domains which are: Clinical Evaluation, Treatment Planning, Referral, Service Coordination, Counseling, Client, Family and Community Education, Documentation, Research Design Analysis & Utilization, Clinical Supervision and Professional and Ethical Responsibilities.
• You will need 300 hours of direct supervision in the ten domains.
• You must pass the IC&RC Exam for this level of certification.
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