Substance Abuse Counseling Certification in Rhode Island

There are three levels of certification offered in Rhode Island for Substance Abuse Counselors. The first level of certification is known as the Provisional Chemical Dependency Professional (PCDP). The next tier is known as the Advanced Chemical Dependency Professional (ACDP). The highest level is known as the Advanced Chemical Dependency Professional II (ACDP- II). You will need to meet different requirements to attain each level of certification.

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PCDP Requirements

Pass a criminal background check.
You must have a High School Diploma or GED.
One year (2000 hours) of supervised work experience as an alcohol and drug counselor.
Supervised work experience must be in the eight ADC domains: Clinical Evaluation; Treatment Planning; Referral;
Service Coordination; Counseling; Client, Family & Community Education; Documentation; Professional & Ethical Responsibilities.
You must have 150 hours of direct supervision with a minimum of 10 hours in each domain.
You need 140 hours of education with 12 hours in confidentiality, six hours in chemical dependency counselor ethics, six hours in communicable diseases, six hours in medication assisted treatment and attitudes of medication in the recovery process.
All education must be relevant to the eight ADC domains listed above.
You can find the application to gain the PCDP title here.

ACDP Requirements

Pass a criminal background check.
You must have a High School Diploma or GED.
Three years (6000 hours) of supervised work experience as an alcohol and drug counselor.
If you have an Associate’s degree this work experience is lowered to 5,000 hours.
If you have a Bachelor’s degree this work experience is lowered to 4,000 hours.
If you have a Master’s degree this work experience is lowered to 2,000 hours.
Supervised work experience must be in the eight ADC domains: Clinical Evaluation; Treatment Planning; Referral;
Service Coordination; Counseling; Client, Family & Community Education; Documentation; Professional & Ethical Responsibilities.
You must have 300 hours of direct supervision with a minimum of 20 hours in each domain.
You need 270 hours of education. 120 hours must be substance abuse specific, with 12 hours in confidentiality, six hours in chemical dependency counselor ethics, six hours in communicable diseases, six hours in medication assisted treatment and attitudes of medication in the recovery process.
All education must be relevant to the eight ADC domains listed above.
Pass the IC&RC Examination for Alcohol and Drug Counselors.
You can find the application for the ACDP title here.

ACDP-II Requirements

Pass a criminal background check.
You must have a Master’s degree an accredited college or university that is accredited by the US Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
One year (2000 hours) of supervised work experience as an alcohol and drug counselor.
Supervised work experience must be in the Ten AADC domains: Clinical Evaluation; Treatment Planning; Referral; Service Coordination; Counseling; Client, Family & Community Education; Documentation; Professional & Ethical Responsibilities; Research Design, Analysis & Utilization; Clinical Supervision.
You must have 300 hours of direct supervision with a minimum of 20 hours in each of the ten domains.
You need 180 hours of substance abuse specific education, with 12 hours in confidentiality, six hours in chemical dependency counselor ethics, six hours in communicable diseases, six hours in medication assisted treatment and attitudes of medication in the recovery process.
All education must be relevant to the ten AADC domains listed above.
Pass the IC&RC Examination for Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselors.
You can find the application for the ACDP-II title here.