PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

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PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
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ALBERTAS HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT

• Health Professions Act regulates 29 different
  health professions in Alberta
• Addictions Counselling is not one of them, and
  thus, is a non-regulated profession
• Non-regulated professions are prohibited from
  engaging in restricted activities such as
  psychosocial interventions
• to perform a psychosocial intervention with an
  expectation of treating a substantial disorder of
  thought, mood, perception orientation or memory
  that grossly impairs judgement, behaviour,
  capacity to recognize reality, or ability to meet
  the ordinary demands of life
• However, there is no prohibition from giving
  information and providing advice with the intent
  of enhancing personal development, providing
  emotional support or promoting spiritual growth
  of individuals, couples, families and groups
• People employed by AADAC or paid indirectly from
  AADAC have an exemption that allows them to
  perform psychosocial interventions while
  providing addictions counselling. This exemption
  expires in 2012 (but will likely be renewed).

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HLSC ADDICTION COUNSELLING GRADUATES

• Could work toward making Addiction Counselling a
  regulated profession in Alberta
• Lot of work
• No restriction on doing addiction counselling in
  other provinces because psychosocial
  interventions are not included in other HPAs
• Could work exclusively for AADAC
• Doesnt allow you to set up private practise
• Could argue that what you do is counselling
  rather than a psychosocial intervention (unless
  working for AADAC)

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PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION IN ADDICTION
COUNSELLING

• Assuming you opt for 2 or 3, it is still a good
  idea to become licensed/registered with some
  professional body
• For continuing education
• For ethical/practise standards
• For increased employability/marketability
• For professional liability insurance
• In Canada most addiction counselors are not
  licensed/registered with any professional body.
  The ones that are, are licensed as social
  workers, psychologists, or nurses, rather than
  addiction counsellors. (In the U.S., many states
  require state licensure as an addiction
  counsellor).

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BEST OPTION

• Become an International Certified Alcohol and
  other Drug Counsellor (I.C.A.D.C.) through the
  Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification
  Board (CACCB)
• www.caccb.ca
• Established 1985 headquarters in Ontario
• provincial chapters
• Need training in the 12 core functions (which you
  would have)
• Minimum of 3 years of supervised experience
  working with drug/alcohol clients
• Take both a written and oral exam
• Membership provides reciprocity with the
  International Certification Reciprocity
  Consortium, which consists of over 40 alcohol and
  other drug certifying bodies in the U.S. and 8
  other countries
• Annual conference quarterly newsletter business
  cards
• Code of ethics
• 200/yr
• Can get professional liability insurance
• Can become an Associate Counsellor, someone
  working toward the I.C.A.D.C

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OTHER OPTIONS

• Certified Addiction Specialist with American
  Academy of Health Care Providers in Addictions
  (AAHCPA)
• (www.americanacademy.org)
• Established 1989 based out of Minnesota
• Need 5 years of supervised experience providing
  direct health care services to those identified
  with an addictive disorder (3 years with Masters
  Degree)
• A minimum of 120 hours of training in basic
  counseling skills including assessment,
  interviewing and diagnosis and 60 hours of
  training in each area of specialization
• Written exam
• Certified Addiction Specialist in the areas of
  alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders,
  compulsive gambling, sex addiction
• Newsletter ethics code training seminars
• Certified member of National Association of
  Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC)
• U.S. based organization with international
  chapters
• Can become full member or student member
• 80 U.S./yr
• regional chapters newsletters journal The
  Counselor conferences continuing education
  code of ethics liability insurance
• can become certified after 3 years of
  work-related experience
• National Council of Problem Gambling began
  certifying gambling counselors in 1989 American
  Compulsive Gambling Counselor Certification Board
  began offering credentialing in 1993
• Category B Member of Canadian Counsellors
  Association (no certification except for Masters)
• 120/yr

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• The End!