General Information for Applicants

1. The credential of Certified Substance Counselor fulfills two purposes. First, and most important, the public has a means by which to identify individuals who have met the minimum requirements as set forth in Hawaii Administrative Rules 11-177.1. Second, individuals are recognized for the time, education, and experience they have accumulated in the profession of substance abuse counseling. Certification is meant to recognize a counselor’s accomplishments and competence in providing counseling, and not as an entry-level credential.
   
   
2. Criteria for Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC):
   • High school diploma or its equivalent.
   • 270 clock hours of ADAD-approved substance abuse specific education within the performance domains of clinical evaluation; treatment planning; referral; service coordination; counseling; client, family and community education; documentation; and professional and ethical responsibility. Courses must be documented either by official transcripts or copies of certificates of completion. These courses may include:
     • Any course with a specific substance abuse focus (unlimited)
     • Professional Ethics and Issues (6 hours required)
     • Sexually Transmitted Diseases, including HIV/AIDS (6 hours required)
     • Confidentiality, including 42CFR, Part 2 (6 hours required)
     • Counseling Theories and Techniques (maximum 45 clock hours)
     • Group Counseling (maximum 45 clock hours)
     • Family Counseling (maximum 45 clock hours)
     • Multicultural Competency (maximum 45 clock hours)
   • A supervised practical training that includes receiving a minimum of 400 hours of daily supervision in the 12 Core Functions in a work setting where alcohol/drug treatment counseling is provided. A minimum of 20 hours must be supervised in each core function. The supervisor must hold Hawaii’s CSAC or a reciprocity level alcohol/drug counselor credential from a jurisdiction that is a member of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, Inc. (IC&RC/AODA, Inc.).
          12 CORE FUNCTIONS:
     
     • Screening for substance abuse problems
     • Intake to your substance abuse services
     • Orientation to your substance abuse services
     • Assessment of substance abuse problems
     • Treatment planning to address substance abuse problems
     • Counseling (individual/group/family) re substance abuse and recovery
     • Case management that addresses treatment and recovery issues
     • Crisis intervention with substance abuse clients
     • Client education re substance use and recovery issues
     • Consultation in addressing treatment needs of substance abuse clients
     • Referral for services that can’t be provided for substance abuse clients
     • Report and record keeping re substance abuse treatment
   • 6000 hours (3 years) of clinically supervised work experience (including the supervised practical training) providing alcohol/drug abuse treatment counseling services to alcohol and other drug abuse clients. The clinical supervisor must be a CSAC or Qualified Health Professional as specified in HAR 11-177.1, Subchapter 1, 11-177.1-2, in order for the work experience to be applicable for certification purposes.
     • Completion of an alcohol/drug counseling certificate program in conjunction with an Associates Degree in any field may be substituted for 2000 hours of the work experience, or
     • A bachelor’s degree with a major in a human services field may be substituted for 2000 hours of the work experience, or
     • A master’s degree or higher in a human services field may be substituted for 4000 hours of the work experience
     • Agree to abide by the CSAC Code of Ethics included in the General Application Packet and found in HAR 11-177.1, Subchapter 3, 11-177.1-33.
     • Successful completion of the International Written Certification Examination for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors as developed by the IC&RC/AODA, Inc.
     
     
3. The following information must be received by ADAD before an applicant is eligible to apply for the written examination:
   • A completed application for certification
   • Documentation (official transcripts or copies of certificates of completion) of 270 clock hours of ADAD-approved substance abuse specific education
   • Work experience and supervised practical experience verified by the supervisor on the form provided
   • A signed Code of Ethics statement agreeing to abide by the CSAC Code of Ethics
   
   
4. All signatures must be originals. Faxed signatures will not be accepted. The originating supervisor must send supervisor forms and the college or university must send official transcripts. Supervisor forms received from the applicant will not be accepted.


5. All fees must be paid by money order only. Personal checks will not be accepted.


6. Deadlines will not be extended.


7. Fees:
   

   		General Application		$25.00
   		Written Examination		$100.00
   		CSAC Renewal		$25.00



8. Refer to Chapter 11-177.1 HAR, entitled "Certification Standards for Substance Abuse Counselors and Program Administrators," for more specifics regarding certification criteria.
   These rules can be found at http://gen.doh.hawaii.gov/sites/har/AdmRules1/11-177-1.pdf.


9. For questions regarding the certification process, please contact Christopher Brown in the Certification Office at (808) 692-7518.

Hawaii Department of Health
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division
601 Kamokila Blvd. Room 360
Kapolei, Hawai'i, 96707
(808) 692-7506