The Nevada State Board of Examiners for Alcohol, Drug, and Gambling Counselors issues licensure and certification to addiction counselors within the state. Are you interested in finding out how to become a substance abuse counselor in Nevada?
The Nevada State Board offers 4 different certifications and licenses. The first level is the intern level, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Intern (CADC-I). The other level of certification is Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). After the CADC, we move into the licenses offered by the Board. The Board offers the Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) credential as well as the Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC).
Applicants must not suffer from addiction disorders, and if they ever have they must be recovered for at least 2 years. The Board will not consider applicants who are on parole or probation until 2 years after the successful completion of the program. Certified and licensed counselors must be at least 21 years old.
Degree Requirements & Education
The CADC-I applicant is only required to hold a high school diploma. CADC-I applicants are required to have already completed 60 hours towards their degree in the social sciences field. 6 hours of training must be in
HIPAA and Confidentiality Laws and 6 hours of training must be in Ethics.
The CADC applicant however must have at least a Bachelor’s Degree. Those that want to become a LADC or LCADC must have at least a Master’s Degree and the LCADC’s degree must have a clinical focus. These degrees must be in a subject related to some kind of social science. Approved subjects are: Counseling alcohol and substance abusers, Counseling problem gamblers, Psychiatry, Psychology, Social work, Marriage and family therapy, Nursing, Medicine, or any kind of program related to the study and understanding of mental illness and counseling.
Experience Requirements
The CADC-I applicant is not required to have any experience, but must be enrolled in college courses and be working towards their CADC. The intern must be taking at least one course per semester to qualify as an intern. The intern has 5 years from the date of intern certification approval to meet the requirements for the CADC or LADC.
The CADC is required to work 4,000 hours of supervised internship work experience. If the applicant has completed 18 semester credits in addiction studies then they will only be required to work 1,500 supervised hours.
The LADC applicants have 2 different routes that can qualify them as far as work experience goes. A) The applicant will need to complete 4,000 hours of supervised internship work experience. B) The applicant will complete 1,500 hours of supervised internship and have successfully completed 12 semester credits in the substance abuse field.
In order to qualify for the LCADC, the applicant will need to complete 2,000 hours of supervised substance abuse counseling as well as 2,000 hours of general counseling in the mental health field.
Application
All applicants will need to apply online. If the applicant has not already made an account with the Board’s Applicant Portal, they will need to do so. The Applicant Portal can be found here: Applicant Portal. Along with filling out the online application, all applicants will need to turn in supervision agreement forms: Supervision Agreement Form. Fingerprint cards will need to be turned in at the time of application along with letters of recommendation.
Applicants will need to submit a request for an application fee of $150.00, along with a $60.00 processing fee either by check or money order which should be made out to the Board.
After applications have been approved, the applicant will be notified and will then proceed to register for the required exam.
Exam
CADC-I applicants are not required to take an exam. The CADC and LADC applicants must take and pass the IC&RC’s Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) Exam. LCADC applicants will need to take the AADC but also the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) which is administered by National Board For Certified Counselors (NBCC).
There are many study materials, candidate guides, and online practice exams available on the IC&RC’s page, IC&RC Exam Prep. The NBCC also offers study material online here at NBCC Exam Prep. The applicants may also find the NBCC Handbook useful.
Renewal
Addiction counselors in Nevada must complete their recertification every 2 years. They will be required to take 40 hours of continuing education. 3 of these hours must be in Ethics and 3 more must be in HIPAA related coursework. Conveniently, the Board allows all required hours to be taken online. Renewal will also be done online on the Applicant Portal platform.
