Indiana Substance Abuse Counselor Certification

Addiction Counseling Requirements, Indiana

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The state of Indiana is home to the 2nd largest city of the Midwestern states. With one of the largest populations of the Midwest, substance abuse counselors are always needed. Indiana Counselors Association on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ICAADA) provides certifications to the in-state addiction counselors. The Association offers 5 different credentials in the state of Indiana: CADAC I, CADAC II, CADAC III, CADAC IV, and CADAC V.

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Degree Requirements & Education

CADAC I can be achieved WITH or WITHOUT a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a human services field; the only thing that changes is the required hours of experience. 180 clock hours of substance abuse specific education is required. 6 hours must be in Ethics and another 6 must be of HIV education.
CADAC II can be achieved with as little as a high school diploma, however the higher degree the applicant has the less experience in the field is required. 300 clock hours of substance abuse specific education is required. 6 hours must be in Ethics and another 6 must be of HIV education.
CADAC III requires a bachelor’s degree in a human services field. However the CADAC III applicant must already hold a CADAC II before applying for this credential. There will be an additional 90 clock hours of substance abuse specific education required. 6 hours must be in Ethics and another 6 must be of HIV education.
CADAC IV & V require a master’s degree in a human services field. For CADAC IV 180 clock hours of substance abuse specific education is required. For CADAC V, 90 more clock hours of substance abuse specific education required. For both IV and V, 6 hours must be in Ethics and another 6 must be of HIV education.

Experience Requirements & Supervision

Applicants for all levels of certification will be required to complete the below listed hours of work experience in a supervised environment. The experience must completed in each of the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Domains:

Screening, Assessment, and Engagement
Treatment Planning, Collaboration, and Referral
Counseling
Professional and Ethical Responsibilities

CADAC I with NO bachelor’s or master’s degree requires the applicant complete 2,000 hours of work experience. Applicants WITH a degree are only required to complete 1,000 hours of work experience. Either way, the applicant is required to work 220 of these hours under direct clinical supervision.

CADAC II with: a high school diploma requires 6,000 hours of work experience with 300 of those being under direct supervision, an associate’s degree in a related field requires 5,000 hours of work experience with 250 of those being under direct supervision, a bachelor’s degree in a related field requires 4,000 hours of work experience with 200 of those being under direct supervision, and a master’s degree in a related field requires 2,000 hours of work experience in the addictions field with with 100 of those being under direct supervision.

CADAC IV requires 2,000 hours of work experience with 100 of those being under direct supervision.

CADAC III & V do not require any additional work experience or supervisional requirements.

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Application

It is important all applicants live or work within the state of Indiana at least 51% of the time. All applications must be submitted with the proper supporting documentation. The registration process will be completed online through Certemy. Applicants will be required to create an account before registration. The links to the proper applications can be found on ICAADA’s website here:

Exam

The exams are administered by IC&RC. CADAC I, II, and III are required to take the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) Exam. CADAC IV and V must take the Advanced Alcohol and Drug (AADC) Exam.

The IC&RC website provides the relevant study materials as well as candidate guides that the applicants may find helpful. In addition to the study materials, there are also practice exams available for purchase to help prepare the applicant for the official exam. Find these here: IC&RC Exam Prep Material

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Renewal

Certification must be renewed every 2 years. Recertification forms are available on the linked pages under the above “Application” section. In order to qualify for recertification, the counselors must take 40 hours of continuing education, with 6 of those hours being in Ethics & 6 hours being in HIV.