Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (AADC) 

Standards 

The IC&RC standards represent the minimum criteria for certification/licensure. Member boards affiliated with the IC&RC may require additional standards that reflect local mandates, regulations, and/or best practices. Please consult with your local IC&RC Member board for specific standards and requirements applicable to your jurisdiction.

Experience:

2,000 hours of supervised work experience specific to the AADC Job Analysis. 

Education: 

Master’s degree in a relevant field.  180 hours of education specific to the AADC Job Analysis.  Six hours must be specific to counselor ethics and responsibilities. 

Supervision:

100 hours specific to the AADC Job Analysis with a minimum of ten hours in each domain. 

Examination: 

CBs must require all applicants to pass the AADC Examination. 

Jurisdiction

Individuals must live or work at least 51% of the time in the Member Boards jurisdiction (“at the time of application & testing”) 

Code of Ethics:

The applicant must sign a counselor specific code of ethics statement of affirmation that the applicant has read and will abide by the code of ethics. 

Recertification:

40 hours of continuing education earned every two years. CBs may renew at different intervals but must require at least 20 hours for every year of certification. 

CCDPD/AADC Merger: 

During the 2014 AADC Job Analysis, co-occurring competencies were heavily embedded into the AADC examination resulting in the AADC and CCDPD credentials testing duplicative content. As a result of this, the CCDPD and AADC committees are recommending the merger of the two credentials and the discontinuation of the the CCDPD credential. This proposal is to be voted upon during the spring 2016 meeting.   The Proposal for this merger can be found here.