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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 18. Professional And Occupational Licensing
Agency 115. Board of Counseling
Chapter 30. Regulations Governing the Certification of Substance Abuse Counselors and Substance Abuse Counseling Assistants
11/21/2024

18VAC115-30-62. Educational requirements for substance abuse counseling assistants.

A. An applicant for certification as a substance abuse counseling assistant shall:

1. Have obtained a high school diploma, a general educational development (GED) certificate, or a post-secondary degree; and

2. Have completed substance abuse education from one of the following programs:

a. A regionally accredited university or college; or

b. Seminars and workshops that meet the educational requirements specified in subsection B of this section and are offered or approved by one of the following:

(1) Federal, state, or local governmental agencies; public school systems; or licensed health facilities.

(2) The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and its state affiliates.

(3) The American Association of State Counseling Boards.

(4) The American Counseling Association and its state and local affiliates.

(5) The American Psychological Association and its state affiliates.

(6) The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.

(7) NAADAC and its state and local affiliates.

(8) National Association of Social Workers.

(9) National Board for Certified Counselors.

(10) A national behavioral health organization or certification body recognized by the board.

(11) Individuals or organizations that have been approved as continuing competency sponsors by the American Association of State Counseling Boards or a counseling board in another state.

B. Substance abuse education. The education will include 120 hours spent in receiving didactic training in substance abuse counseling. Each applicant shall have received a minimum of eight clock hours in each of the following 13 areas:

a. Understanding the dynamics of human behavior;

b. Signs and symptoms of substance abuse;

c. Counseling theories and techniques;

d. Case management skills and continuum of care;

e. Recovery process and relapse prevention methods;

f. Professional orientation and ethics;

g. Cultural competency;

h. Trauma and crisis intervention;

i. Pharmacology of abused substances;

j. Co-occurring disorders;

k. Substance abuse counseling approaches and treatment planning;

l. Group counseling; and

m. Prevention, screening, and assessment of substance use and abuse.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3505 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 18, eff. June 18, 2003; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 26, eff. October 15, 2009; Volume 36, Issue 11, eff. February 19, 2020.

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