Kan. Admin. Regs. § 102-7-3 - Educational requirements

(a) Each of the following terms, as used in this regulation, shall have the meaning specified in this subsection:

(1) ''Core faculty member'' means an individual who is part of the teaching staf of a program covered by this regulation and who meets the following conditions:

(A) Has education, training, and experience consistent with the individual's role within the program and consistent with the published description of the goals, philosophy, and educational purpose of the program;

(B) has primary professional employment at the institution in which the program is housed; and

(C) is identifed with the program and is centrally involved in program development, decision making, and student training as demonstrated by consistent inclusion of the individual's name in public and departmental documents.

(2) ''In residence,'' when used to describe a student, means that the student is completing coursework, during which the student and one or more core faculty members, adjunct faculty members, or agency internship supervisors are in face-to-face contact either in person or by synchronous, real-time videoconferencing.

(3) ''Related field'' means a degree program in a helping profession and may include any of the following:

(A) Counseling;

(B) human development and family studies;

(C) marriage and family therapy;

(D) psychology;

(E) social work; or

(F) other degrees as approved by the board.

(4) ''Primary professional employment'' means at least 20 hours each week of instruction, research, or any other service to the institution in the course of employment, and related administrative work.

(5) ''Skill-based coursework'' means those courses that allow students to work on basic helping skills including open-ended questions, clarifcation, interpretation, response to feelings, and summarization.

(b) To qualify for licensure as an addiction counselor, the applicant shall hold at least a baccalaureate degree from a program that was accredited by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission or hold one of the following:

(1) At least a baccalaureate degree in addiction counseling. When the degree was granted, the program met the standards approved by the board;

(2) at least a baccalaureate degree in addiction counseling or a related field, if the applicant began the program on or before May 1, 2011 and the baccalaureate degree was conferred on or before June 1, 2012, from a program that was approved by the Kansas department of social and rehabilitation services, division of addiction and prevention services; or

(3) at least a baccalaureate degree in another course of study. As part of, or in addition to, the baccalaureate degree coursework, the applicant shall also complete at least 30 semester hours, or the academic equivalent, in coursework on substance use disorders that meets the coursework requirements in subsection (c).

(c) Each applicant for licensure as an addiction counselor shall hold at least a baccalaureate degree from a program that was accredited by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission or satisfactorily completed formal academic coursework that contributes to the development of a broad conceptual framework for addiction counseling theory and practice. This formal academic coursework shall be distributed across the substantive content areas specified in this subsection. For applicants who graduate on or after July 1, 2013, half of all skill-based coursework shall be completed while the student is in residence, as defned in this regulation. Except for the required courses in a practicum or its equivalent, there shall be at least three discrete and unduplicated semester hours, or the academic equivalent, in each of the following content areas:

(1) Introduction to addiction, which shall include the study of the nature of addiction and other substance use-related problems; models, theories, philosophies, principles, implications for medical and mental health conditions that coexist with addiction, and evidence-based strategies of addiction prevention, treatment, relapse prevention, continuing care, and recovery; and the impact of addiction on the individual, family, and society;

(2) methods of individual counseling, which shall include the study of culturally informed, ethical, evidence-based models and approaches to individual counseling; methods for establishing effective therapeutic relationships, developing realistic and achievable treatment goals, and assessing client biopsychosocial or the biological, psychological, and social needs, functioning, motivation, and progress; and strategies for crisis prevention and intervention;

(3) methods of group counseling, which shall include the study of culturally informed, ethical, evidence-based models and approaches to group counseling; group facilitation and counseling skills; and methods for establishing group goals and treatment outcomes;

(4) addiction pharmacology, which shall include the study of the nature of psychoactive chemicals; the behavioral, psychological, physiological, and social efects of psychoactive substance use; symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, and toxicity; toxicity screen options, limitations, and legal implications; and the use of pharmaco-therapy for treatment of addiction;

(5) co-occurring disorders, which shall include the study of the symptoms of mental health and other disorders prevalent in individuals with substance use disorders, screening and assessment tools used to detect and evaluate the presence and severity of co-occurring disorders, and evidence-based strategies for managing risks associated with treating individuals who have co-occurring disorders;

(6) addiction services coordination, which shall include the study of administrative, clinical, evaluative, and referral activities used to connect clients with treatment services and other community resources; navigation and coordination across multiple systems; and case management and advocacy skills used to assist clients in achieving their treatment and recovery goals;

(7) legal and ethical issues, which shall include the study of established codes of ethical conduct, standards of professional behavior and scope of practice; client rights, responsibilities, and informed consent; and con-fdentiality and other legal considerations in counseling;

(8) family and community studies, which shall include the study of family, social, and community systems; and the development of culturally informed skills utilized in the treatment and recovery process;

(9) at least six semester credit hours or the academic equivalent of practicum or its equivalent, which shall include the following:

(A) An experience that integrates didactic learning that is related to substance use disorders with face-to-face, direct counseling experience that includes intake and assessment, counseling, treatment planning, discharge planning, documentation, and case management activities;

(B) at least 400 clock-hours of practice; and

(C) at least one hour of supervision for every 10 hours of practice. Supervision shall be provided by the educational program's faculty and agency staf, at least one of whom shall be licensed in the behavioral sciences; and

(10) for applicants who graduate on and after July 1, 2012, at least three discrete and unduplicated semester hours, or the academic equivalent, in the study of research, which shall include the study of basic research design and methodology; critical evaluation and interpretation of professional research reports; introduction to data collection, performance measurement, and outcome evaluation; and the application of research results in a treatment seting.

(d) To qualify for licensure as an addiction counselor while holding a baccalaureate social work license in Kansas, the applicant shall complete the coursework speci-fed in paragraphs (c)(1), (4), and (9).

(e) To qualify for licensure as a master's addiction counselor or a clinical addiction counselor, the applicant shall hold at least a master's degree from a program that was accredited by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission or the applicant shall hold one of the following:

(1) At least a master's degree in addiction counseling. When the degree was granted, the program met the standards approved by the board; or

(2) at least a master's degree in another course of study. When the degree was granted, the program met the standards approved by the board. As part of, or in addition to, the master's degree coursework, the applicant shall also complete at least 30 graduate semester credit hours, or the academic equivalent, supporting the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders and shall meet the coursework requirements in subsection (f).

(f) Each applicant for licensure as a master's addiction counselor or a clinical addiction counselor shall hold at least a master's degree from a program that was accredited by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission or shall have satisfactorily completed formal academic coursework that contributes to the development of a broad conceptual framework for addiction counseling theory and practice. This formal academic coursework shall be distributed across the substantive content areas specified in this subsection. For applicants who graduate on or after July 1, 2013, half of all skill-based coursework shall be completed while the student is in residence, as defned in this regulation. There shall be at least three discrete and unduplicated graduate semester hours, or the academic equivalent, in each of the following content areas:

(1) Addiction and recovery services, which shall include the study and critical analysis of philosophies and theories of addiction and scientifcally supported models of prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery for addiction and other substance-related problems;

(2) advanced methods of individual and group counseling, which shall include the study of practical skills related to evidence-based, culturally informed individual and group counseling techniques and strategies designed to facilitate therapeutic relationships and the educational and psychosocial development of clients as specifcally related to their addiction;

(3) advanced pharmacology and substance use disorders, which shall include the study of the pharmacological properties and efects of psychoactive substances; physiological, behavioral, psychological, and social efects of psychoactive substances; drug interactions; medication-assisted addiction treatment; and pharmacological issues related to co-occurring disorders treated with prescription psychotropic medications;

(4) integrative treatment of co-occurring disorders, which shall include the study of the relationship between addiction and co-occurring mental or physical disorders or other conditions and evidence-based models for the screening, assessment, and collaborative treatment of co-occurring disorders;

(5) assessment and diagnosis, which shall include the study of a comprehensive clinical assessment process that addresses age, gender, disability, and cultural issues; the signs, symptoms, and diagnostic criteria used to establish substance use-disorder diagnoses; and the relationship between diagnosis, treatment, and recovery;

(6) professional ethics and practice, which shall include the study of professional codes of ethics and ethical decision making; client privacy rights and confdentiality; legal responsibilities and liabilities of clinical supervision; and professional identity and development issues;

(7) applied research, which shall include the study of the purposes and techniques of behavioral sciences research, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, research methodology, data collection and analysis, electronic research skills, outcome evaluation, critical evaluation and interpretation of professional research reports, and practical applications of research;

(8) practicum or its equivalent, which shall meet the following requirements:

(A) Be a clinical experience that integrates didactic learning supporting the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders;

(B) include at least 300 hours of client contact; and

(C) provide at least one hour of supervision for every 10 hours of client contact. Supervision shall be provided by the program's faculty and agency supervisors, at least one of whom shall be licensed at or above the level of licensure being pursued; and

(9) six additional graduate semester hours of academic coursework that contributes to the development of advanced knowledge or skills in addiction counseling, supervision, or research.

(g) In order to be approved by the board, each program in another course of study that did not include addiction counseling coursework shall be regionally accredited, with accreditation standards equivalent to those met by Kansas colleges and universities.

(h) In order to be approved by the board, each addiction counseling program or the program through which the applicant completed the required coursework in addiction counseling shall meet the following conditions:

(1) Have established program admission requirements that are based, in part or in full, on objective measures or standardized achievement tests and measures unless required for the degree in another course of study;

(2) offer education and training in addiction counseling, one goal of which is to prepare students for the practice of addiction counseling;

(3) require an established curriculum that encompasses at least one academic year of study for a baccalaureate degree or two academic years of study for a master's degree;

(4) have clear administrative authority and primary responsibility within the program for the core and specialty areas of training in addiction counseling;

(5) have an established, organized, and comprehensive sequence of study that is planned by administrators who are responsible for providing an integrated educational experience in addiction counseling;

(6) for a master's degree program, be coordinated or directed by an identifiable person who holds a graduate degree that was earned from a regionally accredited college or university upon that person's actual completion of a formal academic training program;

(7) have an identifiable, full-time core faculty member who holds an earned graduate degree in addiction counseling or a related field;

(8) have an established, identifiable body of students who are formally enrolled in the program with the goal of obtaining coursework for the concentration in the study of addiction counseling;

(9) require the student's major advisor to be a member of the program faculty;

(10) require each student to complete the institution's requirements for the number of credit hours that must be completed at that institution and to satisfactorily complete an addiction counseling practicum or its equivalent that is provided by the program from which the student completes the concentration in the study of addiction counseling or a related field. The required practicum shall meet the following requirements:

(A) Accept as practicum students only applicants enrolled in the addiction counseling or related-field program;

(B) provide the majority of supervision by an individual who is licensed by the board at or above the level of licensure being pursued;

(C) exist as a distinct and organized program that is clearly recognizable within an institution or agency, as well as in pertinent public, official documents issued by the institution or agency, and that is clearly recognizable as a training program for addiction counselors;

(D) identify students as being in training and not as staff members; and

(E) be an integrated and formally organized training experience, not an after-the-fact tabulation of experience; and

(11) conduct an ongoing, objective review and evaluation of each student's learning and progress and report this evaluation in the official student transcripts.

(i) In order to be approved by the board, each college or university through which the applicant completed the required coursework in addiction counseling shall meet the following requirements:

(1) Be regionally accredited, with accreditation standards equivalent to those met by Kansas colleges and universities;

(2) document in official publications, including course catalogs and announcements, the program description and standards and the admission requirements for the addiction counseling or related-field program or the program through which the applicant completed the required coursework in addiction counseling;

(3)

(A) Identify and clearly describe in pertinent institutional catalogs the coursework, experiential, and other academic program requirements that must be satisfied before conferral of the degree; or

(B) identify and clearly describe in pertinent institutional catalogs the coursework, experiential, and other academic program requirements that must be satisfied before completion of the addiction counseling course-work as specified in subsection (c) or (f);

(4) clearly identify and specify in pertinent institutional catalogs the intent to educate and train addiction counselors or related-field professionals;

(5) have clearly established the addiction counselor or related-field education program as a coherent entity within the college or university that, when the applicant's degree was conferred or addiction counseling coursework was completed, met the program standards in subsection (h);

(6) have conferred the degree upon the applicant's successful completion of an established and required formal program of studies; and

(7) have a library and equipment and resources available that are adequate for the size of the student body and the scope of the program offered.

(j) The following types of study shall not be substituted for or counted toward the coursework requirements of this regulation:

(1) Academic coursework that has been audited rather than graded;

(2) academic coursework for which the applicant received an incomplete or failing grade;

(3) coursework that the board determines is not closely related to the field or practice of addiction counseling;

(4) coursework or training provided by any college, university, institute, or training program that does not meet the requirements of subsections (h) and (i); and

(5) any continuing education, in-service activity, or on-the-job training.

Notes

Kan. Admin. Regs. § 102-7-3

Authorized by K.S.A. 74-7507; implementing K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 65-6610; effective, T-102-7-1-11, July 1, 2011; effective, T-102-10-27-11, Oct. 27, 2011; effective Jan. 20, 2012; amended, T-102-7-16-13, July 16, 2013; amended Dec. 2, 2013; amended by Kansas Register Volume 43, No. 23; effective 6/21/2024.