N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34C-2.2 - Application procedure: licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor

(a) An applicant for licensure as a clinical alcohol and drug counselor shall submit the following to the Committee:

1. A completed application form, which contains information concerning the applicant's educational and experiential background;

2. The non-refundable application fee set forth in N.J.A.C. 13:34C-1.11;

3. An official transcript(s)/certificate(s) indicating that the applicant has satisfied the educational requirements as set forth in (b) below and N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3(b)1 and 4;

4. A supervisor's certification indicating that the applicant has met the supervision requirements for licensure as set forth in N.J.A.C. 13:34C-6; and

5. A Certification and Authorization Form for a Criminal History Background Check.

(b) An applicant shall furnish evidence that the applicant has:

1. Received a master's degree in counseling from an accredited institution of higher education, as defined in N.J.A.C. 13:34C-1.2, or received a master's degree in an addictions or counseling related area which shall include a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in counseling from an accredited institution of higher education. The required 18 graduate semester hours for the master's degree in an addictions or counseling related area may include pre and post master's graduate semester hours and must be distributed among the following areas:

i. Counseling theory and practice, which includes the study of basic theories, principles and techniques of counseling and their application to professional counseling settings;

ii. The helping relationship, which includes studies that provide a broad understanding of philosophic bases of helping processes, basic and advanced helping skills, consultation theories and their applications, client and helper self-understanding and self-development, and facilitation or consultee change;

iii. Human growth and development and maladaptive behavior, which includes studies that provide a broad understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, normal and abnormal behavior, personality theory, life-span theory, and learning theory within cultural contexts;

iv. Lifestyle and career development, which include studies that provide a broad understanding of career development theories, occupational and educational information sources and systems, career and leisure counseling, guidance and education, lifestyle and career decision-making, career development program planning, resources, and career option identification;

v. Group dynamics, processes, counseling and consulting, which include studies that provide a broad understanding of group development dynamics, group counseling theories, group leadership styles, basic and advanced group counseling methods and skills, and other group approaches;

vi. Assessment of individuals, which includes studies that provide a broad understanding of group and individual educational and psychometric theories and approaches to assessment, data and information gathering methods, validity and reliability, psychometric statistics, factors that influence assessment, use of assessment results in helping process and the specific ability to administer and interpret tests and inventories to assess abilities, interests, and identify career options;

vii. Social and cultural foundations, which include studies that provide a broad understanding of societal changes and trends, human roles, societal subgroups, social mores and interaction patterns, multicultural and pluralistic trends, differing lifestyles, and major societal concerns including stress, personal abuse, substance abuse, discrimination and methods of alleviating these concerns;

viii. Research and evaluation, which include studies that provide a broad understanding of types of research, basic statistics, research-report development, research implementation, program evaluation, needs assessment, publication of research information and ethical and legal considerations;

ix. The counseling profession, which includes studies that provide a broad understanding of professional roles and functions, professional goals and objectives, professional organizations and associations, professional history and trends, ethical and legal standards, professional preparation standards and professional credentialing; and

x. Pharmacology and physiology, which includes topics related to physiology of alcohol/drug use, abuse, dependency and addiction; neurophysiology of chemical use; psychopharmacology; therapeutic and appropriate use of pharmaceutical drugs; physical health and the use/abuse of drugs; psychiatric medications in the treatment of mental illness and dual diagnoses; appropriate use of prescribed medications for recovering chemically dependent clients/patients; treatment of chronic pain and clinical testing of body fluids and hair; and

2. Successfully completed the following requirements to be a certified alcohol and drug counselor consistent with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3(b)2 and N.J.S.A. 45:2D-5:

i. Three hundred hours of supervised practical training in alcohol and drug counseling;

ii. Two years of supervised work experience within five consecutive years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application;

iii. Two hundred seventy hours of alcohol and drug education;

iv. Attended the 30 alcohol and drug abuse self-help group meetings;

v. A written examination developed and prepared by the ICRC, or its successor; and

vi. An oral examination developed and prepared by the ICRC, or its successor, on the applicant's written case presentation.

(c) An application shall be deemed abandoned and closed if:

1. The application has not been completed by the applicant within 12 months after it was received by the Committee; or

2. The applicant fails to sit for or pass the written and/or oral sections of the examination within 12 months or any 12-month period thereafter upon written notification of eligibility to take the examination.

(d) An application submitted subsequent to the abandonment of a prior application shall be treated as a new application and shall comply with the requirements of (a) and (b) above.

(e) After the third attempt or thereafter to pass the written and/or oral sections of the examination, the applicant may not reapply a fourth time or any time thereafter without having first successfully completed and passed a course(s) in the subject matter(s) in which the examination has demonstrated the applicant's deficiencies.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34C-2.2

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 664(a), effective 4/3/2017