The CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) certification and the LCADC (Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor) license are both granted by the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Consumer Affairs, State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners’ Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee (ADCC/the Committee) to alcohol and drug counselors in the State of New Jersey. 

The primary difference between the CADC and the LCADC is that the LCADC is a Master's-level clinican permitted to conduct unsupervised independent practice whereas the CADC is required to practice under the supervision of an approved supervisor. Both the LCADC and the CADC can make assessments; however, the CADC cannot make diagnoses. LCADCs are permitted to supervise CADC, LCADCs, alcohol and drug counselor interns, and credentialed interns; the CADC cannot supervise. 

The educational requirements for the LCADC and CADC (N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3) both require 270 hours of alcohol and drug education. The CADC requires a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree or a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. The LCADC (N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b) must possess a master’s degree or a doctorate in addictions or a counseling-related field from an accredited institution of higher learning. Both credentials require similar hours of supervised practice.

The CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) certification and the LCADC (Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor) license are both granted by the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Consumer Affairs, State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners’ Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee (ADCC/the Committee) to alcohol and drug counselors in the State of New Jersey. 

The primary difference between the CADC and the LCADC is that the LCADC is permitted to conduct unsupervised independent practice whereas the CADC is required to practice under the supervision of an approved supervisor. Both the LCADC and the CADC can make assessments; however, the CADC cannot make diagnoses. LCADCs are permitted to supervise CADC, LCADCs, alcohol and drug counselor interns, and credentialed interns; the CADC cannot supervise. 

The educational requirements for the LCADC and CADC (N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3) both require 270 hours of alcohol and drug education. The CADC requires a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree or a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. The LCADC (N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b) must possess a master’s degree or a doctorate in addictions or a counseling-related field from an accredited institution of higher learning. Both credentials require similar hours of supervised practice.

An applicant for certification as a CADC must obtain pre-approval of the applicant’s plan of supervision. See the Proposed Plan of Supervision application on the ADCC webpage: http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ (Click Alcohol and Drug Committee; Click Applications and Forms; Click Proposed Plan of Supervision for CADC/LCADC (Internship). 

An applicant shall submit evidence of the following to the ADCC: 

Supervised Internship N.J.A.C. 13:34-2.3(c) 

• Completion of two years (3,000 hours; full time = 1,500 hours per year maximum) supervised work experience within five consecutive years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application. 

• Supervised work experience may be paid or voluntary time working directly with alcohol or other drug clients. 

• Paid or voluntary time shall be directly related to the 12 core functions of alcohol and drug counseling. 

• A one-year, full-time equivalent shall be 1,500 hours maximum over a one-year, 50-week period. Clinical supervision of alcohol and drug counselor interns shall include at least 50 hours of face-to-face supervision per year, averaging one hour per week. No more than 25 hours shall be group supervision. 

• Work experience can be obtained from more than one agency. 

• Work experience may be part-time as long as the two-year requirement (3,000 hours) is satisfied within five consecutive years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application. 

• Formal education may not be substituted for work experience. 

Education N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b-1 

• Official transcript(s)/certificate(s) indicating that the applicant has satisfied the following educational requirements: 

• Received a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree or a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency, and 

• Completed 270 hours of alcohol and drug education [N.J.A.C. 13:34 2.3b4] (See question #5 in this section) approved by member boards of the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) [Addiction Professionals Certification Board of New Jersey - APCBNJ or its successor], the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NADAAC - only for those states that have NAADAC certification), or a regionally accredited college or university which shall be related to the knowledge and skills associated with the core functions of an alcohol and drug counselor, including formal classroom education, workshops, seminars, institutes, in-service training, or a maximum of 54 course hours in distance learning programs. 

Supervised Practicum Training N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3-(b) 

• Complete 300 hours of supervised practical training in alcohol and drug counseling distributed among all the 12 core functions: screening; intake; orientation; assessment; treatment planning; counseling (individual, group, and family); case management; crisis intervention; client education; referral; consultation; and recordkeeping. A qualified clinical supervisor’s certification must be included with the application indicating that the applicant has met the supervision requirements for certification as set forth In N.J.A.C. 13:34C-6. 

Self-Help Meeting Attendance N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b-5 (b)

• Attendance at 30 alcohol and drug abuse self-help group meetings, of which a minimum of five meetings shall be Alcoholics Anonymous. A minimum of five shall be Narcotics Anonymous, and a minimum of five meetings shall be Al-Anon. The other 15 meetings may be in any self- help group related to addiction recovery. 

Examination N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b-6 

• Successful completion of the written and oral examination developed and prepared by the IC&RC. 

Other N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b-7 

• A completed application form, which contains information concerning the applicant’s educational and experiential background. The application can be found at: http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ (Click Alcohol and Drug Committee; Click Applications and Forms; Click Application for Licensure or Certification as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor 

• A non-refundable application filing fee of $75 as set forth in N.J.A.C. 13:34C-1:10 must be included with the application.

Supervised Internship N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b-3 

• Completion of two years (3,000 hours; full time = 1,500 hours per year) supervised work experience within five consecutive years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application. Supervised work experience may be paid or voluntary time working directly with alcohol or other drug clients. 

• Paid or voluntary time shall be directly related to the 12 core functions of alcohol and drug counseling. 

• A one-year, full-time equivalent shall be 1,500 hours maximum over a one-year, 50-week period. Clinical supervision of alcohol and drug counselor interns shall include at least 50 hours of face-to-face supervision per year, averaging one hour per week. No more than 25 hours shall be group supervision. 

• Work experience can be obtained from more than one agency. 

• Work experience may be part-time as long as the two-year requirement (3,000 hours) is satisfied within five consecutive years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application.

• Formal education may not be substituted for work experience. 

• Must obtain pre-approval of the applicant’s plan of supervision. See application of supervision on the Alcohol and Drug Counselor webpage: http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ (Click Alcohol and Drug ADCC; Click Applications and Forms; Click Proposed Plan of Supervision for CADC/LCADC (Internship) 

Education N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.2b-1 (b) 

An official transcript(s)/certificate(s) indicating that the applicant has satisfied the following educational requirements: 

• Received a master’s degree in counseling or addictions or a counseling-related field as described below and in N.J.A.C. 13:34C-1.2. 

• Completed 270 hours of alcohol and drug education (See question #5 in this section) approved by member boards of the International Certification Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), [Addiction Professionals Certification Board – APCBNJ or its successor], NADAAC (only for those states that have NAADAC certification), or a regionally accredited college or university which shall be related to the knowledge and skills associated with the core functions of an alcohol and drug counselor, including formal classroom education, workshops, seminars, institutes, in-service training, or a maximum of 54 course hours in distance learning programs.

PLEASE NOTE: The 270 hours of required alcohol and drug education for LCADC candidates may be part of the master’s degree program as long as the course is provided by an approved educational provider of such matriculated course work. See questions #5, 6, 7 and 8 of Section II for more information regarding approved education providers. 

Supervised Practical Training N.J.A.C. 13:34C-6.2 

Completion of 300 hours of supervised practical training in alcohol and drug counseling distributed among all the 12 core functions: screening; intake; orientation; assessment; treatment planning; counseling (individual, group, and family); case management; crisis intervention; client education; referral; consultation; and recordkeeping. 

Self-Help Meeting Attendance N.J.A.C. 13:342.3B-5 

Attendance at 30 alcohol and drug abuse self-help group meetings, of which a minimum of five meetings shall be Alcoholics Anonymous, a minimum of five shall be Narcotics Anonymous, and a minimum of five meetings shall be Al-Anon. The other 15 meetings may be in any self-help group related to addiction recovery. 

Examination N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b-6 

Successful completion of the written and oral examination developed and prepared by the IC&RC. 

Individuals holding a master’s degree and/or those who have completed certain graduate programs are not exempt from the written and/or oral exam. The exemption applies only to those individuals who hold an active New Jersey clinical license in an appropriate discipline as listed on page 15 of the LCADC application. The professional license must be appropriate to provide independent (non-supervised) practice at the master’s or doctorate level and includes: 

• Ph.D./Psy.D. – Doctor of Psychology (New Jersey licensed) 

• M.D/D.O. – Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (New Jersey licensed) 

• LCSW – Licensed Clinical Social Worker (New Jersey licensed) 

• APN – Advanced Practice Nurse (New Jersey licensed) 

• LPC – Licensed Professional Counselor (New Jersey licensed) 

• LMFT – Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (New Jersey licensed) 

PLEASE NOTE: Exemption of the written exam applies to New Jersey licensure. The satisfactory completion of the written exam may be required to approve licensure for practice in other states. 

Other (N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b-7) 

A completed application form, which contains information concerning the applicant’s educational and experiential background. The application can be found at: http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ (Click Alcohol and Drug Committee; Click Applications and Forms; Click Application for Licensure or Certification as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor (Regular Application) 

A non-refundable application fee of $75 as set forth in N.J.A.C. 13:34C-1:10 must be included with the application.

An “alcohol and drug counselor intern” is a non-credentialed individual working towards certification or licensure as a drug and alcohol counselor. 

A “credentialed intern” is an individual working towards licensure as a LCADC who already possesses a professional clinical license in counseling or in a closely-related field (e.g., LPC, LCSW, LMFT, and APN). 

Both the alcohol and drug counselor intern and the credentialed intern must be supervised by a qualified clinical supervisor as described in N.J.A.C. 13:34C-6-2 and 6.3.

Both the CADC and the Master’s level LCADC applicants must complete the same 270 hours of alcohol and drug education, approved by member boards of the International Certification Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) [APCBNJ in New Jersey or its successor], the NAADAC (such approval is only valid for courses taken in those states that have NAADAC certification), or a regionally accredited college or university which shall be related to the knowledge and skill associated with the functions of an alcohol and drug counselor, including formal classroom education, workshops, seminars, institutes, in-service training, or a maximum of 54 course hours in distance learning programs as follows: 

54 course hours of assessment, with a minimum of 6 hours in each of the topics and distributed among all of the following: 

• Initial interviewing process; 

• Biopsychosocial assessment; 

• Differential diagnosis; 

• Diagnostic summaries; 

• Compulsive gambling; and 

• Psychopharmacology/physiology of addiction 

54 course hours of counseling, with a minimum of 6 hours in each of the topics and distributed among all of the following: 

• Introduction to counseling; 

• Introduction to techniques and approaches; 

• Crisis intervention; 

• Individual counseling focused on addiction; 

• Group counseling; and 

• Family counseling 

54 course hours of case management, with a minimum of 6 hours in each of the topics and distributed among all of the following: 

• Community resources; 

• Consultation; 

• Documentation; and 

• HIV positive resources 

54 course hours of client education, with a minimum of 6 hours in each of the topics and distributed among all of the following: 

• Addiction recovery; 

• Psychological client education; 

• Biochemical/medical client education; 

• Sociocultural client education; 

• Addiction recovery and psychological family education; 

• Biomedical and sociocultural family education; and 

• Community and professional education 

54 course hours of professional responsibility, with a minimum of 6 hours in each of the topics and distributed among all of the following: 

• Ethical standards; 

• Legal aspects; 

• Cultural competency; 

• Professional growth; 

• Personal growth; 

• Dimensions of recovery; 

• Supervision; Consultation; and 

• Community involvement 

PLEASE NOTE: The 270 hours of required alcohol and drug education can be part of a degree program for LCADC candidates as long as the course is given by an approved provider of such course work. See questions #5, 6, 7 and 8 of Section II for more information regarding approved education providers.

An LCADC also requires a master’s degree in counseling, addictions or a counseling-related area, which shall include a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in counseling from an accredited institution of higher education. The education must be designed to ensure that students achieve competency in the knowledge and skills associated with the core functions of an alcohol and drug counselor and must be part of a matriculated program in an addictions or counseling-related area may include pre- and post-master’s graduate hours and must be distributed among the following areas: 

• Counseling theory and practice; 

• The helping relationship; 

• Human growth and development; 

• Lifestyle and career development; 

• Group dynamics, processes, counseling, and consulting; 

• Assessment of individuals; 

• Social and cultural foundations; 

• Research and evaluation; 

• The counseling profession; and 

• Pharmacology and physiology 

The 18 hours of graduate course work can also apply toward the required 270 hours of required core course work as listed on page 16 of the LCADC application. If using academic coursework, the applicant must also submit verification from the APCBNJ or the academic institution that the course work was pre-approved as initial core training. If an individual is unsure if the course work has been pre-approved, please contact APCBNJ for verification. If it has not been pre-approved, the APCBNJ can approve core content areas in the academic course work after the fact. For more information, visit http://www.certbd.org.

The length of the process to be licensed as a LCADC or certified as a CADC depends on the course of study pursued. Both the LCADC and the CADC require 270 education hours of essential core courses in alcohol and drug counseling and 3,000 supervised experience hours at an approved internship. The whole process takes an average of 3 years to complete. 

EDUCATION HOURS 

• The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services offers scholarships for the 270 required education hours to be completed through the New Jersey Prevention Network (NJPN). NJPN courses can be taken once a week for 45 weeks thus completing the educational requirements within one year. 

• Colleges and universities may offer credit courses throughout academic semesters. In this case, it may take two or more years to complete coursework 

SUPERVISED EXPERIENCE HOURS 

• If a candidate is interning full time, the 3,000 required supervised experience hours may be completed in two years; part-time would take longer. 

• Internship hours are required to be completed within the five years preceding the application.

The educational requirements for the LCADC (Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor) and CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor)—N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3—both require 270 hours of alcohol and drug education. 

• The CADC requires a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree or a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. 

• The LCADC (N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3b) must possess a master’s degree or a doctorate in addictions or a counseling-related field from an accredited institution of higher learning. 

• Both credentials require similar hours of supervised practice.

The CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) certification and the LCADC (Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor) license are both granted by the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Consumer Affairs, State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners’ Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee (ADCC/the Committee) to alcohol and drug counselors in the State of New Jersey. 

The primary difference between the CADC and the LCADC is that the LCADC is permitted to conduct unsupervised independent practice whereas the CADC is required to practice under the supervision of an approved supervisor. Both the LCADC and the CADC can make assessments; however, the CADC cannot make diagnoses. LCADCs are permitted to supervise CADCs, alcohol and drug counselor interns, and credentialed interns; the CADC cannot supervise.

The Invest in You Clinical Workforce Training program by NJPN and NJ-DMHAS offers professional development opportunities and certifications for individuals of all career levels. The general stages of addiction counseling certification are:

Step 1: Obtaining an ADC intern position.

• Your journey to credential begins with securing an ADC (Alcohol Drug Counselor) internship at a DMHAS (Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services) licensed SUD (Substance Use Disorder) Treatment Agency.

Step 2: Approval of Proposed Plan of Supervision with DCA-ADCC.

• You will need to submit your application for your Plan of Supervision through DCA-ADCC.

Step 3: Sign up with NJPN for Training and Complete Coursework.

• NJPN offers initial addiction counseling certification or licensure courses that fulfill all educational hours by the state of NJ.

Step 4: Earn your Certification or License by Passing Your Exam.

• In order to practice as a certified or licensed addiction professional in NJ, you must pass the oral and written alcohol drug counselor exams. 

Step 5: Maintaining Your Credentials.

• NJPN makes it easy to keep your certification or license current with our mandatory and advanced renewal continuing education trainings.  

Specialize: Nurture the Next Generation by Becoming a Certified Clinical Supervisor or Addiction Course Trainer.

• Clinical Supervision: Invest in yourself and your community to a greater degree by becoming a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) for the next generation of addiction professionals.

• NJPN Addiction Course Trainer: Help expand the substance misuse treatment and recovery workforce—join the NJPN Clinical Workforce team as an “Invest in You” course trainer for our L/CADC students.