Practice Setting Changes
Changes made during the 2014 legislative session allow practitioners credentialed in the state as substance use disorder professionals or substance use disorder professional trainees to practice outside of a Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery-approved agency if the practitioner also holds an active Washington state credential as an:
- Advanced registered nurse practitioner;
- Marriage and family therapist;
- Mental health counselor;
- Advanced or independent clinical social worker;
- Psychologist;
- Osteopathic physician or physician's assistant;
- Or allopathic physician or physician's assistant.
Providers must have a substance use disorder credential in order to use the title. The Substance Use Disorder Professional Program is working on rules to allow these professionals to have an alternative path to certification. For more information on this process, see the Rules in Progress webpage.