Exam Information
- See Exam Information below
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Applicants for the co-occurring disorder specialist enhancement must take and pass the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) Level 1 or higher exam after they complete the 60-hour training course specifically relating to substance use treatment which is approved by the department.
Approval Process
Applicants must complete and submit the full application to the department for review. Once we approve the applicant's education and supervised experience, we'll send notification via email to the applicant with instructions on registering for the exam.
If you completed the approved education course and are requesting approval to sit for the exam before completing the supervised hours, you'll need to contact the course provider for approval.
Education and Experience
- Requirements
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To obtain the co-occurring specialist applicants must complete a 60-hour training course specifically relating to substance use treatment and approved by the department. Other training courses and college courses do not count toward the requirements. It is the completion of a specific individual course. Not an aggregate of courses.
The training course consists of 30 hours in understanding the disease pattern of addiction and the pharmacology of alcohol and other drugs; and 30 hours in understanding addiction placement, continuing care, and discharge criteria including the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria; treatment planning specific to substance abuse; relapse prevention; and confidentiality issues specific to substance use disorder treatment.
Supervised Experience Requirement
The experience requirement for a Co-Occurring Disorder Specialist enhancement consists of:
- 80 hours of supervised experience for an applicant with fewer than 5 years of experience under their primary license; or
- 40 hours of supervised experience for an applicant with more than 5 years of experience under their primary license.
Approved Supervisor
To meet the educational component of the co-occurring specialist, the applicant must obtain experience hours under a licensed Substance Use Disorder Professional or someone who meets the requirements to become an SUDP and would be eligible to take the exam required for certification.