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Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Counselor Certification
- With Registered Dual Disorder Professional (RDDP)
RDDP Home
Maintaining Your Credentials
Members holding both the AODA Counselor Certification and the RDDP will be required to submit continuing education units (CEUs) every two years. Notification of expiration will be made no fewer than 30 days prior to the expiration date. They will submit their biennial certification/registration fee and CEUs to the IAODAPCA by their expiration date. Forms for the documentation of CEUs will accompany the notification and must be completed, signed, and submitted with proof of attendance and a copy of their current license as an Independent Practitioner and current AODA Counselor certification. CEUs should not be submitted until notification of expiration. CEUS will not be accepted by fax.
- Continuing Education Policy
- Forty (40) CEUs are required to maintain credentials and must be earned within the two-year credentialing period. CEUs are not transferable to any other credentialing period. CEUS obtained prior to the initial date of registration/endorsement are not eligible to be used for maintaining credentials. CEU credit is only given once for a training event, even if it is repeated during different credentialing periods. A CEU is equivalent to one clock hour of instruction time. (Excluded is non-program time such as breaks, social hours, registration time, meal times) One college semester hour of credit is equivalent to 15 CEUs, one college trimester hour of credit is equivalent to 12 CEUs, and one college quarter hour of credit is equivalent to 10 CEUs.
- All 40 CEUs required to maintain credentials must be recognized or petitioned for IAODAPCA CEUs. Continuing education is broken down into two categories. Some continuing education may be recognized by IAODAPCA for both categories.
CATEGORY I - Minimum 15 CEUs of education specific to alcohol and other drug abuse/dependency.
Examples - pharmacology, the effects of alcohol or drugs on the human body, signs and symptoms of use or abuse, dynamics of the addiction process, medical treatment issues, detoxification/withdrawal, relapse, AODA rules and regulations, AODA special populations, history of AODA.
CATEGORY II - Minimum 25 CEUs of education specific to knowledge and skills related to counselor skills, competencies, and knowledge base, and must include education specific to co-morbidity.
CSADCs and CAADCs - six (6) of the 25 CEUS needed for Category II must be training received in how to provide clinical supervision.
Examples Of Counselor Skills, Competencies And Knowledge Base - theory/techniques of therapeutic approaches, human behavior/development, dysfunctional behavior, family dynamics, domestic violence, cultural issues, special populations, social services, confidentiality, legal systems, intervention/prevention strategies, health/safety, professional relationship dynamics, crisis intervention.
Examples Of Co-Morbidity - counseling approaches with dual disordered clients, attitudes toward dual disordered populations, roles and boundaries, and dual disordered special populations.
- Sources of Continuing Education Units
- Recognized programs are training/education programs IAODAPCA has identified as fulfilling the criteria for CEU credit and have been awarded CEUs by IAODAPCA or are pre-recognized sources. The certificate of completion will contain the name of the participant, name of the program, date of program, program number assigned by IAODAPCA, number of CEUs, and the category.
- Structured individual continuing education, such as IAODAPCA Bibliocredit Reading Program and other self-study programs, is available to AODA counselors with a maximum of 15 CEUs every two (2) years.
- Up to 12 Category II CEUs every two years may be obtained for volunteer time serving as a member of the Board of Directors, a member of a Board committee, or a member of another IAODAPCA committee.
- Providing clinical supervision to an AODA practicum student qualifies for up to 15 CEUs in a two-year certification period.
- Teaching and training other AODA Professionals in AODA Knowledge or Competency Areas qualifies for up to a maximum of 15 CEUs in a two-year certification period. The number of CEUs awarded will be equal to the number of hours spent in actual training time. Patient education and public education lectures are not eligible. Presentations for which the AODA counselor has previously received credit are also not eligible.
- Research papers accepted for publication, reading, or discussion at a professional meeting or conference, and professional publications qualify for up to a maximum of 15 CEUs in a two-year certification period. The topic must pertain to alcohol and other drug abuse and/or co-morbidity issues. The work can be counted only once, even though presented in more than one format or location.
- Agency In-service Education and Training Programs
Of the 40 CEUs required biennially, 20 CEUs may be agency in-service training programs. Inservices not awarded CEU recognition by IAODAPCA may be petitioned for CEUs.
- Validation of Continuing Education
Certified AODA counselors/RDDPs must document they have obtained CEUs and submit the appropriate validation for each educational experience.
- Certificates or other proof of completion for IAODAPCA recognized or petitioned trainings.
- Transcripts or other official grade reports for college or university courses.
- Procedures for Counselors to Petition for CEUs
Not all educational experiences available to the certified AODA counselor/RDDP will have been awarded CEUs by IAODAPCA, requiring a petition for CEU credit. Requests are to be submitted to IAODAPCA on the petition form:
Requests will be reviewed within 30 days, and the Certified AODA Counselor/RDDP will be notified of the results, and if recognized, will be informed of the number of CEUs awarded.
- Extension of Continuing Education Requirements
An AODA counselor/RDDP unable to meet the continuing education requirements for renewal may request an extension, in writing. Extensions are $10.00 per month for up to six months from his or her expiration date. An AODA counselor/RDDP not meeting the CEU requirement after the six-month extension shall not be permitted to place his or her credential on inactive status and shall be terminated. Reinstatement shall be through completing the full credential requirement.
NOTE: The AODA counselor/RDDP should remember that this process leaves only 18 months to obtain CEU credit for the current re-certification period.
- Inactive Status
An AODA counselor/RDDP in good standing unable to meet the continuing education requirements renewal due to health or extenuating personal reasons may place their certificate on inactive status if they meet the requirements. The process for reactivation from inactive status will then be followed when the counselor wishes to activate his/her credential.
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