Certified Addiction Counselor
Clinical Training Program
Handbook for Addiction
Counselors (CAC/LAC)
CAC Handbo
ook forr Addicction Co
ounselors
Re
evised July 1, 2015
Table of
o Conttents
Information Regardin
ng the Addicction Counse
elor Certificcation and Liicensure Rulles
(eff. 11-0
01-2013)……………………………………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
…… 3
Roles of the Office of
o Behaviora
al Health (OB
BH) and Dep
partment of Regulatory Agencies
(DORA), NAADAC and
d CAAP……………………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
…. 5
Pathwayss to Certification and Liicensure………
……………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
….. 6
Information Every CA
AC Applicant Needs to Know……………
K
……………………
……………………
……………..……
…. 7
Work Verrification Fo
orm and Clin
nically Superrvised Work Experience …………………
……………….……
….. 9
Clinical Supervision
S
in
i OBH CAC Rules (21.33
30.7)………… ……………………
……………………
…………………... 10
National Examinations (NAADAC).…………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
…………..………
…. 13
DORA Da
atabase Listing Requirem
ments for Ad
ddiction Cou nselors………
……….……………
……………………
…. 14
Online Ju
urisprudence
e Exam………
……………………………………… ………………………………………
……………………
…. 15
Summary
y of Required Classes for CAC I, CAC
C II, and CAC
C III (High Scchool diplom
ma or Behaviioral
Health Bachelor’s De
egree…………………………………………………
……………………
……………………
………………...... 16
CAC Certtification Tra
acking Sheet (High Scho
ool diploma or Behaviorral Health Ba
achelor’s
Degree)............................................................................................…………….... 17
Summary
y of Required Classes for CAC II for those who h
hold a Cliniccal Master’s or Doctoratte
Degree…………………………………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
………………..... 18
Summary
y of Required Classes for CAC III or LAC for thosse who hold a Clinical M
Master’s or
Doctoratte Degree……
……………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
………………………………………….19
Summary
y of Training
g Requireme
ents for CAC II, CAC III aand LAC for tthose who h
hold a Clinica
al
Master’s or Doctoratte Degree……
……………………
……………………
……………………
……………………
………………...... 20
CAC and LAC Trackin
ng Sheet (Cliinical Maste
er’s and Docttorate Degre
ee)………………
………………….... 21
Education Equivalency for Addicction Counse
elor Certificaation……………
……………………
…………………... 22
Course Descriptions
D
of the Required CAC Cliinical Trainiing Program Classes………
…………………... 24
Revised 07/2015
2
Welcome
e to the CAC
C/LAC Handb
book for Add
diction Coun
nselors developed by the
e Office of
Behaviorral Health CA
AC Clinical Training
T
Program to help
p guide individuals interested in
obtaining
g an addictio
on counselor credentiall in Colorado
o. This Hand
dbook is desiigned to be used
in conjun
nction with the
t OBH Add
diction Coun
nselor Certiffication and Licensure R
Rules, 2 CCR
R
502-1, 21
1.330, effec
ctive 11/1/2013, for an understandiing of the ce
ertification and licensurre
process. It is the ind
dividual’s re
esponsibilityy to access aand review the laws and
d rules for
Addiction
n Counselor Certificatio
on and Licensure. Pleasse be sure yyou are lookiing at the m
most
recent ve
ersion of thiis handbook.
Addictio
A
on Coun
nselor C
Certificcation
and
a Lic
censure
e Rules Informa
ation
The Colo
orado Departtment of Human Service
es approved and adopte
ed the revise
ed Addiction
n
Counselo
or Certificatiion and Lice
ensure Ruless (CAC Rules ) effective N
November 1, 2013. A co
opy
of these rules can be
e found on the
t OBH web
bsite: www. colorado.go
ov/cdhs/dbh
h. Click on
Workforc
ce Developm
ment, then CAC
C Clinical Training Pro
ogram for alll related infformation.
The CAC Rules estab
blish a standard of excelllence in traaining addicttion counsellors in Colorrado
to includ
de:








Clarification of the core competenciies expected
d of addictio
on counselorrs
Prerequisitess for specificc required trraining classses
Education req
quirements for each cerrtification le
evel
In
ncreased em
mphasis on cllinical superrvision prepaaration and practice
National exam
mination req
quirements for
f CAC II, C
CAC III and LLAC
Fiive-year lim
mit on trainin
ng classes
Fiive-year lim
mit on nation
nal exam
A simplified pathway
p
for individuals who hold a clinical Massters or Docttorate degre
ee
and wish to acquire
a
an addiction cre
edential.
The CAC Clinical Tra
aining Progra
am is designed to train aaddiction co
ounselors to work
effective
ely within a variety of trreatment se
ettings and w
with a varietty of addictiive behaviorrs.
The requ
uired training classes forr certificatio
on have bee
en updated a
and realigne
ed. All required
trainings are expecte
ed to incorp
porate evide
ence-based sscience-drive
en practicess currently b
being
utilized in
i the addiction treatme
ent field. If prerequisite
es are required, every sstudent will be
required to present certificates or transcrip
pts as proof of having ta
aken the pre
erequisite.
Revised 07/2015
3
Addictio
on Counselling in Colo
orado
Certified
d and license
ed addiction
n counselors possess a bo
ody of know
wledge, skillss, training a
and
work exp
perience in the
t treatment of addicttive behavio rs that distinguishes the
e addiction
counselin
ng profession from othe
er health carre profession
ns. Prepara
ation for a ca
areer as an
addiction
n professional is availab
ble through OBH
O
approve
ed training a
and academ
mic classes; sskills
developm
ment; clinica
ally supervissed work exp
perience; an
nd demonstrration of kno
owledge by
passing the
t required NAADAC ex
xam. The po
otential app
plicant will n
need to acce
ess informattion
from botth the DORA and the OBH websites to
t create a career deve
elopment pla
an.
Certifica
ation
Counselo
or certificatiion is availab
ble to those
e individuals with variou
us levels of a
academic
preparattion in the co
ounseling fie
eld and is co
omprised of three levelss:

Certified Add
diction Counselor Level I (CAC I) is d
defined as a
an entry-leve
el certificatiion.

Certified Add
diction Counselor Level II (CAC II) iss defined as a counselorr who may
co
onduct addiction treatm
ment service
es independe
ently and m ay perform the complette
ra
ange of duties associate
ed with addiction treatm
ment, with tthe exceptio
on of clinical
su
upervision.

Certified Add
diction Counselor Level III (CAC III) h
has the auth
hority to pra
actice
in
ndependentlly and assum
me clinical supervision d
duties.
Licensure
A License
ed Addiction
n Counselor (LAC) is a crredentialingg level that rrequires a clinical Master’s
degree, proof
p
of passsing the NAA
ADAC MAC exam,
e
and co
ompletion o
of all require
ements for a CAC
III.
Revised 07/2015
4
Colorado
C
Office
O
of Behaviorral Health
h (OBH)
Colora
ado Depa
artment of
o Regulattory Agen
ncies (DO
ORA
NAADA
AC: The Associatio
A
on for Addiction P
Profession
nals
Colorad
do Association of Addiction
A
n Professiionals (CA
AAP)
OBH
The Colo
orado Office of Behaviorral Health (O
OBH) is locatted in the C
Colorado Dep
partment of
Human Services (CDH
HS). OBH is responsible
e for the maanagement a
and oversight of the
Certified
d Addiction Counselor
C
(C
CAC) Clinicall Training Prrogram and establishes the education,
training, supervised work experiience standa
ards and req
quirements ffor the addiction
professio
onal workforrce. http://ww
ww.colorado.govv/cs/Satellite/CD
DHSBehavioralHe
ealth/CBON/125
51578892077
DORA
The Colo
orado Departtment of Regulatory Age
encies (DOR
RA) is the sta
ate agency tthat regulate
es
the beha
avioral healtth profession
ns in Colorad
do and is ressponsible for the registrration,
certificattion and lice
ensure of ad
ddiction counselors. DO
ORA establish
hes fees, evvaluates the
qualifications of app
plicants; app
proves certiffication and licensure fo
or qualified practitionerrs;
and invesstigates grie
evances agaiinst mental health profe
essionals.
http://cdn.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Pag
ge&childpagenam
me=DORA/DORALLayout&cid=12499686120221&paggename=CBONWrapper
AC
NAADA
NAADAC is the Assoc
ciation that advocates
a
fo
or addiction
n counseling professiona
als and service
providerss nationally and interna
ationally. NA
AADAC's Misssion “is to le
ead, unify an
nd empowerr
addiction
n focused prrofessionals to achieve excellence
e
tthrough education, advo
ocacy,
developmen
knowledg
ge, standard
ds of practicce, ethics, professional
p
nt and resea
arch." NAADA
AC
has thoussands of me
embers and state
s
affiliattes in most sstates, provvides relevan
nt membersh
hip
benefits,, publishes the
t magazine “Addiction
n Profession
nal” and the newsletter “NAADAC
News.” NAADAC offers nationall credentialing for addicction service
es providers (see below for
details) and
a develop
ps national examinations
e
s that can be
e used by an
ny state as a requireme
ent
for state certificatio
on or licensu
ure as is the case in Colo
orado. www.naadac.org
CAAP
CAAP is the
t Colorado
o state affiliiate of NAAD
DAC. CAAP iis also know
wn as the Socciety of
Addiction
n Counselorss of Colorado (SACC). CA
AAP represe
ents the add
diction counsseling workfforce
in Colora
ado and is co
ommitted to
o offering itss members m
many benefiits, includingg educational
opportun
nities and tra
aining and increased professional sttanding via representattion at the lo
ocal,
state and
d national le
evels. Memb
bership in NA
AADAC auto
omatically co
onfers membership in C
CAAP.
www.caap.u
us
Revised 07/2015
5
Pathway
ys to Certtification and Licensure
Certification and/or licensure fo
or Addiction Counseling requires:
 Clinically Sup
pervised Worrk Experiencce
 Addiction
A
Spe
ecific Training and Educcation
 Proof of passing the designated NAADAC Nationaal Examinatiion.
Pathwa
ay 1:
Those ind
dividuals wh
ho hold a Hig
gh School diploma or eq
quivalent are
e eligible to
o obtain a CA
AC I
or CAC II; and those who hold a Bachelor’s degree
d
in th
he behaviora
al health sciences are
eligible to
t obtain a CAC
C III.

CAC
C
I (Certiffied Addictioon Counselor, Level I) iss consideredd entry-levell. Individuaals
with
w
a high sc
chool diplom
ma or equiva
alent may ob
btain their C
CAC I by com
mpleting the
e
re
equired OBH
H approved training
t
classses, and obttaining 1,00
00 hours of cclinically
su
upervised work experien
nce.

CAC
C
II (Certiified Addictiion Counseloor, Level II) allows the ccounselor too practice
ad
ddiction treatment servvices indepe
endently (witth the excep
ption of clin
nical
su
upervision). Individualss with a High
h School dip loma or equ
uivalent are eligible to
obtain a CAC II. The app
plicant mustt first obtain
n a CAC I or meet all the
e requireme
ents
fo
or a CAC I, complete
c
the
e required number
n
of cllinically sup
pervised worrk experiencce
hours, successsfully pass the
t CAC II re
equired trai ning classess, and presen
nt proof of
passing a nattional examination. The
e CAC II app licant should obtain at least 1000 h
hours
off clinically supervised
s
work
w
experie
ence in the p
practice of p
psychothera
apy (right ha
and
box of Work Verification
V
Form) beyo
ond the hourrs earned for the CAC I tto demonstrrate
th
heir ability to
t practice psychothera
p
apy independ
dently as a C
CAC II.

CAC
C
III (Certtified Addicttion Counsellor, Level III ) is the supeervisory leveel. A Bacheloor’s
degree in the
e behavioral health sciences is requ
uired. The C
CAC II must b
be awarded by
DORA before an applican
nt is eligible to apply fo r a CAC III. The applica
ant for a CAC
C III
must
m
complete the requiired numberr of clinicallyy supervised
d work experience hourss,
su
uccessfully pass
p
the CAC
C III required
d training cllasses, and p
present proo
of of passingg a
national exam
mination.
Pathwa
ay 2:
Counselo
ors currently
y holding a clinical
c
Mastter’s or Docttorate behavvioral health
h degree ma
ay
obtain th
he CAC II or LAC after co
ompletion of appropriattely supervissed clinical work experiience
hours, OB
BH approved
d training classes (or the
e equivalentt, or a comb
bination the
ereof) and prroof
of passin
ng the NAADA
AC Master Addiction
A
Cou
unselor (MA C) exam. (See pages 23
3, 24, 25)
Revised 07/2015
6
Info
ormation every
e
CA
AC applica
ant needss to know
w:
Trainin
ng Class Time
T
Limiit: Five-Y
Year Rule
e Clarifica
ation

All
A required class
c
training certificate
es must be ssubmitted to
o DORA with
hin five (5) yyears
off the date of
o receipt or they will no
ot be acceptted by DORA
A.
Example:
E
Ap
pplicant tak
kes a class on
n 01-15-201 1 and submiits an appliccation to DO
ORA
on 07-01-2016. This classs is beyond the five-yeaar limit and
d is thereforre invalid.
However
H
the applicant has
h one yearr following ssubmission o
of the appliccation in wh
hich
to
o take the appropriate
a
class to corrrect the app
plication.
Certificates of
o training fo
or Differential Assessme
ent and Trea
atment Plan
nning if date
ed
prior to 03-01
1-11 will be accepted byy DORA to ccount for Clinical Assessment and
Treatment Pllanning if su
ubmitted witthin the five
e-year limit.
o training fo
or the two-d
day Motivatiional Interviewing class if dated priior to
Certificates of
03-01-11 will be accepte
ed by DORA if
i submitted
d within the five-year lim
mit.

These classess with a nam
me change will
w be accep
pted by DOR
RA if submittted within th
he
fiive-year limiit:
Old na
ame: Infecttious Disease
es in the Alccohol & Drugg Treatmentt Setting
New name:
n
Infecttious Disease
es in Addict ion Treatme
ent
Old na
ame: Diversiity in Treatm
ment Populaations
New name:
n
Cultu
urally Inform
med Treatme
ent.
Old na
ame: Ethical Issues in th
he Alcohol & Drug Cliniccal Setting
New name:
n
Professional Ethiccs I: Ethics & Jurisprude
ence.
National Examin
nation Time Limit

A national ex
xamination taken
t
and pa
assed has an
n expiration date of five
e (5) years p
prior
to
o the received date of application
a
to
t DORA.
Prereq
quisites fo
or Classess
It is the responsibilit
r
ty of the stu
udent to ensure prerequ
uisites are m
met before enrolling in a
any
course. Courses requiring prere
equisites are
e:

Professiona
P
al Ethics II (prerequisite
(
e is Professi onal Ethics I for Bachelor’s-level an
nd
below, no pre
erequisite fo
or Master’s and
a Doctoraate level)

Motivationa
M
al Interview
wing (prereq
quisite is Ad
ddiction Counseling Skillls for Bachelor’s
le
evel and below, no prerrequisite for Master’s an
nd Doctorate
e level)

Pharmacolo
P
ogy II (prere
equisite is Ph
harmacologyy I for all ed
ducation leve
els)

Clinical
C
Asse
essment & Treatmen
nt Planningg (prerequisiite is Client Record
Management
M
for Bachelo
or’s level and
d below)
Revised 07/2015
7

Advanced
A
Motivationa
M
al Interview
wing (prereqquisite is Mootivational Interviewingg for
all education levels)Cliniical Supervission II (prere
equisites are
e Advanced Motivationa
al
nterviewing and Clinicall Supervision
n I for all ed
ducation leve
els)
In
Legal name
n
and
d registration for courses
c

An
A individual shall verifyy that the ce
ertificates, rregistrationss and applica
ations have their
le
egal name to
o assure con
nsistency. Following
F
thiis procedure
e avoids posssible rejectiion
off an application by DOR
RA due to the
e use of nickknames, parrtial names, initials, etcc.
e Evaluatiion:
Degree

Bachelor’s
B
Degree:
D
Su
ubmission off a Bachelorr’s degree fo
or certificatiion at a CAC
CIII
le
evel must be
e in the hum
man services field with aassociated coursework rrelated to
diagnosis, tre
eatment planning, assesssment, and counseling theories. G
Generally a
human servic
ces, social work,
w
or psycchology degrree will conttain these e
elements butt a
so
ociology, nursing, or criminal justicce degree wiill not. If yo
ou believe yyour degree
qualifies, further informa
ation will be
e required o
of you, which
h may includ
de an
Educational Equivalency
E
review. This will likelyy extend the
e review tim
me needed fo
or
yo
our applicattion.

Master’s
M
De
egree or Do
octorate: Submission
S
o
of a clinical behavioral health Maste
er’s
degree or Doctorate is re
equired. Ap
ppropriate de
egrees inclu
ude: social w
work,
professional counseling,
c
marriage & family coun
nseling, addiiction counsseling,
co
ommunity counseling an
nd clinical or
o counselingg psychologyy. Third parrty payers,
licensure and
d certificatio
on boards, and
a regulato
ory organizattions require
e degrees th
hat
have counseling courses specific to assessment,
a
diagnosis, ttreatment p
planning,
trreatment, th
heories, skillls, practicum
m, internshiip, etc. If yyou have a different deggree
but believe itt meets the criteria, furrther inform
mation will b
be required o
of you, whicch
may
m include an
a Educational Equivale
ency review.. This will likely extend
d the review
w
tiime needed for your app
plication.

An
A applicant who has a clinical
c
Mastter’s or Docttorate degre
ee and wantts to apply
directly for an
a LAC (no prior
p
certification award
ded) must co
omplete all requirementts for
th
he CAC III an
nd submit to
o DORA.
Revised 07/2015
8
Wo
ork Verification Fo
orm and D
Documen
ntation off
Cllinically Supervise
S
d Work E
Experiencce Hours

Work
W
experie
ence hours shall be docu
umented usiing the Workk Verificatio
on Form (WV
VF)
within
w
the CA
AC applicatio
on found on the DORA w
website. Th
he WVF may be removed
d
frrom the app
plication and
d duplicated as needed. It is stronglly recommended that th
he
co
ounselor-in-training havve a WVF sig
gned periodiically, but n o less that q
quarterly, byy the
clinical superrvisor that in
ncludes the time frame
e, number o
of hours worrked and
numbers of hours
ervisee and the
h
of clin
nical superv
vision provi ded monthlly. The supe
su
upervisor are responsiblle for keepin
ng complete
e supervision
n records. Be
e aware tha
at no
more
m
than 20
00 hours off work expe
erience totaal will be acccepted by D
DORA in any
y
one-month period.
p
(Be mindful
m
of this when th ere is more than one cllinical superrvisor
within
w
the same time periods).

When
W
submittting your CA
AC applicatio
on to DORA,, all work exxperience ho
ours that have
been provide
ed by each re
espective su
upervisor mu
ust be conso
olidated on o
one WVF signed
by
y that superrvisor. The applicant is responsible
e for verifyin
ng actual wo
ork experien
nce
hours to the supervisor’ss satisfaction
n. The clini cal supervissor will comp
plete the WV
VF
and sign it. Please
P
conta
act DORA for direction iif you are un
nable to obttain the
siignature of a clinical supervisor of record
r
on th
he consolida
ated Work Ve
erification F
Form
(W
WVF).

The clinical supervisor(s)
s
) verifying work
w
experie
ence hours a
and supervision of an
applicant mu
ust have perssonally provvided the sup
pervision ho
ours docume
ented on the
e
WVF.
W
Administrative sup
pervisors ma
ay not provid
de nor sign ffor clinical ssupervision
hours.

Original
O
signa
atures on the WVF are required.
r
Co
opies will not be accepte
ed by DORA.
Siignatures ca
annot be datted prior to the last datte of work exxperience obtained or
su
upervision provided.
p
xperience Hours Com
mpleted at Time of Ap
pplication (applicant completed
d
Work Ex
High Sch
hool/GED or
o Bachelorr’s):

CAC I – 1,000 hours of wo
ork experien
nce clinicallyy supervised
d by a CAC IIII or LAC that
ca
annot be completed in fewer
f
than six
s months.

CAC II – 2,000
0 hours of work
w
experience in addittion to the C
CAC I clinica
ally supervise
ed by
a CAC III or LAC that cannot be comp
pleted in few
wer than tw
welve months. (This
amounts to a total of 3,0
000 hours off work experrience.)

CAC III – 2,00
00 hours of work
w
experie
ence in add ition to the CAC II cliniccally supervvised
by
y a CAC III, LAC or other qualified supervisor*
s
tthat cannot be completted in fewer than
tw
welve month
hs. (This am
mounts to a total
t
of 5,0000 hours of w
work experie
ence.)
* See defin
nition of other qualified supe
ervisor on page
e 11.
Note: Indiividuals accum
mulating work experience hours toward a CAC II must b
be properly lissted and regulated
by DORA in
n order for tho
ose hours to count.
c
See page 14, DORA R
Requirements for Listing.
Revised 07/2015
9
Clinical Supervision
n in CAC R
Rules (21.330.7)
The OBH Rules and Regulations,
R
2 CCR 502-1, Addiction
n Counselor Certification and Licenssure
Rules (21
1.330, eff. 11-01-2013) outline the requiremen ts for the CA
AC III or LAC
C providing
clinical supervision.
s
The rules serve
s
as a gu
uide for the clinical supervisor in sttructuring an
nd
providing
g clinical sup
pervision. All
A superviso
ors are respo
onsible for m
maintaining a supervisio
on log
or record
d and provid
ding copies of
o supervisio
on records to
o their supe rvisees. In addition, th
he
supervise
ee is responssible for ma
aking sure th
hat the Workk Verificatio
on Form (WV
VF) is filled o
out
accurate
ely and signe
ed by the sup
pervisor on a regular baasis. The supervisee kee
eps all originals
of the Work Verification Forms in
i order to submit
s
with their certifiication applications.
Anyone who
w become
es aware of a CAC III or LAC clinical supervisor w
who is signin
ng off on
supervision hours tha
at were not provided byy that same person and that may re
esult in a
fraudulen
nt applicatio
on being sub
bmitted to DORA,
D
should
d report thiss violation tto DORA. He
ere is
the speciific wording on the WVF
F relevant to
o the clinicaal supervisorr:
I affirm that the exp
perience and
d supervisio
on I have desscribed on th
his form wa
as conducted
d and
complete
ed in accord
dance with Title
T
12, Artticle 43, Colo
orado Revised Statutes and Addictiion
Counselo
or Certificattion and Lice
ensure Stand
dards. I furtther affirm that the sup
pervisee's w
work
towards the hours off experience
e, was condu
ucted and c ompleted un
nder my sup
pervision, an
nd
has met the generally accepted standards of
o practice. I declare un
nder penaltty of perjurry in
the seco
ond degree that
t
the sta
atements made
m
in this application
n are true a
and complete to
the bestt of my know
wledge. In accordance
a
with C.R.S.. 18-8-501((2)(a)(l), fallse stateme
ents
made he
erein are pu
unishable by
y law and may
m constitu
ute violatio
on of the prractice act.
The following iss an exce
erpt from the OBH CAC Clin
nical
ules, 21.3
330.41, Clinically
C
SSupervise
ed Work Experience:
Superrvision Ru
“Clinically supervise
ed work expe
erience” is defined
d
as p
paid or unpaiid addiction
n specific
counselin
ng. Addictio
on counselin
ng work expe
erience doess not have tto be acquire
ed in a
substance use disord
der treatmen
nt program licensed
l
by the OBH, ho
owever it sh
hall meet the
e
criteria as
a stated in Sections 21..330.5, 21.3
330.6, and 2 1.330.7.
A. Clinical superrvision of wo
ork experien
nce hours sh
hall be proviided by a CA
AC III or LAC in
ac
ccordance with
w
Section 21.330.7. Supervision
S
ffor a CAC II or CAC III m
may also be
provided by a qualified individual wiith educatio
on, training, and work e
experience in
n
ad
ddiction cou
unseling as determined
d
by the OBH and licensu re and certiification boa
ards.
B. Counselors-in
n-training wh
ho are accum
mulating the
e first 1,000
0 clinically supervised w
work
ex
xperience hours toward
ds a CAC I sh
hall be obserrved while p
providing add
diction
co
ounseling a minimum off one time per
p month byy their cliniccal superviso
or of record
d and
sh
hall be docu
umented by the supervissor.
C. A counselor-in-training or
o the holderr of a CAC I who is accu mulating 2,000 clinicallly
C II shall be observed a minimum o
su
upervised work experien
nce hours to
owards a CAC
of
one time per quarter (4x
x/yr) by theiir clinical su
upervisor of record and shall be
documented by the supe
ervisor.
A counselor-in-training or
o the holderr of a CAC II who is accu
umulating 2,,000 clinicallly
su
upervised work experien
nce hours to
owards a CAC
C III shall be
e observed a minimum o
of
Revised 07/2015
10
tw
wo times pe
er year by th
heir clinical supervisor
s
o
of record and
d shall be do
ocumented by
th
he superviso
or.
D. Clinically sup
pervised worrk experiencce hours mayy only be acccumulated w
when an
in
ndividual is working
w
in the addiction
n treatmentt field and iss at least eigghteen (18)
ye
ears of age.
ndividuals may
m accumulate clinicallly supervised
d work expe
erience hourrs while
E. In
re
eceiving maintenance trreatment fo
or a substancce use disord
der or proce
ess addiction
n
provided all other
o
requirrements of these
t
rules aare met.
F. In
ndividuals may
m not accu
umulate cliniically supervvised work e
experience h
hours while at
th
he same tim
me receiving primary tre
eatment for substance u
use disorderss or process
ad
ddictions ass this is conssidered a con
nflict of inte
erest.
pervised worrk experiencce hours mayy be accumu
ulated while
e an individu
ual is
G. Clinically sup
on probation or parole provided all other
o
requirrements of tthese rules a
are met.
However,
H
no applications for a CAC I, CAC II, CA
AC III or LAC
C shall be sub
bmitted to D
DORA
while
w
the app
plicant is on
n probation or
o parole as this is consiidered to be
e a conflict o
of
in
nterest.
Clin
nical Supervision Required
d
Clinical supervision
s
hours
h
may be
b prorated based
b
on nu
umber of hou
urs worked e
each month, but
no less th
hat one hour per month
h may be pro
ovided for th
he work exp
perience hou
urs to count
towards certification
n.
For those
e individualss who hold a High Schoo
ol degree orr the equiva
alent:

Working
W
towa
ard applying
g for a CAC I or already awarded a C
CAC I: Direcct clinical
su
upervision by
b a CAC III or
o LAC only at
a a minimu
um of three hours per m
month for fulll
tiime work.

Working
W
towa
ard applying
g for a CAC II: Direct cliinical supervvision by a C
CAC III or LA
AC
only at a min
nimum of thrree hours pe
er month forr full time w
work.

Already
A
awarrded CAC II: Direct cliniical supervission by a CA
AC III, LAC orr other qualified
su
upervisor* fo
or two hourss per month for full tim e work.
For those
e individualss who hold a Behavioral Health Bacchelor’s deggree:

Working
W
towa
ard applying
g for a CAC II: Direct cli nical supervvision by a C
CAC III or LAC
C
only at a minimum of thrree hours pe
er month forr full time w
work.

Already
A
awarrded CAC II: Direct clinical supervission by a CAC
C III, LAC or other qualified
su
upervisor* fo
or two hourss per month for full time
e work.
Revised 07/2015
11

Working
W
towa
ard applying
g for a CAC III with alreaady awarded
d CAC II: Dirrect clinicall
su
upervision by
b a CAC III, LAC or othe
er qualified ssupervisor* a
at a minimu
um of two ho
ours
per month fo
or full time work.
w

Already
A
awarrded CAC III: One hour of
o documentted consulta
ation per mo
onth when
working
w
in the field. (pe
er OBH Ruless and Regulaations, 2 CCR 502-1).
For those
e individualss who hold a clinical Ma
aster’s or Do
octorate deggree:

Already
A
awarrded clinical Master’s orr Doctorate d
degree and w
working tow
ward a CAC II or
CAC III: Direc
ct clinical su
upervision byy a CAC III, LLAC or other qualified ssupervisor* a
at a
minimum
m
of two
t
hours monthly
m
for full time worrk.
*Other qu
ualified supe
ervisor means a behavio
oral health p
professionall with demon
nstrated
compete
ence equivalent to a CAC
C III or LAC in
i addiction treatment by educatio
on and
experience, clinical Master’s de
egree or abo
ove, and doccumented minimum of 3
3,000 hours of
addiction
n counseling
g work experrience.
For furthe
er information
n regarding wo
ork experience
e hours and cllinical superv
vision, refer to
o the Addictio
on
Counselor Certification and Licensure
e Rules in the Office of Beh
havioral Healtth Consolidate
ed Rules, 2 CCR
502-1, sec
ction 21.300.1
1 – 21.330.92 (eff. 11-01-20
013).
Revised 07/2015
12
Nation
nal Examiinations R
Required for
CAC II,
I CAC III and LAC Applican
nts
cants for a CAC
C II, CAC III and LAC under
u
the Ad
ddiction Cou
unselor Certtification and
All applic
Licensure
e Rules (eff.. 11-01-2013
3) are requirred to take aand pass a N
NAADAC natiional
examinattion approve
ed by OBH. Proof of passing the exxam must be
e submitted to DORA witth
the certification/lice
ensure appliication. The
e examinatio
on must be taken within
n five years
prior to submission
s
of
o an applica
ation.
NAADA
AC Examin
nations
OBH endorses the usse of three examination
e
s sponsored by NAADAC
C:

NCAC I: National Certifie
ed Addiction
n Counselor,, Level I
(u
used for CAC II require
ement)

NCAC II: Nattional Certifiied Addictio
on Counselorr, Level II
(u
used for CAC III require
ement)

MAC:
M
Masterr Addiction Counselor
C
(M
Master’s leve
el only)
(u
used for LAC
C requireme
ent)
CAAP’s website,
w
www
w.caap.us, has options for preparin
ng for the na
ational exam
ms to include inperson workshops,
w
online
o
classes, and studyy guides thatt may be pu
urchased. To take one o
of
the natio
onal exams, register and
d make paym
ment througgh CAAP on ttheir website.
Recomm
mendationss:

Those individ
duals without a clinical Master’s de gree may co
onsider takin
ng either the
e
NCAC I (with high school diploma) orr the NCAC III (with a Ba
achelor’s deggree).

Those individ
duals who ha
ave graduate
ed with a cliinical Maste
er’s degree o
or above sho
ould
ta
ake the MAC
C regardless of whether they apply ffor a CAC II,, CAC III or LLAC.

Se
election of which
w
nation
nal examina
ation should be taken de
epends on th
he applicantt’s
professional developmen
d
nt plan, leve
el of academ
mic degree, a
and long-terrm career go
oals.
Reminderr: There is no
o national crredential aw
warded or ne eded when a
applying to ttake one of tthese
NAADAC sponsored
s
ex
xams. Succe
essfully passiing the requiired examina
ation for Sta
ate of Colora
ado
requirem
ments does no
ot constitute
e national certification fr
from NAADAC
C.
Revised 07/2015
13
DO
ORA Data
abase Listting Requirementss for Addiiction Cou
unselors
The Colo
orado Mentall Health Practice Act is the law thaat regulates and definess the practicce of
psychoth
herapy in Colorado. The law states that
t
all perssons who engage in actiivities that m
meet
the psych
hotherapy practice
p
definition must be regulate
ed by the DO
ORA. Regulation means
listing in the Board of
o Registered
d Psychothe
erapists as a registered psychothera
apist OR hold
ding
a Colorad
do clinical behavioral
b
he
ealth creden
ntial awarde
ed by DORA,, either by ccertification or
licensure
e.
Certified
d Addiction Counselor
C
Le
evel I (CAC I) is an entryy-level gatew
way for the addiction
professio
onal’s careerr path. The initial 1,000
0 hours of ve
erified workk experience
e for a Levell I
may not involve psyc
chotherapy activities
a
ass defined in the Mental Health Practice Act, an
nd
therefore
e may not re
equire registtration. How
wever, if th e initial 1,0
000 hours incclude
psychoth
herapy activiities the app
plicant mustt be registerred in the DO
ORA Registe
ered
Psychoth
herapist (RP)) database in
n order to re
eceive workk experience
e credit and be compliant
with the Mental Hea
alth Practice
e Act. If an individual
i
p lans to accrrue hours forr a Level II
certificattion (CAC II)) without firrst achieving
g a level I (C
CAC I), then registration
n in the DOR
RA
database
e as a RP is required
r
to be
b complian
nt.
Exemptions: Pursu
uant to § 12--43-215(8), C.R.S., emp
ployees of co
ommunity m
mental health
centers are
a exempte
ed from the database re
egistration re
equirement. More inforrmation is
available
e at www.do
ora.colorado
o.gov.professions/registteredpsychottherapists.
If the cou
unselor-in-training has completed
c
1000
1
hours o
of work expe
erience AND
D has comple
eted
all of the
e required trraining classses for a CAC
C I, it is reco
ommended tthey apply ffor their CAC
C I.
y point in time
t
when
n an individ
dual engage
es in activiities that m
meet
Remember: At any
the defiinition of psychother
p
rapy practice, regard
dless of stattus, they m
must be listed
and regulated by DORA.
D
Revised 07/2015
14
On
nline Juriisprudencce Exam
All origin
nal applications submitted to DORA must be acccompanied b
by the “passsing results
report” of
o the most recent versiion of the Online
O
Jurisp
prudence ex
xam located
d on DORA’ss
website. Individualss renewing a certificatio
on/license aare not required to take
e the online
jurisprud
dence exam,, but any cre
edential upg
grade must b
be accompa
anied by the online “passsing
results re
eport.”
Test item
ms are weigh
hted accordiing to DORA
A’s rating of importance. Test resultts are calculated
and repo
orted on a sc
cale of 200 to
t 800. A minimum scale
ed score of 500 is neede
ed to pass.
Below arre the propo
ortion of exa
am points po
ossible by co
ontent area:
1. Generral Mental He
ealth Statuttes (21%)
2. Confid
dentiality an
nd Privilege (15%)
3. Prohib
bited Activitties/Violations (25%)
4. Board Rules (19%))
5. Emerggency Proced
dures (9%)
6. Discip
plinary Provissions/Proceedings (11%)
The fo
ollowing is a general list of doc uments that may asssist
with the online
e jurisprud
dence exam
m:

















Online
O
Jurisp
prudence Exa
am Informattion (DORA)
Online
O
Test User
U
Guide (DORA)
Colorado Men
ntal Health Practice
P
Actt (07-2011)
OBH
O
Rules an
nd Regulations, 2 CCR 50
02-1, Addicttion Counsellor Certifica
ation and
Liicensure (21
1.300.1 – 21..330.92) (efffective 11-22013)
DORA Addictiion Counselo
or Rules for Certificatio n and Licensure (eff. 03
3-2012)
Sttate Board of
o Addiction Counselor Examiners
E
P olicies
Addiction
A
Cou
unselor Boarrd Rules (2011)
Registered
R
Pssychotherap
pists Rules an
nd Regulatio
ons (02-2012
2)
Mandatory
M
Diisclosure Forrm (DORA, 12-2011)
1
Consent for Release
R
(Bassic)
Consent for Release
R
(Crim
minal Justicce)
NAADAC Code
e of Ethics (01-2011)
NAADAC Code
e of Ethics Brochure
B
(01-2011)
Reporting
R
Susspected Chilld Abuse (CR
RS § 19-3-3004)
Healthcare
H
Professions Profile
P
Directtor Rule 1 (007-2011)
Michael
M
Skoln
nik Medical Transparenc
T
cy Act (§ 24--34-110)
M-1
M Emergency Mental Illness Reportt (§ 27-65-1005)
DORA web
bsite:
http://cdn
n.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c
c=Page&childpa
agename=DORA
RA/DORALayoutt&cid=1249686
6120221&pagen
name=
CBONWrap
pper
al Health Prac
ctice Act can be
b found in the
e Colorado Re
evised Statute
es, Title 12, A
Article 43.
The Menta
http://cdn
n.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/D
DORA-Reg/CBO
ON/DORA/12511632085774
t Office of Behavioral
B
He
ealth (OBH) we
ebsite:
Additionall information available on the
http://ww
ww.colorado.go
ov/cs/Satellite??c=Page&childpagename=CD HSBehavioralHealth%2FCBO
ONLayout&cid=1251581822229
9&pagename=C
CBONWrapper
Revised 07/2015
15
Training
g Require
ements fo
or CAC I, II, III
CAC I
High schoo
ol diploma/GED
CAC II
High scho
ool diplom
ma/GED
CAC I training plu
us:


Addicttion Counse
eling
Skills (21 hrs)
Clientt Record
Manag
gement (14 hrs)

Principles of Add
diction
Treatm
ment (21 hrrs)

Professsional Ethics I:
Ethicss and
Jurisp
prudence (14 hrs)



Culturrally Inform
med
Treatm
ment (14 hrrs)
Infecttious Disease
es in
Addicttion Treatm
ment
(14 hrrs)

T
Total trainiing hours = 112
1,000 hou
urs of clinic
cally
ssupervised work experrience
3 hrs of clin
nical superv
vision*
p
per month for
f full time
e work
CAC II C
Certification
n plus:
Professsional Ethiccs II
(14 hrss) Prerequiisite is
Professsional Ethiccs I

Motiva
ational Inte rviewing
(21 hrss) Prerequissite is
Addicttion Counselling Skills

Cognittive Behavio
oral
Therapy (14 hrs)

Group
p Counselingg Skills
(21 hrss)

Pharm
macology II ((14 hrs)
Prereq
quisite is
Pharm
macology I

Clinica
al Assessme
ent &
Treatm
ment Planniing
(14 hrss) Prerequ
uisite is
Client Record Man
nagement

Co-occ
curring Diso
orders
(14 hrss)

Traum
ma Informed
d Care for
Diversse Populatio
ons
(14 hrss)
Pharm
macology I (14 hrs)
CAC III
Bache
elors Degre
ee in a
Behaviorral Health Science
Total training hourss = 126
Additional 2,000 ho
ours of
y supervised
d work
clinically
experien
nce (beyond
d CAC I
requirem
ment) for a total
of 3,000
3
hourss
3 hrs of cllinical superrvision*
per month
h for full tim
me work
Nation
nal Examinattion

Clin
nical Superv
vision I
(21
1 hrs)

Adv
vanced Mottivational
Interviewing ((14 hrs)
Pre
erequisite iss
Mo
otivational
Interviewing

Clin
vision II
nical Superv
(14
4 hrs) Prere
equisites:
Advvanced Motiivational
Interviewing & Clinical
Sup
pervision I

Pro
ofessional P
Practice
(7 h
hrs)
aining hourrs = 56
Total tra
Additional 2,000 hou
urs of
clinically ssupervised work
experienc
ce (beyond C
CAC II
requireme
ent) for a to
otal of
5,000 hou
urs
2 hrs of cllinical supervision*
per month
h for full tim
me work
Examination
n
National E
*Three (3)) hours of clinical supervisio
on per month is required un
ntil the CAC III is awarded, tthen two (2) h
hours
per month
h until the CAC
C III is awarded, and then on
ne hour of con
nsultation mo
onthly. For lesss than full tim
me
work, supe
ervision may be
b prorated but
b must be no
o less than one
e hour per mo
onth.
Revised 07/2015
16
CAC Certificattion Traccking Shee
et
Fo
or those ind
dividuals who
w hold a High Schoo
ol diploma
a or equivalent AND
thosse who holld a Behaviioral Healtth Bachelorr’s degree..
Require
ements for Certificatiion
CAC I
D
Date Complleted
Addiction
n Counseling
g Skills (21 Hrs.)
H
Client Record Manage
ement (14 Hrs.)
H
Principless of Addictio
on Treatmen
nt (21 Hrs.)
Professional Ethics I: Ethics and Jurispruden
nce (14 Hrs.))
Culturally
y Informed Treatment
T
(14 Hrs.)
Infectiouss Diseases in
n Addiction Treatment
T
((14 Hrs.)
Pharmaco
ology I (14 Hrs.)
H
1000 Clinically supervvised work experience
e
h
hours
CAC II
All of the
e above plus:
Professional Ethics II (14 Hrs.)
Motivatio
onal Interviewing (21 Hrss.)
Cognitive
e Behavioral Therapy (14
4 Hrs.)
Group Co
ounseling Skiills (21 Hrs.))
Pharmaco
ology II (14 Hrs.)
H
Clinical Assessment
A
and
a Treatme
ent Planningg (14 Hrs.)
Co-occurrring Disorders (14 Hrs.)
Trauma In
nformed Carre for Diversse Populatio
ons (14 Hrs.))
NAADAC Exam--NCAC
E
C I recommended with h
high school d
degree
2000 Clinically supervvised work experience
e
h
hours for a ttotal of
3000 hours
CAC III
All of the
e above plus:
Clinical Supervision I (21 Hrs.)
Clinical Supervision II (14 Hrs.)
Advanced
d Motivational Interview
wing (14 Hrs..)
Professional Practice
e (7 Hrs.)
Bachelor’’s degree in behavioral health scien
nce
NAADAC Exam--NCAC
E
C II recomme
ended for Baachelors level
2000 Clinically supervvised work experience
e
h
hours for a ttotal of
5000 hours
*Note: This
T
form for personal use only, do no
ot submit to DORA.
Revised 07/2015
17
Requiremen
nts for CA
AC II for T
Those Wh
ho Hold a
Clinical Master’ss or Docto
orate Deggree
Trainin
ng:
Documen
ntation of su
uccessful com
mpletion of the followin
ng OBH apprroved requirred training or
its equivalent that must
m
be completed within five (5) yyears prior to
o submittingg an application
to DORA::







Principles of Addiction Treatment (2
21 clock hou
urs)
In
nfectious Disseases in Addiction Trea
atment (14 clock hours)
Pharmacology
y I (14 clock hours)
Pharmacology
y II (14 clock hours) (Prrerequisite is Pharmaccology I)
Motivational
M
g (21 clock hours)
Interviewing
Group
G
Counse
eling Skills (21 clock ho
ours)
Professional Ethics
E
II (14
4 clock hours)
Clinica
ally Superrvised Wo
ork Experrience:
Completiion of 2,000
0 hours total of work exp
perience in the addictio
on treatmen
nt field with
direct cliinical supervvision by a CAC
C III, LAC or other quaalified supervisor* at a minimum off two
hours per month for full time wo
ork.
Passage of a nattional examination sponsored by NA
AADAC:
NCAC II is required but
b the MAC exam is reccommended if you plan to continue
e on for an LLAC.
*Other qu
ualified supe
ervisor means a behavio
oral health p
professionall with demon
nstrated
compete
ence equivalent to a CAC
C III or LAC in
i addiction treatment by educatio
on and
experience, clinical Master’s de
egree or abo
ove, and doccumented minimum of 3
3,000 hours of
addiction
n counseling
g work experrience.
Revised 07/2015
18
Requirem
R
ments CAC
C III or Lic
censed Ad
ddiction C
Counselor (LAC)
for
f Those
e Who Hold a Clinic
cal Maste
er’s or Do
octorate D
Degree
Trainin
ng:
Documen
ntation of su
uccessful com
mpletion of the followin
ng OBH apprroved requirred training or
its equivalent that must
m
be completed within five (5) yyears prior to
o submittingg an application
to DORA::










Principles of Addiction Treatment (2
21 clock hou
urs)
In
nfectious Disseases in Addiction Trea
atment (14 clock hours)
Pharmacology
y I (14 clock hours)
Interviewing
Motivational
M
g (21 clock hours)
Group
G
Counse
eling Skills (21 clock ho
ours)
Pharmacology
y II (14 clocck hours)
Prerequisite
e is Pharma
acology I)
(P
Professional Ethics
E
II (14
4 clock hours)
Clinical Supervision I (21
1 clock hourrs)
Clinical Supervision II (14 clock hours)
(P
Prerequisite
e is both Ad
dvanced Mo
otivational IInterviewin
ng
and Clinical Supervision
n I)
Advanced
A
Mo
otivational In
nterviewing (14 clock h
hours)
(P
Prerequisite
e is Motivattional Interrviewing)
Clinica
ally Superrvised Wo
ork Experrience:
Completiion of 3,000
0 hours total of work exp
perience in the addictio
on treatmen
nt field with
direct cliinical supervvision by a CAC
C III, LAC or other quaalified supervisor* at a minimum off two
hours per month for full time wo
ork.
Passage of a nattional examination sponsored by NA
AADAC:
The MAC exam is re
equired for the LAC.
*Other qu
ualified supe
ervisor means a behavio
oral health p
professionall with demon
nstrated
compete
ence equivalent to a CAC
C III or LAC in
i addiction treatment by educatio
on and
experience, clinical Master’s de
egree or abo
ove, and doccumented minimum of 3
3,000 hours of
addiction
n counseling
g work experrience.
Revised 07/2015
19
Trainiing Requirements Summary
y for CAC
C II, III & L
LAC
for
f Those
e Who Hold a Clinic
cal Maste
er’s or Do
octorate D
Degree
CAC II
CA
AC III
LA
AC
T
Training cla
asses requirred with a
clinical Maste
ers or Docto
orate degre
ee
ning classess required w
with a
Train
clinicall Masters orr Doctorate
e degree
Must have a clinical
M
Masters or Doctorate
degrree

Principles of Addic
ction
ment (21 hou
urs)
Treatm

Principles
P
o
of Addiction
n
Treatment
T
((21 hours)

Infectio
ous Diseasess in
Addiction Treatme
ent
(14 hou
urs)

Infectious
I
D
Diseases in
Addiction
A
T
Treatment
(14
( hours)

Professsional Ethicss II
(14 hou
urs)

Professiona
P
al Ethics II (1
14 hours)

Pharmacolo
P
ogy I (14 hou
urs)

urs)
Pharmacolo
P
ogy II (14 hou
Prerequisite
P
e is Pharmaccology I

Motivationa
M
al Interviewiing
(14
( hours)

Group
G
Coun
nseling Skillss
(21
( hours)

Advanced
A
M
Motivationall
Interviewin
I
g (14 hours))
Prerequisite
P
e is Motivatiional
Interviewing
I
g

Clinical
C
Sup
pervision I
(21
( hours)

Clinical
C
Sup
pervision II ((14
hours)
h
Prere
equisites are
e
Advanced
A
M otivational
Interviewing
I
g and Clinica
al
Supervision
S
I

Pharma
acology I (14
4 hours)

Pharma
acology II (14 hours)
Prerequ
uisite is Pharmacology I

Motivattional Interv
viewing
(21 hou
urs)

Group Counseling
C
Skills
(21 hou
urs)
2000 ho
ours of clin
nically
supervised work exp
perience
Two (2) hours of clinical
c
ssupervision
n per montth for full
time
t
work
NCACII or MAC Na
ational
ex
xamination
n
Revised 07/2015
Additional 1000 h
hours for a ttotal of
3000 ho
ours clinicaally supervissed work
expe rience
Two (2
2) hours of cclinical supe
ervision
perr month forr full time w
work
MAC
M
Nationaal examinatiion
20
Meett all
requirem
ments for
the CAC
C III and
passage off the MAC
exa
am
CAC II, CAC III an
nd LAC Trracking Sheet
for
f Those
e Who Hold a Clinic
cal Maste
er’s or Do
octorate D
Degree
Date
Co
ompleted
Requirementts for Certification
CA
AC II
When
W
applying for a CAC
C II:
Principles
P
off Addiction Treatment
T
(2
21 Hrs.)
Infectious Diiseases in Ad
ddiction Tre
eatment (144 Hrs.)
Pharmacolog
P
gy I (14 Hrs.)
Pharmacolog
P
gy II (14 Hrs..)
Motivational
M
Interviewin
ng (21 Hrs.)
Group
G
Counsseling Skills (21 Hrs.)
Professional
P
Ethics II (14
4 Hrs.)
MAC
M exam re
ecommended*
2000
2
Clinically supervise
ed work experience hou
urs
*If
* planning to
t apply for a LAC crede
ential in futture, the MA
AC will be
required
r
CA
AC III
When
W
applying for a CAC
C III, all of the above pl us:
Advanced
A
Mo
otivational Interviewing
g (14 Hrs.)
Clinical
C
Supe
ervision I (21
1 Hrs.)
Clinical
C
Supe
ervision II (14 Hrs.) (Prerequisites a re both Advv MI and Clin
nical
Sup
S I)
MAC
M exam re
ecommended*
3000
3
Clinically supervise
ed work experience hou
urs total
*If
* planning to
t apply for a LAC crede
ential in futture, the MA
AC will be
required
r
LAC
Meet
M
require
ements for CAC
C III above
e
Passage
P
of th
he MAC exam
m
NAADAC
C requires that
t
only th
hose who hold a cliniccal Master’s degree o
or above arre
eligible to sit for the
t Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) exam
mination w
whether the
e
exam is needed forr a state re
equirementt only or wh
hether app
plying to NA
AADAC for a
nationall credentia
al.
*Note: This
T
form for personal use only, do no
ot submit to DORA.
Revised 07/2015
21
Education
E
n Equivale
ency for Addiction
A
n Counsellor Certiffication
When an applicant submits colle
ege courses on an appliccation to DO
ORA in lieu o
of one of the
e
required training cla
asses, it is th
he applicantt’s responsib
bility to dem
monstrate ho
ow their colllege
course iss equivalent to the OBH approved co
ore compete
encies for th
hat class. Th
hey are adviised
to compa
are the classs syllabus to
o the core co
ompetency ffor the CAC required cla
ass. Anyone
wishing to
t use colleg
ge equivalen
nts must sub
bmit the folllowing to DO
ORA:

An
A official tra
anscript from
m an accred
dited college
e or universiity in a seale
ed envelope
e.
The courses must
m
be in a behavioral health scien
nce or field. Each colle
ege class being
offfered as the equivalent of a CAC required classs must have
e a grade off C or above.

A cover lette
er with an atttached sylla
abus and a w
written desccription abou
ut why the
co
ollege class is equivalen
nt to the CAC required cclass.

A college cou
urse must offfer college credits
c
that are equivallent or greatter than the
e
number of clo
ock hours re
equired for the
t OBH traiining class.
College
e equivalency hou
urs:






One
O semester credit hour = 15 clock
k hours
Two semeste
er credit hou
urs = 30 clock hours
Three semestter credit ho
ours = 45 clo
ock hours
One
O quarter credit
c
hour = 8.5 clock hours
Two quarter credit hourss = 17 clock hours
Three quarte
er credit hou
urs = 25.5 clo
ock hours
CAC re
equired classes tha
at must be
b taken ((No collegge course
e
equiva
alency)







Client Record
d Manageme
ent, 14 hrs
In
nfectious Disseases in Addiction Trea
atment, 14 h
hrs
Pharmacology
y I, 14 hrs
Pharmacology
y II, 14 hrs
Trauma Inforrmed Care fo
or Diverse Po
opulations, 14 hrs
Clinical Supervision I, 21 hrs
Clinical Supervision II, 14
4 hrs
Revised 07/2015
22
CAC re
equired classes tha
at may ha
ave collegge equiva
alency (Se
ee core
compe
etencies posted
p
on
n the OBH
H website
e)











Addiction
A
Cou
unseling Skills, 21 hrs
Principles of Addiction Treatment, 21
2 hrs
Culturally Infformed Trea
atment, 14 hrs
h
Motivational
M
Interviewing
g, 21 hrs
Cognitive-Beh
havioral The
erapy, 14 hrss
Professional Ethics
E
I: Eth
hics and Jurisprudence, 14 hrs
Professional Ethics
E
II, 14 hrs
Clinical Assesssment and Treatment
T
Planning,
P
144 hrs
Co-Occurring
g Disorders, 14 hrs
Group
G
Counse
eling Skills, 21 hrs
Advanced
A
Mo
otivational In
nterviewing,, 14 hrs
Revised 07/2015
23
Course
e Descripttions of tthe Requiired
CAC Cliinical Tra
aining Pro
ogram Cla
asses
Requirred classe
es for CAC
C I:
Addictio
on Counselin
ng Skills, Client Record
d Manageme
ent, and Priinciples of A
Addiction
Treatme
ent are the three
t
classe
es that make
e up the Core
e Curriculum
m and are ba
asic to the
foundatio
onal training
g of a beginning addiction counselo
or.

Addiction
A
Counseling
C
Skills (21 hours)
h
Along
A
with Prrinciples of Addiction
A
Trreatment an
nd Client Record Manage
ement,
Addiction
A
Cou
unseling Skills is conside
ered to be p
part of the “
“Core Curricculum” and b
basic
to
o the founda
ational train
ning of a Levvel I Certifie
ed Addiction Counselor. The purpose of
th
his class is to provide a framework and counselling model ffor working w
with clients with
su
ubstance use
e disorders. The overriding goal off this course is to teach the counselling
sk
kills needed to help clie
ents process their inform
mation and m
move toward the changge
process. The models utilized in this class are cliient-centere
ed and counsselor-directed
th
herapy using
g a motivatio
onal style an
nd spirit. Viideotaping a
and feedbacck will assistt the
participants in
i developin
ng a standard
d level of co
ounseling skkills proficien
ncy.

Client
C
Record Manage
ement (14 hours)
h
This class is designed
d
to provide the counselor w
with an unde
erstanding o
of the clinica
al
re
ecord and th
he continuum
m of client care
c
that th e record documents and
d tracks. Th
he
class presentts screening,, basic assesssment and e
evaluation, Substance U
Use Disorderr
diagnostic criiteria, ASAM
M patient pla
acement critteria, introd
duction to trreatment
planning, pro
ogress note completion,
c
documentaation require
ements and basic referrral
and discharge
e planning. It emphasizzes the conffidentiality o
of the clientt record and
d
in
ncludes releases of inforrmation, ma
andatory dissclosure and informed co
onsent among
others. This class
c
is a pre
e-requisite for
f Clinical A
Assessment and Treatment planningg.

Principles
P
of
o Addiction
n Treatment (21 hou
urs)
This class pre
esents the models
m
of addiction, deffines and ou tlines variou
us types of
ad
ddiction treatment, pre
esents the National Instiitute of Drugg Abuse (NID
DA) principle
es of
effective trea
atment and reviews the
e use of evid
dence-based
d treatment approaches.
The compete
encies requirred of an addiction coun
nselor and scope of pracctice will be
e
re
eviewed along with applicable ruless and professsional readiiness.

In
nfectious Diseases
D
in Addiction Treatmen t (14 hourrs)
This class em
mphasizes the
e higher risk
k of substancce misuse w
with infectious diseases.
Anyone
A
who is
i abusing su
ubstances is at high riskk for contraccting and sprreading
in
nfectious disseases. Unde
erstanding of
o diseases t hat might affect clientss who are
ad
ddicted to alcohol
a
and other
o
substa
ances is a co
ornerstone o
of addiction counseling. The
class will help prepare ad
ddiction pro
ofessionals t o screen and
d identify su
uch diseasess,
determine cliient risk for infection, educate
e
clie
ents about disease preve
ention and
ptions, and assist
a
clientss in obtainin
ng appropria
ate treatmen
nt as needed
d.
trreatment op

Culturally
C
In
nformed Treatment (14
( hours)
This class willl provide a basic founda
ation for un derstandingg how cultural competen
nce,
aw
wareness, and sensitivitty can impro
ove quality o
of care and increase po
ositive outco
omes.
The professio
onal counsellor has an ob
bligation to understand the client’ss context and
Revised 07/2015
24
le
earn to comm
municate in a manner that the clie nt in likely tto be able to hear,
understand and
a accept. The counse
elor must havve the coura
age and insight to explo
ore
th
heir own bia
ases and missconceptionss of others w
with cultura l and ethnicc differencess.
Cultural varia
ables to be considered
c
will
w include age, genderr, sexual oriientation,
eligious affilliation, lang
guage, educa
ational levell, physical a
ability, economic status and
re
so
ocial class as well as raccial and ethnic backgrou
unds, all of which can b
be influentia
al in
th
he therapeutic process. Individual differences when consi dered in a ccultural conttext
ca
an become strengths
s
an
nd resourcess for recoverry.

Professiona
P
al Ethics 1: Ethics and
d Jurisprud
dence (14 hours)
This class willl focus one day on ethiccal issues sp
pecific to the
e practice o
of addiction
co
ounseling an
nd a second day focusing on jurispr udence, wh ich is the law and the
practice of psychotherap
py in Colorad
do. The classs will strenggthen the kn
nowledge off
ethics and jurisprudence
e for the add
diction coun selor as thiss is essentiall for safe
practice. The
e class will cover
c
the Co
olorado Menttal Health P
Practice Act that regulattes
th
he practice of psychotherapy in Collorado, and introduce th
he student tto the regula
atory
sy
ystem and ro
ole of DORA
A (Dept of Re
egulatory Aggencies) and
d OBH (Office of Behavio
oral
Health)
H
in the
e developme
ent and cred
dentialing o f the addicttion counselo
or. There w
will be
an emphasis on developing ethical decision makking skills, knowledge off confidentia
ality
and the prohibited activiities in the Mental
M
Healtth Practice Act. The addiction
co
ounselor willl become fa
amiliar with the NAADAC
C Code of Etthics and accquire the to
ools
fo
or ethical an
nd legal pracctice

Pharmacolo
P
ogy I (14 ho
ours)
Training in ph
harmacologyy is a cornerrstone of ad diction coun
nseling and a major parrt of
what
w
differen
ntiates the professional
p
field of add
diction coun
nseling from other menttal
health disciplines. This class
c
will provide a solid
d base of kn
nowledge ab
bout the druggs of
abuse includiing what is happening
h
in
n human phyysiology and
d behaviors.
Requirred classe
es for CAC
C II:

Clinical
C
Asse
essment an
nd Treatme
ent Planni ng (14 hou
urs)
(P
Prerequisite
e is Client Re
ecord Manag
gement)
Client motiva
ation and co
ommitment to
t treatmen t begins witth the assesssment and
diagnostic ph
hase that typ
pically occurrs at intake.. This coursse will consider the
differences between
b
scre
eening and assessment
a
aand use of a
assessment iinstruments.
The class will consider th
he components of the c linical assesssment such as a
biopsychosoc
cial interview
w, assessing risk for selff-harm, iden
ntifying cultural needs a
and
su
upports, pro
oblem domaiins, determiining stage o
of readinesss for change and strengtths of
th
he client. Determining
D
diagnosis uttilizing the D
DSM 5 and re
esulting leve
el of care fo
or the
client will be
e discussed using
u
the ASA
AM PPC-2 (in
ncluding the
e ASAM Crite
eria, 3rd ed)).
Sttages of trea
atment and systems of care
c
will be
e covered alo
ong with faccets of
trreatment pla
anning.

Motivationa
M
al Interview
wing (21 ho
ours)
(P
Prerequisite is Addiction
n Counseling
g Skills)
“M
Motivational interviewin
ng is a client-centered ccollaborativve style of co
onversation
designed to strengthen
s
a person’s motivation
m
fo
or and comm
mitment to cchange. MI iis
co
ounselor-guiided in that the counselor is skilled
d at managin
ng ambivalen
nce, elicitin
ng
ch
hange-talk and
a honoring
g the client’’s autonomyy about takin
ng the next step toward
da
Revised 07/2015
25
co
ommonly ag
greed-upon goal”
g
(Millerr & Rollnick,, 2010). Ove
er 385 studies to date h
have
demonstrated
d the effecttiveness of the model att increasing client engaggement,
re
etention, co
ompliance an
nd improving
g treatmentt outcomes. The Centerr for Substan
nce
Abuse
A
Treatm
ment (CSAT) has identifiied MI as a b
best practice
e within the
e addiction
trreatment fie
eld. The CAC
C Clinical Trraining Progrram at the C
Colorado Offfice of
Behavioral He
ealth is com
mmitted to a process of iintegrating the Motivatiional
In
nterviewing style, spirit and strateg
gies into all levels of tra
aining and to
o support
clinical superrvision of mo
otivational interviewingg as a counse
eling style.

Cognitive
C
Be
ehavioral Therapy
T
(C
CBT) (14 ho
ours)
Cognitive-beh
havioral the
erapy (CBT) is
i a treatme
ent approach
h that has ga
ained
widespread
w
application
a
in the treatm
ment of add ictions and mental diso
orders. Seve
eral
im
mportant fea
atures of CB
BT make it particularly
p
p
promising ass a treatmen
nt for substa
ance
abuse and de
ependence. CBT has bee
en extensive
ely research
hed and has solid empiriical
su
upport as an
n evidence-b
based treatm
ment for add
dictions. CB
BT is structu
ured, goaloriented, and
d focused on
n the immed
diate problem
ms faced byy substance abusers ente
ering
trreatment wh
ho are struggling to control their su
ubstance use
e. It is a fle
exible,
in
ndividualized
d approach that can be adapted to a wide rangge of clientss and a wide
e
ra
ange of trea
atment settin
ngs and form
mats. It worrks well with
h individualss as well as
group therapy. Participa
ants in this course
c
will llearn and prractice effecctive ways to
o
ntegrate too
ols specific to
t CBT in a comprehensi
c
ive treatment strategy.
in

Co-Occurrin
C
ng Disorderrs (14 hou
ur)
This class pre
esents the basics of worrking with cllients with cco-occurringg mental hea
alth
and substance use disord
ders. There is a growingg need to re
ecognize and
d address the
nterrelationsship of these
e disorders, along with the medicall implication
ns for the cllient,
in
th
hrough the use
u of specia
alized appro
oaches and i ntegration o
of treatment. This classs
will
w address clinical
c
assessment, trea
atment philo
osophy, stra
ategies, and guidelines to
provide integ
grated treatm
ment with co-occurring
c
disorders. It will include an
in
ntroduction to the DSM-5 diagnosticc criteria forr the mental disorders m
most often sseen
with
w
substanc
ce use and behavioral
b
addiction
a
dissorders, alon
ng with a disscussion of tthe
ch
hanges to su
ubstance use
e diagnoses with DSM-5.. Additionallly, the swittch from ICD
D-9 to
IC
CD-10 codes for substance use disorrders and be
ehavioral ad dictions will be discusse
ed.
The essentiall values, atttitudes, and competenciies of the co
ounselor working with this
population arre discussed. Evidence based
b
practiices and mo
odels of integgrated
trreatment are presented
d.

Group
G
Coun
nseling Skillls (21 hourrs)
Group
G
therap
py is a powerful tool in delivering
d
ad
ddiction tre
eatment servvices. Group
ps
have many th
herapeutic elements
e
and
d effects thaat draw peo
ople into the
e culture of
re
ecovery. Gro
oups provide
e useful info
ormation, al low one or ttwo therapissts, dependiing
on group size
e, to facilitate the group
p process wh
hich helps a number of clients
siimultaneoussly, and provvides positivve peer supp
port and pressure for reccovery. Thiss
class will help the aspirin
ng addiction
n counselor tto understan
nd the use o
of group therapy
in
n the addiction treatme
ent field and be able to demonstrate the skills necessary to
o
fa
acilitate a th
herapy group. The class will focus on the grou
up process an
nd will discu
uss
diversity with
hin groups as well as the
e many challlenges a gro
oup leader m
may face. Th
he
class will also
o present mo
odels of effe
ective group
p practice.
Revised 07/2015
26

Professiona
P
al Ethics II (14
( hours)
(P
Prerequisite
e is Professio
onal Ethics I)
I
This class willl provide pa
articipants with
w
a comprrehensive ovverview of e
ethical and rrisk
management
m
issues relatted to addiction treatme
ent servicess with a speccial emphasis on
professional conduct
c
and
d professiona
al boundarie
es, to includ
de boundary crossings an
nd
boundary violations. Dua
al relationsh
hips will be d
discussed w
within the co
ontext of clin
nical
in
ntegrity and effectivene
ess. This cla
ass will focu s on issues o
of profession
nal distance
e,
modeling
m
and
d maintainin
ng of healthyy therapeutiic boundarie
es and appro
opriate use o
of
co
ounselor sellf-disclosure
e. This classs will also di scuss standa
ard of care a
as defined in
n
sttatutes, lice
ensing board regulationss, case law, code of eth
hics of professional
asssociations, and commu
unity norms. Guideliness for ethical risk manage
ement will b
be
presented. The
T ethics off delivering professionaal counselingg services to
o persons of
cu
ulturally divverse backgrrounds will be
b discussed
d along with issues perta
aining to
professional readiness
r
an
nd professional develop ment.

Pharmacolo
P
ogy II (14 hours)
(P
Prerequisite
e is Pharmaccology I)
Neuroscience
e and genetic research on
o addiction
n continues tto make sign
nificant proggress
to
oward underrstanding the changes in
n the brain tthat underliie drug use a
and behavio
ors.
The research has the pottential to sig
gnificantly aaffect both tthe way in w
which we thiink
about addictiion, and tho
ose that sufffer from it. Addictive d
drugs have habit-formingg
ac
ctions that can
c be locallized to a va
ariety of braain regions th
hat can activate the rew
ward
ciircuitry in th
he brain. Th
his class will explore the
e neurobiolo
ogical basis of addiction
n and
how addictive
e drugs prod
duce neurocchemical chaanges in the brain’s rew
ward pathwa
ay. It
will
w also expllore new tecchnologies fo
or treatmen
nt and preve
ention based
d on brain
sc
cience. Add
ditionally, fu
unctional changes to the
e brain and the brain’s ability to
re
ecover afterr exposure to
o drugs of abuse, mediccal problemss associated
d with substa
ance
abuse, and th
he use of ph
harmacologiccal assists in
n recovery w
will be discusssed.

Trauma
T
Info
ormed Care
e with Dive
erse Popullations (14 hours)
This class willl introduce the counselor to the co
oncept of tra
auma-inform
med care, an
n
approach tha
at is being ad
dopted more
e frequentlyy within the human servvices fields
based upon an
a increased awareness of the wayss in which trrauma impaccts functioniing.
Itt will describ
be and defin
ne what trau
uma informe
ed care is an
nd ways in w
which a
trraditional trreatment settting can be
e modified to
o increase the sense of safety
how to incorporate trau
ex
xperienced by clients. Participantss will learn h
uma-informe
ed
practices into
o treatmentt with diversse populatio ns, such as military veterans, women,
people with co-occurring
c
g disorders and
a other grroups. Altho
ough trauma
a treatment
approaches will
w be considered, this class will no
ot teach how
w to do trauma specific
trreatment.
Requirred Classe
es for CAC
C III/LAC

Advanced
A
Motivationa
M
al Interview
wing (14 ho
ours)
(P
Prerequisite
e is Motivational Interviewing)
This two-day
y class of skill
s
develo
opment in A
Advanced M
Motivational Interviewin
ng
will
w initially offer
o
a brieff review of the
t fundame
ental spirit, processes a
and skills of M
MI,
and then focu
us intensively on clinica
al skills deve
elopment. The training is designed to
asssist the cou
unselor to de
evelop and practice
p
skillls to assist cclients to id
dentify and
sttrengthen in
ntrinsic motiivation for positive
p
chan
nge. This is an advance
ed course in
Revised 07/2015
27
Motivational
M
Interviewing
g so it is exp
pected that the particip
pant will be able to
demonstrate the foundattional MI skills by condu
ucting a cllient interviiew using tthe
OARS
O
+ Inform
ming and advising, and respondingg to no-change talk (Resistance o
or
Su
ustaining). The format will be inte
eractive and experientia
al in nature. Participants
will
w be afford
ded an opp
portunity to obtain foccused practtice and wiill receive
in
ndividualized
d feedback regarding th
heir MI skillss with studen
nt and trainer ratings.
There will be
e a brief intrroduction to
o MIA-STEP, a format forr use of MI a
as a supervissory
to
ool.

Clinical
C
Sup
pervision I (21 hours)
This training is designed to help a co
ounselor lea rn the mode
els of supervvision and to
ools
necessary to use as a sta
andard of sup
pervision prractice. In th
his course th
he counselorr will
be exposed to supervisio
on that is tailored to the
e supervisee
e’s developm
mental level of
ex
xperience. Ethical
E
supe
ervisory pracctices, includ
ding superviision contraccts and workk
ve
erification practices,
p
will be discussed. Videotaaping and fe
eedback will assist the
participant in
n developing
g a standard
d level of sup
pervisory skiills proficien
ncy.

Clinical
C
Sup
pervision II (14 hours))
(P
Prerequisite
es are Advan
nced Motivattional Intervviewing &Clinical Superrvision I)
Clinical superrvision II is designed
d
to reinforce th
he motivatio
onal intervie
ewing skills o
of
th
he superviso
or through th
he use of the
e MIA:STEP process. MIA
A:STEP (Mottivational
In
nterviewing Assessment: Supervisorry Tools for E
Enhancing P
Proficiency) will be utilizzed
ass a format of
o supervisio
on. Specializzed techniqu
ues, coachin
ng, coding, tteaching, an
nd
use of video or
o audio tap
ping in superrvision will b
be discussed
d. Videotaping of practice
se
essions may be utilized..

Professiona
P
al Practice (7 hours)
This one-day training willl discuss wh
hat it meanss to be a Sub
bstance-Rela
ated and
Addictive
A
Disorders Specialist (profe
essional pressentation an
nd representtation),
organizationa
al culture an
nd agency prractices inclluding busin
ness practice
es, workplacce
practices, fee
e collection, staff trainiing, policiess and proced
dures and co
onflict of
in
nterest in bu
usiness interrests. Professional pracctice include
es OBH Beha
avioral Healtth
Rules,
R
2 CCR 502-1 (11-1-2013), and counselor liicensing thrrough DORA. OBH is
re
esponsible fo
or licensing substance use
u (and add
diction) diso
order treatm
ment program
ms
and designatiing mental health
h
treatment prograams. OBH B
Behavioral Health Rules,, 2
CCR 502-1 (11-1-2013) se
et treatmen
nt program rrules, standa
ards and guiidelines thatt
in
nclude maintenance of records,
r
legal issues, pe
ersonnel pollicies and disciplinary
gu
uidelines, re
eporting violations to DO
ORA, vicario
ous and direct liability, and
malpractice.
m
Electronic health reco
ords and ethiical manage
ement of ele
ectronic med
dia
will
w be review
wed as well as client record keepin g on computers, passwo
ords,
encryption, protections
p
and
a transportation of re
ecords. The
e use of cell phones, em
mail
and social me
edia will be presented and
a a review
w of 42 CFR and HIPAA p
privacy
sttandards and
d confidentiiality. In the
e clinical re
ealm, an ove
erview of asssessing for
su
uicidal risk and
a supervission responsibilities, inttern manage
ement, and p
professionall
se
ervices will be covered.
Se
ee www.colorado.gov/cdh
hs/dbh (For Providers;
P
Re
esources for T
Treatment Prrograms and M
MSO;
Code of CO. Re
egulations - CDHS-OBH
C
Be
ehavioral Heaalth Rules)
Revised 07/2015
28