Authority: IC 25-23.6-2-8

Affected: IC 25-23.6-10.5

Sec. 3. (a) As used in IC 25-23.6-10.5-2, "master's degree or doctor's degree in addiction counseling, addiction therapy, or a related area" means a degree earned in one (1) of the following programs:

1. (1) Addiction studies.
2. (2) Chemical dependency.
3. (3) Social work.
4. (4) Psychology.
5. (5) Human services.
6. (6) Human development.
7. (7) Family relations.
8. (8) Counseling.

(b) If an applicant is seeking licensure as an addiction counselor based upon a graduate degree not listed in subsection (a), the applicant must provide the board with the following information:

1. (1) Evidence that their degree program and any additional course work are equivalent to the criteria for a graduate degree in addiction counseling as set forth in this section.
2. (2) An official college transcript.
3. (3) Appropriate certifications or affidavits from university officials.
4. (4) Any additional supporting documentation as requested by the board.

(c) As used in IC 25-23.6-10.5-4, "eligible postsecondary educational institution" means a college or university that was accredited prior to the applicant's graduation or within two (2) years from the date of the applicant's graduation by one (1) of the following:

1. (1) New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
2. (2) Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
3. (3) North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
4. (4) Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.
5. (5) Southern Association of Schools and Colleges.
6. (6) Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

(d) An applicant for licensure as a clinical addiction counselor must show successful completion of the graduate degree curriculum set forth in IC 25-23.6-10.5-5 with a minimum of twenty-seven (27) semester hours or forty-one (41) quarter hours in the following content areas:

1. (1) Addiction counseling theories and techniques.
2. (2) Clinical problems.
3. (3) Psychopharmacology.
4. (4) Psychopathology.
5. (5) Clinical appraisal.
6. (6) Theory and practice of group addiction counseling.
7. (7) Counseling addicted family systems.
8. (8) Multicultural counseling.
9. (9) Research methods in addiction.
10. (10) Human development.

If the course titles as stated on the transcript do not clearly reflect the course work content areas as listed in IC 25-23.6-10.5-5, the applicant must document the course or combination of courses in which the material was covered. At the discretion of the board, applicants may be required to provide further documentation, beyond an official transcript, to demonstrate that submitted course work covered the required content areas. Only graduate level courses are acceptable for establishing equivalency. The board will not accept course work counted or credited toward an undergraduate degree.

(e) When evaluating an applicant's master's or doctor's degree in addiction counseling, addiction therapy, or a related area, the board shall consider, as factors in its evaluation, whether the degree granting program:

1. (1) identifies itself as an addiction counseling program in its catalogs and brochures and demonstrates the program's intent to educate and train counselors in its advertising materials;
2. (2) has an identifiable addiction counseling professional responsible for the program who has clear authority and primary responsibility for the core and specialty areas, whether or not the program cuts across administrative lines;
3. (3) has an integrated and organized sequence of study;
4. (4) has an identifiable body of students who are matriculated in that program for a degree;
5. (5) includes a supervised practicum, internship, or field experience; and
6. (6) the degree program practicum, internship or field experience should be conducted in a setting focused on addiction counseling services under the auspices of an approved graduate addiction counseling program.

(f) As used in IC 25-23.6-10.5-6, "supervised clinical practicum, internship, or field experience" means a supervised curricular experience intended to enable the student to develop basic addiction counseling skills and to integrate professional knowledge and skills appropriate to the student's program emphasis. The supervised clinical practicum, internship, or field experience shall be a minimum of seven hundred (700) hours and include the following:

1. (1) A minimum of two hundred eighty (280) face-to-face client contact hours of addiction counseling services under the supervision of an LCAC who has at least five (5) years of experience as a qualified supervisor.
2. (2) A minimum of one hundred five (105) hours of supervision from a LCAC who has at least five (5) years experience as a qualified supervisor.

(g) As used in IC 25-23.6-10.5-6, "qualified supervisor" means an individual who is supervising within his or her scope of experience and training and holds an active license at the time of supervision as:

1. (1) a clinical addiction counselor;
2. (2) a clinical social worker;
3. (3) a marriage and family therapist;
4. (4) a physician with training in psychiatric medicine;
5. (5) a psychologist;
6. (6) a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric or mental health nursing; or
7. (7) another state-regulated addiction counseling professional or, if the experience was gained in a state where no regulation exists, by an addictions or behavioral health professional of equivalent status;

who has at least five (5) years of experience in providing addiction services.

(Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board; 839 IAC 1-5.5-3; filed Aug 1, 2012, 11:01 a.m.: 20120829-IR-839110676FRA; readopted filed Nov 29, 2018, 10:34 a.m.: 20181226-IR-839180402RFA; readopted filed Jun 24, 2024, 3:49 p.m.: 20240724-IR- 839230815RFA)