Certification Descriptions

The Indian Alcoholism Commission of California (IACC) Counselor and Administrator Certification Program shall have the following levels of certification at the Area Level:

1.      Counselor I, II, and III levels.

2.      Administrator I and II levels.

·        IACC is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the Certification Program.

·        An alcohol/drug counselor may be certified for either of three levels of knowledge and competence: Counselor I, II or III.

·        The basic difference between Counselor I and Counselor II lies in the length of supervised training and/or work experience.

·        It is not mandatory that an applicant attains certification as a Counselor I before being certified as a Counselor II. The important distinctions to consider when making an application for either category are the qualifications for each level.

·        In developing a system of certification, the Certification Board must, of necessity, be vested with board powers to assess the applicant, his/her work experiences, competencies, and training. The Certification Board may require additional information or evidence in some cases to make an adequate determination of the applicant’s qualifications.

·        Applicants must agree to waive the right to inspect the results of inquiries made of employers, co-workers, references, or educational institutions which were sought and acquired in the process of making a determination on certification.

·        Certification Board Members are required to respect the confidentiality of all materials whether oral or written.

·        Certification will be awarded for a two-year period. Re-certification will be required every two years on the anniversary of the original certification.

·        There shall be no waiver or substitution for the two-year full time supervised work experience (Counselor I) or the three-year full time supervised work experience (Counselor II) that involves counseling in the Indian Alcoholism/Drug Abuse field.

·        There shall be no waiver or substitution of work experience for required accredited academic hours/course requirements for Counselors I, II, or III.

Substance Abuse Counselor Certification

Substance Abuse Counselor I

1.      A Certified Indian Counselor I should possess the following qualifications (in addition to those general qualifications and competencies already enumerated as being applicable).

A.     Demonstrate adequate knowledge and competence in the field of Indian Substance Abuse Counseling.

B.     Completed 4,000 hours (approximately two years) of counseling experience supervised by a Certified Counselor. These counseling experiences must be in an agency approved by the State or Indian Health Service. The Certification Board will scrutinize the documented background experience of each applicant to ensure that they have adequate prior experience and/or other chemically addicted clients.

C.    Satisfactory completion of a minimum of thirty semester units (480 academic hours) of course work in an accredited institution of higher learning (college or university). Nineteen semester units (304 academic hours) of which must be in specialized Chemical Dependency courses. Those nineteen semester units (304 academic hours) must include distinct courses in the following:

1.      Introduction to, or Survey of Chemical Dependency

2.      Physiology/Pharmacology of Alcohol/Drugs

3.      Basic Chemical Dependency Counselor Skills

4.      Group Facilitation Skills for Chemical Dependency Counselors

5.      Chemical Dependency and Family

6.      Case Management: to include but not limited to: Record- keeping, treatment planning, confidentiality, report writing, client advocacy, referral, charting progress, discharge, and after-planning

7.      Ethics and Laws regarding: Alcohol/Chemical

8.      Overview of Dual Diagnosis

9.      Practicum I & II (300 hrs-Supervised)

10. The remaining 11 semester units (176 hours may be in such courses as English composition, nutrition, first aid, counseling, psychology, sociology, or social work).

D.    GOOD STANDING. In order to maintain Good Standing, and the right to participate in the activities and deliberations of the Indian Alcoholism Commission of California, Inc., Members shall have a minimum of two years abstinent and continue to abstain from alcoholic beverages, the use of illegal drugs, and the misuse of legal drugs or substances which induce altered mental states.

Substance Abuse Counselor II

1.      A Certified Indian Counselor II should possess the following qualification (in addition to those general qualifications and competencies already enumerated as applicable):

A.     Demonstrate knowledge and competencies at a professional level in the field of Substance Abuse (see specific qualifications applicable to Indian Substance Abuse Counselor I).

B.     Education and experience as described below:

·        Three academic years (6,000 hours) of pre-planned and reported field experience in the field of Chemical Dependency under academic supervision, and Certified Counselor II or III supervision, or three full years (6,000 hours) of experience under the supervision of a Counselor II or III. The above combination of supervised experiences must be in an agency approved by the State or Indian Health Services.

C.    All other requirements are the same as Counselor I.

Substance Abuse Counselor III

1. A certified Indian Counselor III should possess the following qualifications (in addition to those general qualifications and competencies already enumerated as applicable for Counselor I and II):

1.      Demonstrate knowledge and competencies at a professional level in the field of substance abuse (see specific qualification applicable to Indian Substance Abuse Counselor I and II).

2.      Education and experience as described below:

a.      Completed 5 years (10,000 hours) of full-time counseling experience supervised by a Certified Counselor III in an agency approved by the State or Indian Health Service.

b.      A degree in a related field plus satisfactory completion of twenty semester units (320 academic hours) which must be in specialized Counselor I and II plus an additional four semester units (64 academic hours) in:

                                                        i.            Substance Abuse Intervention Techniques

                                                      ii.            Family Systems

c.      Satisfactory completion of two (2) years academic course work with the concentration in management in an accredited institution of higher learning is required.

d.      GOOD STANDING. In order to maintain Good Standing, and the right to participate in the activities and deliberations of the Indian Alcoholism Commission of California, Inc., Members shall have a minimum of two years abstinent and continue to abstain from alcoholic beverages, the use of illegal drugs, and the misuse of legal drugs.

Administrative Certification Requirements

Program Administrator I

1.      A certified Administrator I of an American Indian/Alaskan Native Alcohol/Drug Program shall possess the following qualifications (in addition to those Counselor qualifications and competencies already enumerated as being applicable):

A.     Complete 3,000 hours [approximately one and one half (1&1/2) years] of successful management experience in an American Indian/Alaskan Native Alcohol/Drug Program. These management experiences must be in an agency approved by a state or IACC. The Certification Board will scrutinize the documented background experience of each applicant to ensure that the required experience is met.

B.     GOOD STANDING. In order to maintain Good Standing, and the right to participate in the activities and deliberations of the Indian Alcoholism Commission of California, Inc., Members shall have a minimum of two years abstinent and continue to abstain from alcoholic beverages, the use of illegal drugs, and the misuse of legal drugs or substances which induce altered mental states.

2.      Organization of Services

A.     Alcohol/Drug Services Organized

a.      Case recording and program evaluation procedures the establishment of a consumer alcohol/drug utilization information retrieval system.

b.      Inventory of available resources

c.      Establishment of cost-effective retrieval system and utilization of cost savings information in developing alcohol/drug rehabilitation programs.

d.      Resistance to program change, analysis, and prevention

B.     Coordinated Alcohol/Drug Service Delivery

a.      Effective utilization of all existing resources to meet the needs of the community.

C.    Comprehensive Planning for Alcohol/Drug Rehabilitation Program Development

a.      Planning for the total needs of the community

b.      Identification of Gaps in Alcohol/Drug Services Resources

c.      Methodology of motivating existing agencies/programs to serve the Alcohol/Drug client and his/her family

D.    Resource and Evaluation

a.      Effective utilization of IHS Data System

b.      Effective use of research activities to improve services

3.      Financial Management Functions

A.     Cost Analysis and Decision Making

a.      Cost effectiveness of the substance abuse program

b.      Budgeting and innovations

4.      Leadership

A.     Staff Management to Goal Achievement

B.     Effective coordination of program services

C.    Development and maintenance of an effective Training Program for staff development

D.    Utilizing evaluations of program activities for program improvement and staff development

E.     Functional clarification of agency service goals and the establishment of program priorities

F.     Staff orientation to all IHS standards and policies applicable

5.      Community Planning and Program Development

A.     Knowledge of the Community and its leadership.

B.     Develop positive relations with the Tribal councils and/or Indian communities.

C.    Effective use of Boards and Committees.

D.    Methodology of utilizing community leadership in developing resources for the program.

E.     Focus services on consumer requirements.

Program Administrator II

1.      A Certified Administrator II of an American Indian/Alaskan Native Alcohol/Drug Program should possess the following qualifications (in addition to those counselor qualifications and competencies already enumerated as being applicable):

A.     Possess a Degree in Management or related field of study and/or five (5) years successful management experience, with a minimum of two (2) of those years being in any Native American/Alaskan Native Alcohol/Drug Program. These management experiences must be in an agency funded by Indian Health Service.

B.     If the Experience Base is utilized in lieu of the Degree Requirement Program, Administrator I Certification is mandatory prior to applying for Program Administrator II. The Certification Board will scrutinize the Documented Background Experience of each applicant to ensure the required management experience is satisfied.

C.    GOOD STANDING. In order to maintain Good Standing, and the right to participate in the activities and deliberations of the Indian Alcoholism Commission of California, Inc., Members shall have a minimum of two years abstinent and continue to abstain from alcoholic beverages, the use of illegal drugs, and the misuse of legal drugs or substances which induce altered mental states.

Written and Oral Testing in Accordance with ICRC

Testing will be done a quarterly basis through the IACC office. All tests will be from the ICRC and State of California approved sources. When an applicant passes the written test he/she will be given a date to take their oral exams, when the applicants have passed both the written and oral tests to include the IACC cultural component a completion certificate for the appropriate level will be issued.