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Oklahoma Administrative Code (Last Updated: March 11, 2021) |
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TITLE 38. Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors |
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Chapter 10. Licensure and Certification of Alcohol and Drug Counselors |
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Subchapter 7. Application |
SECTION 38:10-7-2. Requirements for licensure or certification
Latest version.
- (1) An application for a license to practice as a LADC shall be made to the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors in writing. Such application shall be on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Board. The application shall be accompanied by the fee required by the act, which shall be retained by the Board and not returned to the applicant.(2) Each applicant shall(A) Be of good moral character;(B) Pass an oral and written examination;(C) Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age;(D) Not have engaged in, nor be engaged in, any practice or conduct which would be grounds for denying, revoking or suspending a license pursuant to the provisions of the Act;(E) Otherwise comply with the rules promulgated by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the Act.(3) In addition to the requirements in subsection (a) (2), each applicant shall:(A) Have at least a master's degree in alcohol and substance abuse counseling or other clinical counseling field recognized by the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors from a college or university accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The degree program must include, at a minimum, the courses and the practicum/internship listed in 59 O.S. § 1876 (D) (1) and;(B) Have successfully completed at least one (1) year of full-time supervised work experience. For the purpose of the Act, "one (1) year of full-time work experience" shall be defined as two thousand (2,000) hours of work experience, of which at least one thousand (1,000) hours shall consist of direct client contact providing behavioral health services to an individual and/or the individual's family. At least five hundred (500) hours of the one thousand (1,000) direct client contact hours must be the provision of alcohol and drug counseling services; or(C) Be a licensed mental health professional as defined in Section 1-103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes and have completed a minimum of fifteen (15) hours of master's level substance abuse specific coursework, including, but not limited to, chemical addiction, counseling, alcohol/drug counseling theory, pharmacology of drugs and abuse, assessment and treatment of alcohol and drug problems, theories in family addiction and family addiction counseling. An applicant who qualifies under this subsection is not required to complete the supervised work experience.(D) An applicant must complete all requirements for licensure, including passing the exams, within three (3) years of the date the application was accepted.(E) Persons who meet the requirements in subsection (a) may include the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders within the LADC/MH scope of practice as defined in 59 O.S. § 1871 (10). The designation LADC/MH (licensed alcohol and drug counselor/mental health) shall be noted on their license and wallet card.(F) Persons applying for the LADC/MH designation must submit a completed application on the form prescribed by the Board and pay the LADC/MH fee which shall be retained by the Board and not returned to the applicant. The application must include:(i) An official transcript in a sealed envelope showing that the applicant has obtained the educational requirements;(ii) Proof that the applicant holds a valid license in good standing in one of the behavioral health professions listed in 59 O.S. § 1876 (F)(1);(iii) For applicants who do not meet the requirements in (a) (3) (A) or (a) (3) (B), proof that the applicant has a valid co-occurring disorders certification from a certification entity approved by the Board.(G) The scope of practice of a LADC who does not have the MH designation may not include provision of services that focus solely on mental health disorders. The LADC may provide services for a client with no independent substance use disorder if services are focused on the client's exposure to a family member's substance abuse.(b) Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor.(1) An application for certification as a CADC shall be made to the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors in writing. Such application shall be on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Board. The application shall be accompanied by the fee required by the Act, which shall be retained by the Board and not returned to the applicant.(2) Each applicant for certification shall:(A) Be of good moral character;(B) Pass an oral and written examination;(C) Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age;(D) Not have engaged in, nor be engaged in, any practice or conduct which would be grounds for denying, revoking or suspending a license pursuant to the provisions of the Act;(E) Otherwise comply with the rules promulgated by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the Act.(F) At a minimum, a bachelor's degree in a behavioral science field that is recognized by the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors as appropriate to practice as a certified drug and alcohol counselor in this state;(G) Have successfully completed at least two (2) years of full-time supervised work experience. For the purpose of the Act, "two years of full-time work experience" shall be defined as four thousand (4,000) hours of work experience of which at least two thousand (2,000) hours shall consist of direct client contact providing alcohol and drug counseling services to an individual and/or the individual's family;(H) Have successfully completed at least two hundred seventy (270) clock hours of education related to alcohol and drug counseling subjects, theory, practice or research;(I) Successfully completed, as a part of or in addition to the education requirements established in paragraph three of this subsection, a minimum of forty-five (45) clock hours of specialized training approved by the Board in identifying co-occurring disorders and making appropriate referrals for treatment of co-occurring disorders; and(J) Successfully completed at least three hundred (300) hours of supervised practicum experience in the field of drug and alcohol counseling.(K) complete all requirements for certification, including passing the examinations, within five (5) years of the date the application was accepted.(c) Direct client contact hours, as referenced above in (a) and (b), are defined as activities in which a counselor provides services to a client or group of clients. These must be activities within the scope of the alcohol and drug counselor, such as assessment, intervention, screening, counseling, education. This does not include observation of others providing these services. Direct client contact also includes activities in which services are provided to the client's family members/caregiver/guardian, with or without the client physically present, such as family education and/or family counseling. This includes review of assessment and treatment results with these stakeholders, ether individually or during group meetings. Direct client contact also includes communication with the client and/or family members/caregiver/guardian via email or telephone. Activities that DO NOT count as direct contact include speaking or consulting with other professionals regarding the client, without the client and/or family member/caregiver/guardian present; collaborating with other professionals without the client and/or family member/caregiver/guardian present; time spent preparing materials, writing reports, planning for assessment or intervention, and so forth. Administrative duties without the client and/or family member/caregiver/guardian present, while important, are NOT direct contact. Observation of treatment or assessment sessions are NOT considered direct contact, if the counselor is only observing others providing services.(d) Post-Military Service Applicants. The Board shall consider the equivalent education, training and experience completed by an applicant for certification or licensure while the applicant was a member of the United States Armed Forces or Reserves, National Guard of any state, the Military Reserves of any state, or the Naval militias of any state, and apply it in the manner most favorable toward satisfying the qualifications for certification or licensure. To determine whether education, training and experience completed by an applicant for certification or licensure while the applicant was a member of the military as described in the preceding paragraph, the Board may consider, but is not limited to, determinations made by institutions of higher education based on the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, published by the American Council on Education.