Steps to Earning Substance Abuse Counselor Certification in Maine

Tip! An associate degree may provide a smoother and more streamlined path to LC certification in Maine. Most programs at the associate degree level and above include a field experience/practicum where you’ll begin gaining valuable experience in the field. The school through which you earned your degree will be able to connect you with organizations/agencies where you can begin earning the experience you’ll need for LC certification (see Step 3).

2. Take and Pass the Required Exam and Apply for Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CAC) Certification

Once you complete the required education, you’ll apply to take the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Examination for Alcohol and Drug Counselors (ADC).

Tip! You may choose to take the Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) exam instead of the ADC exam during this time. If you take and pass the AADC, you won’t need to take (and pay for) the AADC again when preparing for LC certification (see Step 4). This means taking and paying for just one exam total rather than two.

You must complete the Maine IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) or the Maine IC&RC Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) exam Eligibility form (available on the board’s website) and pay the required fee.

You’ll receive notice from the IC&RC within ten days with instructions detailing how to schedule your examination.

Once you’ve passed the ADC or AADC exam, you’ll apply for CAC certification, which includes completing an online application and providing proof of the required education and passing exam score.

3. Complete a Minimum of 2,000 Hours of Supervised Work Experience in Alcohol and Drug Counseling

Now that you’ve achieved the CAC credential, it’s time to land a job and gain the experience you’ll need to earn the Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor (LC) designation, so you can practice independently, without supervision.

You cannot begin accruing the 2,000 hours of supervised experience until you’ve earned your CAC credential and are working under the supervision of a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS). The CCS supervising your work will need to document your hours through the Supervisor’s Affidavit, which is required when applying for LC certification.

If you earned an associate degree, you may be able to continue earning the required experience with the same agency where you completed your fieldwork experience. Your college or university will be an excellent resource for helping you locate an agency where you can satisfy the supervised experience requirement.

4. Take and Pass the AADC Exam, if Necessary, and Apply for Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor (LC) Certification

If you’ve already taken and passed the AADC exam (see Step 2), you’ll be ready to apply for LC certification once you’ve satisfied the experience requirements. This includes completing an online application and providing proof of the required education and passing exam score.

If you previously passed only the ADC exam, you’ll need to take and pass the AADC exam before applying for LC certification (see Step 2).

Your LC certification renews yearly on November 30. You’ll need to complete at least 25 contact hours of continuing professional education, including at least four hours in professional ethics, every two years to maintain your license (due every odd-numbered year).

5. Consider the Value of Earning Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) Certification

Now that you hold LC certification, you can easily become a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) and help other aspiring substance abuse counselors in Maine become Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselors (LCs).

Active LCs can achieve the CCS designation by completing 24 hours of training in clinical supervision, which includes at least six hours of training in each of the following areas: skills assessment and evaluation, counselor development, management and administration, and professional responsibility.

Once you achieve both LC and CCS certification, you’ll need to renew both credentials annually. You’ll also need to complete at least 37 contact hours of continuing professional education every two years (due every odd-numbered year), four of which must be in professional ethics.

How to Become a Substance Abuse Counselor in Maine Without a Degree

It is possible to become a substance abuse counselor in Maine without earning a post-secondary education or degree by first earning the Alcohol & Drug Counseling Aide (AD) credential and completing at least 4,000 hours (about two years) of licensed supervised work experience hours in alcohol and drug counseling services.

To earn AD certification, you must be at least 18 years old, you must pass the ADC exam, and you must have a job lined up that includes working with a Maine Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) who is willing to take you on under a supervisory role.

Once you satisfy the required hours (which must be documented), you’ll meet the requirements to apply for CAC certification.

Substance Abuse Counselor Jobs in Maine

Governor Janet Mills has been fully committed to making significant behavioral health investments in Maine, which include increasing funding for and making investments toward the purchase and distribution of naloxone; adding more than 140 new residential treatment beds for substance use disorder between 2021 and 2022; and providing behavioral health providers with much-needed funding to expand treatment capacity and increase the number of patients they serve. The Mills administration also created the OPTIONS program, which has created response teams throughout the state that promote drug prevention and harm reduction strategies; help people locate treatment services; and distribute naloxone.

These types of major efforts to curb substance use disorder reflect a growing need for certified substance abuse counselors throughout the state. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 2020 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services reports that Maine was home to 196 substance abuse treatment facilities that treated nearly 11,000 people in 2020 alone

Substance Abuse Counselor Jobs in Portland, Lewiston, Bangor and Throughout Maine 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of opioid overdose deaths in Maine’s largest counties between September 2022 and August 2023 far exceeded the national rate during this time of 32.2 deaths per 100,000 people: