If you’re looking into becoming a substance use disorder (SUD) counselor, the terminology you’ll come across can be a bit confusing. On one website, you might’ve read that you need to become certified to practice as a counselor. On another, you might’ve read that you need to be licensed.
So which is it? Are certification and licensure the same thing?
The short answer is no — certification and licensure are not the same thing.
In simplest terms…
Licensure is granted through a state government agency and gives counselors the legal authority to diagnose and treat patients within the scope of practice the state defines, and then bill insurance for those services. This is no different than any other licensed profession, from social workers to marriage and family therapists.
Certification is granted through a nongovernmental, nonprofit professional association and doesn’t come with the same level of legal authority as a state-issued credential from a government agency. With certification, there are often restrictions on billing insurance for treatment services.
But of course, things aren’t quite that simple, and there are exceptions to these rules. The confusion comes from the fact that the two words aren’t used consistently at the state level.
- Some states use the term certified exclusively for all counselors who have been properly vetted and legally authorized to perform substance use disorder counseling, whether credentialed through a nonprofit or state government body. Also, the term certified is always used in states that don’t regulate the profession with a state credentialing agency. In these states, the only option is to earn certification through a nonprofit professional association.
- In other states where both nongovernmental and state government entities grant credentials, the term licensed is used to represent legal authority granted through the state. In these states, a natural distinction exists between simply being certified through a nonprofit versus holding a state license. It’s also common for state agencies to use the term certification for the state-issued entry-level credential and the term license for their more advanced credential.
The lesson here is to zero-in on how credentialing is handled in your own state. That’s really all that matters, especially in the early stages of your career.
In most cases, determining whether you need to be certified or licensed as a substance use disorder counselor simply comes down to whether your state even offers a licensing option.
In states where both options are on the table, the decision will come down to how far you choose to advance up the credentialing ladder, and in turn what scope of practice and level of practice authority you’re interested in achieving.
To help you figure out what you need to know to earn the official authority to start offering counseling and other treatment services, we’ll explore the differences between certification and licensure, and what is ultimately right for you.
Following Your State’s Credentialing Process Will Answer Most Questions About Certification vs Licensure
To determine if you need to be certified or licensed, simply start by figuring out your own state’s requirements to become a substance abuse counselor. States generally fall into one of three categories:
- Licensure is required for all SUD counselors.
- Licensure is required for advanced and clinical SUD counselors. Entry- and mid-level counselors need to be certified.
- Certification is required for all SUD counselors and there is no licensure process.
If you live in a state where licensure is required for all counselors, there’s not much room for debate — you’ll need to be licensed through your state’s local licensing board.
The same is true for states where certification is required, except more often than not you won’t be working directly with a state government credentialing board. Instead, you’ll work through a nongovernmental professional association to earn certification. Even in states where a government agency doesn’t exist to offer credentials, there would still very often be a requirement for state registration in order to be able to legally practice. Registration, in these cases, would be dependent on holding certification from a nonprofit that the state recognizes.
At the National Level, Certification Always Refers to NAADAC and IC&RC Credentials
When talking about national certification, you’re always talking about credentials granted through one of two non-government professional associations. In the SUD counseling world, the two big, influential certification agencies are the International Credentialing and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) and the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). Their standards are informed by decades of service to the counseling world, research, and input from experienced counselors.
At the state level, certification means something a bit different. A lot of states have local professional associations that offer certifications that local employers and the public recognize. More often though, even at the state level, the professional associations are simply local chapters of the IC&RC and NAADAC that help facilitate national certification for local substance abuse counselors. In some cases, this may mean helping counselors achieve slightly tailored standards to meet state practice requirements while earning the popular IC&RC and NAADAC certifications. In fact, IC&RC certification can only be accessed through state affiliates, while NAADAC offers a more traditional path to national certification by applying directly.
The certification process always involves fulfilling experience and education requirements and then passing a final exam.
But while certification through the IC&RC, NAADAC, and local organizations is often voluntary, their credentials are held in high regard by the counseling community. In fact, many states integrate IC&RC and NAADAC standards into their own laws, and all states rely on exams from one or both agencies to test new counselors.
National certification by itself, though, does not usually grant the authority to practice. Anywhere that a state government agency is in place to regulate the profession, you have to hold state-issued credentials, even if you’re already certified through a non-government professional association.
National Certification Will Play a Role in The Development of Nationally Uniform Standards
As far back as late 2019, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an alarming brief showing that the American workforce is dangerously low on SUD counselors. This comes at the same time the country is in the midst of a frightening new synthetic opioid epidemic.
While there’s a complex mix of factors contributing to the shortage, the HHS puts at least part of the blame on a lack of uniform national standards and a needlessly complex credentialing matrix in many states. HHS went so far as to say that variations between licensing and certification processes across and within states is a main contributor. The current situation creates unnecessary barriers to entering the field, too many hurdles to clear for experienced professionals looking to move up, and too many opportunities for insurance companies to avoid reimbursement for substance abuse treatment.
HHS is advocating for more uniform standards nationwide, and is advising states with multiple counselor credentialing boards to combine them in an effort to move toward this goal. While government agencies like the HHS and state licensing boards will most certainly be involved in this effort, the IC&RC and NAADAC will play a critical role too. National certification can help you prepare for the shifting landscape of addiction counselor credentialing in the years ahead.
What About Academic Certificates in Substance Use Disorder Counseling?
Along with being certified or licensed as an SUD counselor, you can also earn certificates in SUD counseling and related topics. But despite the terms being similar, an academic certificate, sometimes called a diploma, is very different from certification.
Not unlike a degree, academic certificates are awarded after completing a specific course of training through a conventional college program or private training institute. The classes you take can help you meet the qualifications to become certified or licensed, but earning a certificate alone doesn’t grant any legal authority to practice.
Many community colleges offer basic undergraduate certificates in substance abuse counseling. Bachelor’s programs in related fields like social work and psychology often offer certificates in substance abuse counseling that you earn as a minor alongside your undergraduate major. When asked about your education during a job interview, you might say something like, “I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a certificate in addiction studies.”
At the graduate level, you’ll find post-bachelor’s graduate certificate and even post-graduate certificates in substance abuse counseling for those who hold master’s degrees – a common choice for professionals in fields like social work where a master’s is the established standard for becoming licensed.
How Does Substance Abuse Counselor Credentialing Work in My State?
States With State-Issued Licensure as an Option
In these states, licensure is granted through a state government agency, providing the highest level of legal authority available in the industry. In these states, licensed counselors can expect to be able to bill insurance directly for the treatment services they provide:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Wyoming
Voluntary certification is also available in these states, but legal practice authority is granted through a state licensing authority, usually the same one that issues licenses for Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) and Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT).
States with State-Issued Certification Only
In these states, certification is issued through a state government agency that generally grants the same authority and ability to bill insurance as you’d find in states that issue licenses. That’s not always the case, though. It’s still important to understand exactly how your state defines the scope of practice for different certification levels, as well as the statutes that relate to billing insurance.
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- New York
- Washington
- Wisconsin
States with Non-Profit, Professional Association-Issued Certification Only
In these states, the only credentials available are granted through nongovernmental professional associations. In many cases, the state may still grant some level of recognition and maintain a registry of certified counselors.
- Alabama
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- West Virginia
In some cases there may be a limited scope of practice under this type of professional certification when it comes to the legal authority to perform clinical services, namely diagnosis. But that’s not always the case, so it’s important to understand exactly what authority is granted under this type of certification in your state.
Where the scope of practice may be limited under this type of certification, clinical services are often performed by Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC), and psychologists who have added substance abuse counseling certification to their credentials. Those with substance abuse counselor certification only generally work in a non-clinical capacity.
Important Points to Know In States Where Both Certification and Licensure Are Available
Of course, in states where both certification and licensure are available, certified and licensed substance abuse counselors operate under different scopes of practice and legal authority, and with this comes different job opportunities.
But since licensing comes at the top of the credentialing ladder in these states, it’s not really a matter of if you should become licensed, it’s more a matter of when. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself graduating to a license in the natural course of your career progression.
Typically, certified counselors can provide counseling to groups, individuals, and families and are involved in everything from admissions to discharge planning. However, they usually have to work under the general supervision of a fully-licensed counselor. General supervision means that while your supervisor doesn’t have to be in the room with you while you work, they should be available for guidance.
In many states that offer certification and licensure, licensed substance abuse counselors often need a master’s degree in substance use disorder counseling or another human services field and more on-the-ground experience. With this, licensed counselors have the clinical authority to diagnose and develop individualized treatment plans. And at the highest credential levels, they gain independent practice authority that allows them to supervise, run their own independent practices, and serve in high-level administrative positions.
Licensed substance use disorder counselors generally have the authority to:
- Evaluate, review, and develop treatment programs.
- Train and oversee other counselors.
- Handle complex cases that involve mental health issues and other co-occurring disorders.
- Administer clinical interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Diagnose psychological issues.
In many states where both certification and licensure are available, certified counselors aren’t legally allowed to carry out these duties. In fact, even in states that don’t offer licensure in substance use disorder counseling, certified counselors may not be able to perform these duties. Instead, clinical duties would be reserved for Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW).
Think of Certification as the First Big Step Toward Becoming a Licensed Substance Use Disorder Counselor
If you plan to run your own practice, perform the full scope of clinical duties, or qualify for supervisor-level credentials, then earning a substance abuse counselor license is definitely in your future.
Because qualifying for a license often involves earning a degree and a considerable amount of field experience, it can take years to complete the process. Certification will get you out into the field gaining valuable experience much quicker as you work to fulfill the requirements for licensure. This is by design and simply part of the process in many states.
By the time you qualify for licensure, you’ll be an advanced practitioner in your role as substance abuse counselor and able to understand and treat co-occuring mental health disorders.
Important Points For States Where Credentialing is Handled Only Through Non-Government Professional Associations
If your state government doesn’t offer licensure in substance abuse counseling, then there’s no way to become licensed and there’s nothing more to think about in that regard.
However, certification through local professional associations, local affiliates of IC&RC, or national certification through NAADAC is still an option. Even voluntary certification of this nature may effectively be a de facto requirement.
Even in the absence of a state regulatory board to enforce professional standards for substance abuse counselors, employers still need to hire counselors with specific skills. They want counselors who can:
- Use evidence-based methods to assess new clients, make treatment plans, and offer continuing care after discharge.
- Follow all record-keeping protocols.
- Make referrals and cooperate with other professionals as needed.
- Navigate the many ethical and legal challenges that come with being an SUD counselor.
- Incorporate psychopharmacology, biology, and other hard sciences into their duties.
To be eligible for certification through the IC&RC or NAADAC, you’ll need to have formal training that teaches these skills along with a significant amount of supervised practice experience behind you before taking the final certification exam.
Of course, you can still develop these skills without becoming certified, but employers often favor applicants with certification since the process of becoming certified effectively does the vetting for them, offering the assurance that candidates have had rigorous training and experience that meets industry standards.
To maintain your certification, you’ll be required to complete a specified number of continuing education hours every couple of years. In most cases, you can take online classes, read and contribute to recovery-focused research journals, and attend seminars to earn hours. These opportunities can help you stay up-to-date on the latest evidence-based interventions and issues — a valuable thing whether you’re looking for a new job or just trying to find new ways to help the people you serve.
Along the way, you might even earn a certificate in a specialized area of practice, like serving people in the criminal justice system, young people, or people who’ve experienced trauma.
Because counselor certification and licensing laws are so different from state to state, there can be challenges to relocating. But when you hold nationally recognized credentials, especially those that align with the standards of the state you’re relocating to, it opens the door to a greater level of interstate mobility.
If you think your counseling career might take you to new places, you’ll want to consider becoming certified through the IC&RC. Their standards and exams are accepted in the vast majority of states. On top of preserving high standards in the recovery treatment workforce, the IC&RC is dedicated to helping their members transfer their credentials to new jurisdictions.