ADC Recertification

Certification and Licensure are renewed at the same time using a single application.  This application can be downloaded, below.  THIS IS THE ONLY APPLICATION YOU WILL NEED WHETHER YOU ARE CERTIFIED ONLY OR CERTIFIED AND LICENSED.

All Certified and/or Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors must apply for renewal every 2 years. NOTE: If this is your first recertification, the hours you need to submit to renew your credential are pro-rated. Please click here for this important information, then return to this page.

Candidates for recertification are required to provide documentation to the Certification Board that they have completed 40 contact hours of professional education and training during the previous two years.  These 40 hours must include a 6-hour ethics training. 

Only 50% (20 hours) of the total may be carried over from the last recertification period if they were not used then into the present recertification period. Hours which are carried over must have been obtained in the last year of the last recertification period. 

As per the Vermont Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Licensing Rules which are meant to implement the Provisions of Title 33, Chapter 8 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated (VSA), it is expected and recommended that the applicant seek ongoing clinical support and supervision.

Guidelines and Criteria for Continuing Education Credit
Only 50% (20 hours) of the total hours of continuing education may be carried over from the last licensing period (if they were not used then) into the current period. Hours which are carried over must have been obtained in the last year of the last licensing period. It is also expected that the applicant will be able to show how on-going clinical support has been achieved.
Education/training must consist of a minimum of 40 hours within the last two years. All of the 40 recertification hours may be derived from on-line, distance learning or homestudy courses that have been approved by the IC&RC, an IC&RC member board, NAADAC, or the Vermont Certification Board. 6 of the 40 hours must be an ethics training. Those clock hours must be comprised of the following:

1. All of the 40 hours for recertification can be derived from distance learning, homestudy, or on-line classes.
2. In-service hours may be used for a maximum of 15 in-service hours at a 33 1/3 percent credit rate; that is, for every three hours of in-service training, only one hour may be used for credit. In service is defined as the education and training which occurs within the counselor's agency, for agency staff. The education and training must be specific to the field of alcohol and drug abuse treatment. Training which is non-specific to alcohol and/or drug abuse training may be used but only with a thorough justification as to its relation to the field. One hour of credit is allowed for every 3 hours of in-service training with a limit of 15 hours total for credentialing or recredentialing. Supervision, staff meetings, or case conferences are not deemed eligible for hour credit. Documentation of in-service training will consist of a written statement from the employer stating the number of contact hours attended by the employee.
3. Teaching hours: Up to 15 of the 40 required hours may be earned while teaching an approved class/training event in which the topic of the class must be specific to the field of alcohol and drug abuse treatment. Teaching which is non-specific to alcohol and/or drug abuse training may be used but only with a thorough justification as to its relation to the field. Credit for teaching is on a 50 percent basis, i.e. one hour of licensing credit for every two hours of teaching.

IC&RC provides the minimum standards for each reciprocal credential, but Member Boards may set higher standards for their credentials. 

Time of Recertification 
Time periods are every 2 years in the odd-numbered years. 

Recertification/relicensure applications should be postmarked by December 31, 2010 in order for both credentials to be renewed by January 31, 2011, the date on which they expire.

Recertification Fee: See Fee Schedule

Note that all certification fees are nonrefundable so be sure you meet all of the requirements for the certification level you are seeking before sending in your application and payment.