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Changes to Examination Requirements for Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor Certification

 

In 2007, the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) voted to eliminate the usage of the “Case Presentation Method” oral examination used in many states, including Wisconsin , for certification of AODA/substance abuse counselors. To replace the oral exam, the IC&RC updated their written counselor examination to include test elements for measurement of practice competencies that were previously tested for by the oral exam. The updated written counselor examination will be offered by the IC&RC beginning immediately (first test offering June 2008).

 

The IC&RC has determined that for those states with reciprocal AODA/substance abuse counselor certification, counselors who wish qualify for reciprocal certification who already passed the written counselor examination prior to June, 2008, but have never successfully completed the oral exam, must either take the updated written counselor exam or still pass the oral examination.

 

Wisconsin clinical substance abuse counselors have reciprocity status with other IC&RC states. To maintain reciprocal standards, Wisconsin is amending the certification process to keep inline with national standards established by the IC&RC.

 

Pending completion of an emergency rule, the following conditions apply only if you wish to obtain certification as a clinical substance abuse counselor:

 

• If you have taken and passed the IC&RC written counselor examination before June 2008, but have never passed the oral examination, you will be required to retake the written counselor examination or pass the oral examination
• If you have successfully completed the IC&RC written counselor examination and the oral examination, there are no further examination requirements*
• If you are first applying for certification, and you take and pass the IC&RC written counselor examination offered first in June of 2008, there will be no additional examination requirements for clinical substance abuse counselor certification*
• The proposed emergency rule will allow those applicants who choose to take the oral examination rather than retake the written counselor exam will have till December 01, 2008 to pass the oral examination. The Department will no longer offer the oral exam after December 1, 2008 .

 

*Note: This does not apply to the written ethics exam required by the Department. All requirements stated above are subject to subsequent changes in statute or rule.