CACI

The Board of Directors approved changes to the certification policies and procedures regarding legal status.

Applicant must be cleared of all criminal charges / misdemeanors and/or felonies, and probation and/or parole requirements prior to applying for certification. All individuals who have a prior criminal record with felony convictions / charges will be required to submit a Criminal Background report to the Certification Committee. If an applicant is still on probation, the following must be provided. For a period of 2 years prior to the application: 1) Evidence of no new charges, and 2) Evidence of compliance with all probation requirements and conditions.

New Requirements for CACI Effective April 1, 2020

The Board of Directors approved changes to the certification policies and procedures in accordance with ethical, professional and legal standards. All counselors in good standing as of March 31, 2019 will be exempt from new requirements. Starting April 1, 2019, changes to the certification policies and procedures include :

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Education Policy Change: Tele Counseling – Six (6) hours of education in Tele Counseling or other equivalent training such as Telemental Health, E-Counseling, or E-Therapy must be documented.
Supervision Policy Change: Applicant must receive a minimum of 96 hours of clinical supervision by a GACA CCS to be eligible for a CACI, and the remaining 124 hours of supervision by an approved work supervisor for a total of 220 hours. Applicant must receive a minimum of 144 hours of clinical supervision by a GACA CCS to be eligible for a CACII, and the remaining 76 hours of supervision by an approved work supervisor for a total of 220 hours.
Work Supervisor Policy Change: An approved work supervisor is certified or licensed with at least one of the following credentials: NCACI, CACI, CACII, NCACII, CADCII, CAADC, LCSW, LMFT, LPC, RN, APN, Addictionologist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or other licensed behavioral health providers.

CAC Level One Eligibility Requirements

Be an active member of GACA/NAADAC (optional, but qualifies for member discounts)

Minimum High School diploma or Equivalency (G.E.D.)

2 years full-time or 4,000 hours active practice as a chemical dependency/abuse counselor in the past 5 years. Volunteer counseling supervised by a GACA Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) may also be accepted in lieu of paid hours to equal 4,000 hours

180 contact hours of education and training in alcoholism and drug abuse or related counseling subjects, including six hours of ethics training, 18 hours of cultural diversity training, and 3 hours of HIV/AIDS education. Minimum 100 contact hours within the past 5 years. Maximum 90 hours may come from a college transcript. (See Worksheet for Calculating Clock Hours for details)

220 hours of clinical supervision by a GACA CCS. Minimum 24 of these hours must be one-on-one supervision, with minimum 2 hours of individual supervision in each of the 8 counselor skill groups.

Passing score on the NCC AP (national written exam) Level. (To be taken AFTER application is approved by Certification Committee)

Recent Probation Policy Change: Applicant must be cleared of all criminal charges / misdemeanors and/or felonies, and probation and/or parole requirements prior to applying for certification. All individuals who have a prior criminal record with felony convictions / charges will be required to submit a Criminal Background report to the Certification Committee. If an applicant is still on probation, the following must be provided. For a period of 2 years prior to the application: 1) Evidence of no new charges, and 2) Evidence of compliance with all probation requirements and conditions.

Application Requirements

Applicant must have met minimum requirements above CACI prior to submission of the application. (EXCEPTION: Written examination will be taken following application approval by the Certification Committee.)

Completed and signed GACA Certification Application including the signed statement that the applicant has read the NAADAC Code of Ethics and subscribes to it.

- - Two professional letters of reference stating the applicant’s character and competency to be sent directly to GACA. One letter must be from a GACA certified counselor.
  - Written verification of competency in all skill groups by the work supervisor(s) who has personally observed the applicant’s chemical dependency/abuse counseling work.
  - Written verification of competency in all skill groups by the Certified Clinical Supervisor(s) who has personally supervised the applicant’s practical experience.
  - Documentation of Education and Training Hours in the form of certificates of completion and/or original college transcript(s).
  - Payment of non-refundable application fee.

Certification is for a period of two 2 years. An applicant is not permitted to use the CAC credential or refer to him/herself as a Certified Addiction Counselor until formal notification by the Certification Committee of Georgia Addiction Counselors Association. Counselor must meet renewal requirements at the time of re-certification.