Certified Substance Abuse Counselor & Assistant (CSAC & CSAC-A)-Applicants

A Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) is a person who, by education and experience, is certified by the Board to perform under appropriate supervision or direction, the following substance abuse treatment functions:

Screening, intake, orientation, the administration of substance abuse assessment instruments, recovery and relapse prevention planning, substance abuse treatment, case management, substance abuse or dependence crisis intervention, client education, referral activities, record keeping, and consultation with other professionals.
Supervised experience (as a CSAC Supervisee) is a prerequisite for certification before applying for CSAC Certification by Examination.

A Certified Substance Abuse Counselor Assistant (CSAC-A) is a person who, by education and experience, is certified by the Board to perform under appropriate supervision or direction, the following substance abuse treatment functions:

Orientation, implementation of substance abuse treatment plans, case management, substance abuse or dependence crisis intervention, record keeping, and consultation with other professionals.
180 hours of supervised experience performing the tasks with substance abuse clients as outlined in 18VAC115-30-63 is a requirement for certification as a CSAC-A.
Applying for and holding a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor Assistant (CSAC-A) certification is NOT a pre-requisite for obtaining a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) certification.

It is strongly recommended that you review the Regulations Governing the Certification of Substance Abuse Counselors & Assistants, the CSAC and CSAC-A Certification Process Handbook , and Guidance Document 115-11: Scope of Practice for Persons Regulated by the Board to provide Substance Abuse Treatment before submitting an application.

Which Application Should I Choose?

Professional Status >>>	Education >>>	Supervised Experience Hours >>>	Examination >>>	Action >>>	Application(s) to Submit:
I have never held a CSAC certification in any jurisdiction.	I have a bachelor’s degree or post-baccalaureate degree and have completed 120 clock hours of didactic training in substance abuse education.	I have NOT completed: 2,000 hours of supervised experience 160 hours of experience providing tasks with substance abuse clients as outlined in 18VAC115-30-60(B)(6) 100 hours of in-person supervision 240 clock hours of didactic training	I have NOT passed the NCAC-1 examination.	I want to complete supervised experience towards CSAC certification.	Application for Initial Registration of Supervision Towards Certification as a Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC Supervisee Application).
I hold a current CSAC Supervisee Registration.				I want to add or change a supervisor.	Application for Add/Change of Supervision.
I hold a current CSAC Supervisee Registration.		I have completed: 2,000 hours of supervised experience 160 hours of experience providing tasks with substance abuse clients as outlined in 18VAC115-30-60(B)(6) 100 hours of in-person supervision 240 clock hours of didactic training	I have NOT passed the NCAC-1 examination.	I want to apply for approval to take the NCAC-1 examination towards CSAC certification in Virginia.	Application for Certification as a Substance Abuse Counselor by Examination
I hold a current substantially equivalent certification as a substance abuse counselor in another jurisdiction or hold a national certification approved by the Board.	I met my jurisdiction’s education, supervised experience, and examination requirements for certification, or I hold a NCAC II, MAC, or AADC accreditation.			I want to apply for CSAC certification in Virginia.	Application for Certification as a Substance Abuse Counselor by Endorsement.
I have never held a CSAC-A certification in any jurisdiction.	I have a high school diploma, GED certificate, or a post-secondary degree and have completed 120 clock hours of didactic training in substance abuse education.	I have completed 180 hours of experience performing substance abuse tasks with clients under supervision as required by 18VAC115-30-63.	I have not passed the Virginia State Constructed CSAC-A Exam	I want to apply for CSAC-A certification in Virginia.	Application for Certification as a Substance Abuse Counselor Assistant by Examination.

Important Reminders for All Applicants

Providing false or misleading information as well as omitting information in response to information requested in the application or as part of the application process is considered falsification of the application and may be grounds for denial of or taking disciplinary action against an existing registration, certification, or license.
Incomplete applications will remain active for one year from the date of payment. If your application is still incomplete after the one-year timeframe, you will be required to re-apply by submitting a new application, fee, and documentation pursuant to the regulations at that time.
Pursuant to Virginia Code § 54.1-2400.2 addresses of licensees are made available to the public. Normally, the Address of Record is the publicly disclosed address. If you do not want your Address of Record to be made public, you may provide a second publicly disclosable address (e.g. work or practice address). If you would like your Address of Record to be publicly available, please complete both sections with the same address on the application.
Pursuant to Virginia Code § 54.1-116 (A), you are required to submit your social security number, or your control number issued by the Virigina Department of Motor Vehicles. If you fail to do so, the processing of your application will be suspended, and fees will not be refunded. This number will be used by the Department of Health Professions for identification and will not be disclosed for other purposes except as provided for by law. Federal and state law requires that this number be shared with other agencies for child support enforcement activities. No license will be issued to any individual who has failed to disclose one of these numbers.