Practitioners from a variety of disciplines and sectors provide substance abuse-related services. In response, a number of Canadian and North American organizations offer certification to many of these practitioners with the general aims of providing protection to their clientele and recognition for the practitioner. This section includes information about the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Board (CACCB), the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine (C*SAM), the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), the Canadian Counselling Association (CCA) and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP).
Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation
The Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation certifies, and provides membership to Canadian addiction counsellors. It is a voluntary non-profit organization affiliated with the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (IC&RC/AODA), which consists of more than 40 alcohol and other drug certifying bodies in the United States and eight other countries.
The Federation provides certification for the following: International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor (ICADC); International Certified Clinical Supervisor (ICCS); and the Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS). The ICADC, ICCS and CCS have a written examination component. Certified counsellors meet standards that include a combination of education, work experience, clinical supervision, knowledge, and skills specific to the treatment of substance use problems.
Each member is required to maintain his/her certification by acquiring 40 hours/24 months in order to re-certify at their appropriate level (ICADC, ICCS, CCS) and are required to verify that they are working in the field of addiction. Each year the member is also required to sign a code of ethics upon renewal of their membership. A more detailed outline of the process is available on their Web site. It also provides an updated list of Certified and Associate Counsellors in Canada.
For more information: http://www.caccf.ca/
Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine (C*SAM)
The Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine provides certification in addiction medicine to eligible physicians. Requirements include graduation from a medical school approved by the Committee of Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools, and the Liaison Committee of Medical Education of the United States; and/or hold a licence in good standing with a provincial or territorial licensing authority; and continuing involvement in the addiction field (at least 50% of practice time). Certificants must also satisfy either specified training or practice requirements to receive the certification, Canadian Certification in Addiction Medicine.
For more information: http://www.csam.org/
Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA)
The Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP) credential was created by EAPA in 1986 to certify professionals delivering Employee Assistance Program services. The Employee Assistance Certification Commission (EACC) is an autonomous credentialing body established by EAPA to administer the CEAP program.
The EACC has recently made efforts to make certification more readily available to the International EAP community by updating its test, offering a computer-based option and simplifying the process.
For more information: certmgr@eap-association.org
Canadian Counselling Association
The Canadian Counselling Association (CCA) has a non-statutory certification process that is available to CCA members who wish to apply and who fulfil specific qualification requirements. One of these requirements is completion of an appropriate Master's degree in counselling with a compulsory practicum.
The purpose of the CCA counsellor certification program is to identify to the public those counsellors who, through a process of credential evaluation, are judged qualified to provide counselling services. Besides setting standards of professional preparation, this program also mandates expectations for continuing education, requires adherence to a formal code of ethics, and provides for advising and disciplining those members on matters of professional conduct.
Only counsellors who are certified by the Canadian Counselling Association are permitted to use the protected title Canadian Certified Counsellor and/or the acronym "CCC". They also receive a certificate, which their clients should expect to see displayed at the place of work.
For more information: http://www.ccacc.ca/
US Department of Transportation (DOT) Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP)
Guidelines and other information may be found at the US DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance
For more information: http://www.dot.gov/ost/dapc
Information on SAP training approved by the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Board can be accessed at: http://www.i-workplacesolutions.com/e-SAP/index.html