CASAC: CREDENTIALED ALCOHOLISM and SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR PROGRAM

Become an Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor!

You can obtain your Bachelor's  degree in Psychology while completing the coursework required for a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) Trainee certificate  awarded by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) – the official state authority that awards credentials for addiction counseling.

In addition to the required courses for all psychology majors – i.e., Introductory Psychology, Statistics, and Experimental Psychology – OASAS has approved eight 3-credit psychology courses (see below) as meeting the NY State education requirements for the addiction counselor-trainee credential.

1. CASAS-Trainee Certification
You will be issued a CASAC-Trainee certificate by the NY State OASAS when you document through your formal application to OASAS that a minimum of 350 clock hours of OASAS-registered education and training courses have been satisfactory completed at CCNY. To meet this Trainee requirement, a certificate of completion will be awarded for each OASAS-registered psychology course at CCNY as students successfully complete each of the eight courses from CASAC-Trainee courses listed below:

A. Knowledge of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse [85 hours required]
    1. Drug and Alcohol Abuse (PSY 23800) [45 hours]
    2. Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience (PSY 37100) [45 hours]
*CCNY total =90 hours: Extra 5 hours covers D, below

B. Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Counseling [150 hours required]
    3.  Theories of Psychotherapy (PSY 38800) [45 hours]
    4.  Infancy and Child Development (PSY 24600) [45 hours]
    5.  Family Psychology (PSY 36500) [45 hours]
    6.  Small Group Processes (PSY 36700) [45 hours]
*CCNY total=180 hours: Extra 30 hours covers D, below

C. Assessment; Clinical Evaluation; Treatment Planning: Case Management; & Patient. Family & Community Education [70 hours required]
    7.  Treatment of Substance Abuse (PSY 31203) [45 hours]
    8.  Psychology of Prevention (PSY 31716) [45 hours]
*CCNY total=90 hours: Extra 20 hours covers D, below

D. Professional & Ethical Responsibilities [40 hours required]
Credit-hour content covered in courses listed in A, B, & C above
*CCNY total=55 hours

Total credit hours required for OASAS CASAC-Trainee credential=350.
Total credit hours of 8 OASAS-approved CCNY psychology courses = 360 credit hours. **

2. Two Levels of Addiction Counselor Credentials
There are two levels of the Credentialed Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) title awarded by the NY State Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services (OASAS):

a. The first level is for the title of CASAC-Trainee. This credential is awarded by the NY State OASAS upon completion of a minimum of 350 hours of specific OASAS-registered psychology courses at CCNY. The CASAC-Trainee certificate will serve as documentation that you are working toward becoming a fully credentialed CASAC. The trainee certificate is effective from the date of OASAS approval until the end of the five-year period that your application is active. The CASAC-Trainee certificate is not renewable.

b. The second level is for the full, non-trainee title of CASAC and requires in addition to completion of a minimum of 350 hours of specific OASAS-registered courses: (A) a minimum number of supervised work hours in an OASAS-approved treatment faculty [see below], (B) an OASAS written and oral exam, and (C) meeting OASAS ethical conduct requirements.

3. Requirements for Full CASAC Credential
In order to become a fully certified Credentialed Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) you must: (1) meet minimum education and training requirements [i.e., the 8 CCNY psychology courses listed above]; (2) meet specific work requirements [see below]; (3) pass the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, Inc. (ICRC/AODA) written examination for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselors; (4) pass the ICRC/AODA Case Presentation Method (CPM) oral examination; (5) meet specific competency and ethical conduct requirements. All of these requirements are overseen and/or coordinated by OASAS.

4. Work Experience Requirements for Full CASAC Credential
To apply for the full (non-Trainee) credential, applicants must document a minimum of 6000 hours of supervised, full-time equivalent work experience in an approved work setting as a provider of direct patient services. [See page 6 of the CASAC Application Packet for different types of work settings.] A Bachelor’s Degree may be substituted for an additional 2000 hours. A minimum of 2000 hours must be paid (approximately one year) and obtained within 10 years before submission of the Application for full credentialing.

5. Overall Summary
When you have satisfactorily completed all eight courses, you are identified by addiction treatment programs as “CASAC-Trainee/Qualified Health Professional (QHP),” and are qualified for entry-level jobs in the addiction treatment field. To receive your final, non-trainee “CASAC” Credential, you must also work a certain number of hours [approximately two years of full-time supervised experience in a State-approved treatment program – only one year with a Masters degree in Psychology], and then pass a NY State examination.

This credential is recognized in 39 U.S. states and Washington D.C.; 8 countries including the U.K., Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Sweden, and Bermuda; the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Administrative Office of the Courts, and the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.

Neither the CASAC-Trainee credential nor the full CASAC credential legally allows you to practice counseling or therapy privately or independently – because only fully licensed and registered psychologists, social workers, and medical personnel can legally have a private practice. However, the full and trainee credential will legally allow you to work under the supervision of a licensed, trained professional in an OASAS-registered addiction treatment program of facility. Additionally, students who go on to earn a graduate degree in psychology or social work and become fully licensed and registered professionals can legally practice addiction counseling independently as part of their professional practice. However, whether or not a student goes on for a graduate degree, this credential increases their employment opportunities by certifying particular expertise in addiction counseling and treatment.

For further information and to register in the CASAC program at CCNY, contact: Professor Glen Milstein, Psychology Department/Drug & Alcohol Program, NAC 7/217D, City College of New York, NY, NY 10031 (212) 650-5718.

For complete information on the CASAC credential, contact: NY State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, 1-800-482-9564 www.oasas.state.ny.us

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