EXPERIENCE AND SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS

• Five years (10,000 hours) of paid, supervised employment as an alcohol and other drug abuse counselor, criminal justice addictions professional, or co-occurring disorders professional.

• An associate’s degree in behavioral science may substitute for 1000 hours; a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science may substitute for 2000 hours; a master’s degree in behavioral science may substitute for 4000 hours.

• Two years (4,000 hours) of paid, supervised employment as an alcohol and other drug abuse, criminal justice addictions, or co-occurring disorders clinical supervisor. These 2 years may be included in the 5 years of counseling employment and must include the provision of 200 contact hours of face-to-face clinical supervision (see pages 4 and 7). Of the 200 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision, 100 hours may be performed electronically in real time.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Academic Requirements:

• Applicant must hold a current and valid CCDC, CCJP or CCDP credential OR a specialty substance abuse credential in another professional discipline in human services at a Master’s level or higher.

Specialized Training:

• 30 hours of education specific to clinical supervision with a minimum of 4 hours in each domain with the exception of the Treatment Knowledge domain (see Education/Training Form, page 6).

• In-service training is defined as "training provided within an agency by an agency employee, which has been approved by MABPCB." Training provided within an agency by an outside consultant or professional is not considered as in-service, and is measured by the same standards as other general training hours. Maximum in- service hours for the CCS application is 5 hours.

• Hours of education are measured at 60 minutes = 1 clock hour. College credits are measured by their hours described in official college catalogs or transcripts with a typical 3-credit course = 36 clock hours. Exceptions are evaluated on an individual basis. All education must be documented. 

Examination

Applicants must pass the IC&RC CS Examination.   

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

Type: This credential requires successful completion of the IC&RC exam which is offered as a computer-based exam. Three hours are permitted to complete the 150 question, multiple choice exam. Candidates will be notified by MABPCB, once application for certification is approved, on how to register for the computer-based exam.

Content: The IC&RC Job Task Analysis for this credential identified domains which make up the questions in the exam. Within each domain are several identified tasks that provide the basis for questions in the exam.

Candidate Guide: The domains, including the knowledge and skill areas of each domain, sample exam questions, and a list of references are included in the free Candidate Guide. Candidate Guides will be sent to candidates upon application approval.  Candidate Guides are also available from the MABPCB website at www.MABPCB.com by clicking on “Forms.”

Study Guides: Professional study guides have been published for several of the exams including ADC, CCS, CCDP and CCJP.  Study Guides are available for sale from DLCAS at www.ReadyToTest.com.

Dates: The IC&RC exam is offered on demand at approved testing centers thereby allowing candidates to test on a date and time convenient for them.  Candidates will receive information from MABPCB on registering for on demand testing once application for certification is approved.

Locations: There are several computer-based testing sites in and around the Maryland area – to include Annapolis, Baltimore, Bel Air, Towson, and Columbia are in Maryland. Those who live on the Eastern Shore may choose to test in Georgetown, Delaware, and those in Western Maryland may opt for Morgantown, West Virginia. Candidates can choose whichever testing site is closest for their travel.

Special Situations: Individuals with disabilities and/or religious obligations that require modifications in exam 2 administration may request specific procedure changes, in writing, to MABPCB no fewer than 60 days prior to the scheduled exam date. With the written request, candidate must provide official documentation of the disability or religious issue. Contact MABPCB on what constitutes official documentation. MABPCB will make arrangements for appropriate modifications to its procedures when documentation supports this need.

Cancellation/Rescheduling Policy:  Candidates are required to arrive on time for their exam.  Candidates who arrive late will not be permitted to test and will be charged a $150.00 cancellation/rescheduling fee. Candidates who cancel or reschedule their exam less than five days prior to their scheduled date will be charged the full testing fee.  Candidates who cancel or reschedule more than five days before their scheduled date will be charged a $25.00 cancellation / rescheduling fee.

Retest: Candidates failing the exam can retest after a 60 day wait period from date of last taking the exam. Candidates will be sent retest instructions from MABPCB. 

Code of Ethics

Applicants must sign a clinical supervisor specific code of ethics statement or affirmation statement. 

Recertification

To maintain the high standards of this professional practice and to assure continuing awareness of new knowledge in the field, MABPCB requires recertification every two years.

To be recertified as a CCS, an individual must:

1. Hold a current and valid CCS certificate issued by MABPCB.
2. Acquire 6 hours of MABPCB approved clinical supervisor specific education received within the two-year recertification cycle which may be part of the 40 hours obtained for the prerequisite credential.
3. Verify that you have reviewed, read and will uphold by practice the MABPCB Code of Ethical Conduct for professional behavior.
4. Complete an application and pay the recertification fee. 

Jurisdiction

Individuals must live or work at least 51% of the time in the Member Boards jurisdiction (“at the time of application & testing”).