What You'll Need To Register for Classes at TRTC:
Documentation:
- Photo ID: For Example- Driver's License, Non-Driver's Identification Card, Medicaid Card (With Photo), US Passport
- Birth Certificate
- Social Security Card
- High School Diploma or GED
- Budget Letter-Proof of Income
If You Think You May Be VESID Eligable, and Reside in Brooklyn, Manhattan or The Bronx:
You will be administered the TABE Test, right at our Location. No Need to Go to VESID First. Call for More Details
What You'll Need to Become a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)*
*For More Information about CASAC Eligibility, You May Contact OASAS Credentialing Unit @ (800) 482-9564
Minimum Qualifications
To apply to become a CASAC, you must:
- be at least 18 years of age;
- have earned at least a High School Diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED); and
- reside or work in New York state at least 51 percent of the time.
In addition, your must satisfy the following requirements:
Evaluation of Competency and Ethical Conduct
You must sign an affidavit agreeing to abide by the Canon of Ethical Principles. (Please also see OASAS' Policy on Credentialing/Recredentialing Applications Which are Determined to Contain Falsified Documentation).
You must arrange to have three individuals complete an Evaluation of Competency and Ethical Conduct on your behalf to be submitted as part of your Application. All evaluators must have direct knowledge of your work experience observed for a minimum of six months and must meet the following qualifications:
- One evaluator must be your current clinical supervisor. In the absence of a current clinical supervisor, the evaluator may be your most recent clinical supervisor.
- One evaluator must be a current New York State CASAC or hold a current reciprocal-level credential issued by another member board of the ICRC/AODA.
- In addition to the CASAC evaluator, one evaluator must be a Qualified Health Professional who has had at least one year of experience in the treatment of alcoholism and/or substance abuse and has completed a formal training program in the treatment of alcoholism and/or substance abuse. A Qualified Health Professional means an individual who is a/an:
- CASAC;
- master social worker or clinical social worker licensed and currently registered as such by the New York State Education Department;
- certified nurse practitioner licensed and currently registered as such by the New York State Education Department as a professional nurse;
- occupational therapist licensed and currently registered as such by the New York State Education Department;
- physician licensed and currently registered as such by the New York State Education Department;
- physician's assistant licensed and currently registered by the New York State Education Department and whose practice is in conformity with Section 3701 of the Public Health Law;
- registered professional nurse currently licensed and registered as such by the New York State Education Department;
- psychologist licensed and currently registered as such by the New York State Education Department;
- rehabilitation counselor certified by the Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification;
- therapeutic recreation therapist who holds a baccalaureate degree in a field allied to therapeutic recreation and, either before or after receiving such degree, has five years of full-time, paid work experience in an activities program in a health care setting or an equivalent combination of advanced training, specialized therapeutic recreation education and experience, or is a recreational therapist certified by the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation or the American Therapeutic Recreation Association;
- family therapist currently accredited as such by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT); or
- counselor certified by and currently registered as such with the National Board for Certified Counselors.
If you are not engaged in the provision of counseling services in the alcoholism and/or substance abuse field at the time of application, one additional evaluation must be submitted by your current supervisor.
Work Experience
You must document a minimum of 6,000 hours (approximately three years) of supervised, full-time equivalent experience in an approved work setting as a provider or supervisor of direct patient services.
An approved work setting means:
- It is operated by OASAS.
- It holds a certificate of approval or operating certificate to provide substance abuse or alcoholism services from OASAS issued pursuant to Articles 19, 23, 31 or 32 of the Mental Hygiene Law or a similar license or approval from another state's alcoholism or substance abuse authority for the state in which the agency, facility or program is located (a copy of the license/certificate from OASAS must be submitted. For another state, a copy of the certificate of approval, operating certificate or similar license or approval from that state's alcoholism and substance abuse authority must be submitted).
- It is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), specifically for the provision of alcoholism and/or substance abuse treatment services (evidence of CARF accreditation for the provision of alcoholism and/or substance abuse treatment services must be submitted).
- It is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) for the provision of alcoholism and/or substance abuse services (evidence of JCAHO accreditation for the provision of alcoholism and/or substance abuse services must be submitted).
- It is organized and operated by the Federal government, to include the Indian Health Service and Veterans Administration, as a program of alcoholism and/or substance abuse treatment which is consistent with OASAS' standards.
- It is a school or community-based prevention/intervention program which is designated for the provision of the full range of chemical dependence counseling services (a copy of the license/certificate from OASAS must be submitted).
- It is a program that includes alcoholism and/or substance abuse treatment deemed to be consistent with OASAS' standards and is licensed and/or operated by any other New York State agency (a copy of the certificate of approval, operating certificate or similar license or approval from the state agency must be submitted).
- It is an agency or program not subject to licensure by OASAS but which has been deemed by OASAS to be providing services which conform to OASAS' standards for alcoholism and/or substance abuse treatment (documentation which confirms exemption from OASAS licensure and verifies OASAS' acknowledgment that the services provided by the agency or program conform to OASAS' standards for alcoholism and/or substance abuse treatment must be submitted).
- have been obtained within 10 years prior to submission of the Application;
- include a minimum of 18 months of consecutive service during the five years prior to submission of the Application;
- include the following professional tasks: diagnostic assessment; evaluation; intervention; referral; and alcoholism and/or substance abuse counseling in both individual and group settings;
- have, at a minimum, weekly, on-site and documented clinical supervision by a Qualified Health Professional;
- be integrated with the alcoholism and/or substance abuse services delivery system for consultation and referrals;
- include practice in alcoholism and/or substance abuse counseling to establish and maintain recovery and prevent relapse; and
- must include a minimum of 300 hours of Supervised Practical Training. Each of the following 12 Core Functions (areas of professional expertise) must have been performed for a minimum of 10 hours, under the supervision of a Qualified Health Professional:
- Screening
- Intake
- Orientation
- Assessment, Evaluation and Intervention
- Referral
- Treatment Planning
- Counseling
- Crisis Intervention
- Patient Education
- Case Management
- Reporting and Record Keeping
- Consultation with Other Professionals
To satisfy the 6,000 hour work experience requirement, a minimum of 2,000 hours must be paid. In addition, the following academic degree substitutions may be claimed toward satisfying the 6,000 hour work experience requirement:
- A Master's (or higher) Degree in an approved Human Services field from an accredited college or institution may be substituted for the remaining 4,000 hours of work experience, provided that the 2,000 hours of paid work experience occurred within five years prior to submission of the Application.
- A Bachelor's Degree in an approved Human Services field from an accredited college or institution may be substituted for 2,000 hours of work experience. A maximum of 2,000 hours of full-time equivalent voluntary or other non-paid work experience (including a formal internship or formal field placement) which occurred within five years prior to submission of the Application may also be claimed, providing it involved appropriately supervised direct patient services in an approved work setting.
Approved Human Services Fields
Anthropology Art/Dance Therapy
Audiology
Child Development/Family Relations
Community Mental Health
Chemical Dependence Administration
Counseling/Guidance
Criminal Justice
Divinity/Religion/Theology
Drama Therapy
Education
Gerontology
Health Administration
Health Education
Human Services
Music Therapy
Nursing/Medicine
Nutrition
Occupational Therapy
Pastoral Counseling
Physical Therapy
Psychology
Recreational Therapy
Rehabilitation Counseling
Social Work
Sociology
Special Education
Speech Pathology
Vocational Counseling
If an academic degree substitution is not being claimed toward satisfying the 6,000 hour work experience requirement, a maximum of 2,000 hours of full-time equivalent voluntary or other non-paid work experience (including a formal internship or formal field placement) which occurred within five years prior to submission of the Application may be claimed, providing it involved appropriately supervised direct patient services in an approved work setting.
A formal internship or formal field placement may be claimed as work experience OR education and training, but not both. You should calculate the need to claim a formal internship or formal field placement as either work experience or education and training.
Work experience claimed may not include any experience gained as part of, or required under, participation as a patient in a formal alcoholism and/or substance abuse treatment/aftercare program and/or plan.
To assist you with job placement, please visit the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State, Inc. (ASAP) Job Bank
Education and Training
You must document completion of education and training consisting of a minimum of 350 clock hours which address the full range of knowledge, skills and professional techniques related to chemical dependence counseling.
In order to best prepare for the examination, OASAS strongly encourages that you have completed education and training which has provided you with:
- knowledge of the variety of models and theories of addiction and other chemical abuse and/or dependence related problems;
- knowledge of the social, political, economic and cultural context within which chemical abuse and/or dependence exists;
- knowledge of the behavioral, psychological, physical health and social effects of chemical abuse and/or dependence on the patient and significant others;
- skill in recognizing the potential for chemical abuse and/or dependence disorders to mimic a variety of medical and psychological disorders and the potential for medical and psychological disorders to coexist with chemical abuse and/or dependence;
- knowledge of the philosophies, practices, policies and outcomes of the most generally accepted models of treatment, recovery, relapse prevention and continuing care for chemical abuse and/or dependence related problems;
- knowledge of the importance of family, social networks and community systems in the treatment and recovery process;
- understanding of the value of an interdisciplinary approach to chemical abuse and/or dependence treatment;
- skill in using the established diagnostic criteria for chemical abuse and/or dependence and understanding of the variety of treatment options and placement criteria within the continuum of care;
- ability to utilize various counseling strategies and develop treatment plans based on the patient's stage of dependence or recovery;
- knowledge of the medical and pharmaceutical resources in the treatment of chemical abuse and/or dependence;
- ability to incorporate the special needs of diverse racial and ethnic cultures and special populations into clinical practice, including their distinct patterns of communication;
- understanding of the obligation of the CASAC to engage in prevention as well as treatment techniques;
- knowledge of the obligations of a CASAC to adhere to generally accepted ethical and behavioral standards of conduct in the counseling relationship; and
- proficiency in English including the ability to speak, write, comprehend aurally and read at a minimum level necessary to perform as a CASAC.
- Eighty-five clock hours related to Knowledge of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse;
- One hundred and fifty clock hours related to Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counseling;
- Seventy clock hours related to Assessment; Clinical Evaluation; Treatment Planning; Case Management; and Patient, Family and Community Education; and
- Forty-five clock hours related to Professional and Ethical Responsibilities.
Courses taken to prepare for the examination will not be accepted to satisfy any part of the education and training requirements.
Education and training claimed must have been obtained within 10 years prior to submission of the Application. At OASAS' discretion, course work completed more than 10 years prior to submission of the Application as part of an accredited degree program may be accepted, providing the degree was completed within 10 years prior to submission of the Application.
OASAS will consider education and training obtained through accredited colleges or universities; governmental agencies; professional organizations; training institutes; or in-service training programs. A maximum of 30 clock hours may be accepted for documented participation in conferences by professional organizations.
There is no limit on the number of clock hours completed through distance learning. However, OASAS will only consider distance learning course work completed through the following entities:
- accredited colleges or universities;
- National Addiction Technology Transfer Center-approved distance education sponsors ( www.nattc.org/ ); and
- OASAS-certified education and training providers.
A formal internship or formal field placement may be claimed as education and training based on the academic credit associated with completion, not the number of hours served in the field.
A formal internship or formal field placement may be claimed as work experience OR education and training, but not both. You should calculate the need to claim a formal internship or formal field placement as either work experience or education and training.
All education and training must be claimed in clock hours, determined as follows:
Clock Hours equal the actual number of hours documented for the education and training received. (Example: 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. = 2.5 clock hours) .
Credit Hours equal credits awarded after successful completion of an academic course. One college credit (graduate or undergraduate) equals 15 clock hours. (Example: 3 credits = 45 clock hours).
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) = credits awarded after successful completion of a Continuing Education course. One CEU equals 10 clock hours. (Example: .7 CEUs = 7 clock hours).
You must maintain documentation to support all education and training being claimed in the form of an academic transcript, certificate or letter of completion which includes your name; the name of the educational institution or provider; title of the course/training; date of completion; and number of clock hours associated with completion of the course/training.