Board of Alcohol & Drug Counselors - Frequently Asked Questions

I have applied for the Maine Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (“CADC”), License Alcohol and Drug Counselor (“LADC”) or Certified Clinical Supervisor (“CCS”) license and am preparing to take the IC&RC/AODA examination, where can I get the study Guides?

The publisher’s website for study guide information is www.readytotest.com or call 866-471-1742.

I am applying to Maine for a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (“CADC”), License Alcohol and Drug Counselor (“LADC”) or Certified Clinical Supervisor (“CCS”) license by endorsement, do I need to obtain a license verification from every state that I hold or have ever held a license in?

Yes, verification is required for every license you hold or have held and must be submitted with your application, even if that license is not currently active.

I am a licensed mental health professional and I am applying for the Certified Clinical Supervisor (“CCS”) license issued by the Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors, do I need to obtain a verification of that license as well?

No, if the license you hold is from a board within the Office of Licensing and Registration (“OLR”). Visit our website for a list of professional and occupational licensing boards within OLR.

What if the other state or jurisdiction will not forward the verification to me?

If the other state requires that the verification be sent directly to the State Office, please make note on your application that it arrived or will be arriving separately. It is your responsibility to provide a complete application and insure that all supporting documents are included.

Is my application confidential?

No. With the exception of Social Security Number, all application information is public. Contact information provided to the board is posted on our website.

Who do I contact for licensing and other information about an alcohol and drug counseling agency?

Alcohol and drug counseling agencies are licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Substance Abuse. Visit their website at http://maine.gov/dhhs/osa/ or by calling (207) 287-2595.

I have been certified as eligible to sit for examination, can I select which sitting I prefer?

Applicants are scheduled for the next available examination date. If you do not wish to take the next available examination date and wish to sit for a subsequent date, you must disclose this information upon filing your application. Otherwise, you will be scheduled for the next available date. For example, if you file your application on March 3rd and the next exam date is June 13th, you will be scheduled for the June 13th exam administration.

Where do I obtain a report of my motor vehicle record to file with my application?

You can obtain a 10-year non certified motor vehicle report from the Bureau of Motor Vehicle. Here is a link to their website http://www.informe.org/bmv/drc/index.html
or call 207-624-9000. The embossed state seal is not required for this report.

Are internship hours obtained under a license other than the Alcohol and Drug Counseling Aide license issued by the board acceptable toward my required clinical experience to apply for a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (“CADC”) or License Alcohol and Drug Counselor (“LADC”)?

No. 32 MRS §6214-C, Section 1(D)(1) states, “…a minimum of 4,000 hours of documented clinically supervised work experience as an alcohol and drug counseling aide…”

Can I use continuing professional education (“CEU”) to satisfy the education requirement for a CADC or and LADC license?

No. Continuing professional education is only accepted for license renewal.

What is the acceptable higher education required to apply for an LADC?

Board Rule Chapter 5 Section 2 states, “An applicant who applies for licensure on the basis of higher education pursuant to 32 M.R.S.A. §6214-D(1)(D)(2) or (3) shall submit evidence of an associate degree, bachelor degree or higher from an institution of higher education that has been accredited by a regional institutional accrediting agency or a national institutional or specialized accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. The degree shall be in clinically based behavioral sciences or addiction counseling, or in one of the following related fields: social and behavioral sciences; social work; childhood development; education and human development; mental health and human services; nursing, psychology; psychology/educational psychology; or rehabilitation services.”

Can I use approved coursework as an alternative to a degree to qualify for a CADC license?

Yes, Board Rule Chapter 4, Section 2(2) provides an alternative for coursework in lieu of the Associate Degree. You must submit evidence of a minimum of 30 credit hours from one or more accredited institutions in courses identified in this Chapter.

To determine whether you have a sufficient amount of coursework to equal 30 credit hours, compare and highlight the courses on your school transcript against the list of courses identified in the rule above. Highlighting the courses will help you to identify whether you qualify and for this office to interpret if the courses claimed meet the coursework requirement stated in rule. For example, 10 courses at 3 credits each fulfill the required 30 credit hours.

What is a NPDB/HIPDB Self Query?

NPDB/HPDB is the National Practitioners Data Bank (“NPDB”) and Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (“HIPDB”). They are national data collection programs for the reporting and disclosing of certain final adverse actions taken against health care practitioners. Information regarding licensure actions, exclusions from participation in Federal and State health care programs, healthcare-related criminal convictions and civil judgments, and other adjudicated actions or decisions is collected as well.

In accordance with 10 MRS §8003(10), all applicants must submit a NPDB/HIPDB Self-Query Report as part of the initial application for licensure. The instructions to request a self-query report are available at NPDB/HIPDB’s website: www.npdb-hipdb.hrsa.gov. The website includes a Fact Sheet on self-querying, as well as FAQs to assist you in requesting a report.

Following directions on the website, you will download and print out the Individual Self-Query form. You must sign and notarize this form as directed on the form and mail it to the address provided on the form. In about 3-5 days you should receive the results of the database search from Data Bank. It is your responsibility to attach the original of each the NPDB and the HIPDB report to your application. The NPDB and the HIPDB are two separate reports, be sure you check the top of each report; it should say NPDB RESPONSE TO SELF-QUERY and HIPDB RESPONSE TO SELF QUERY.

Our office cannot assist you with the Self-Query process. Customer Service Contact information: NPDB-HIPDB Customer Service Center - Tel: (800)767-6732 - TDD: (703)802-9395

Last Updated: August 14, 2008

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