Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 38 - Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors › Chapter 10 - Licensure and Certification of Alcohol and Drug Counselors › Subchapter 7 - Application › Section 38:10-7-2 - Requirements for licensure or certification

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
(a)
Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor.
(1) An application for a license to practice as a LADC shall be made to the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors in writing. Such application shall be on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Board. The application shall be accompanied by the fee required by the act, which shall be retained by the Board and not returned to the applicant.
(2) Each applicant shall:
(A) Pass an oral and written examination;
(B) Be at least twenty-one years of age;
(C) Not have engaged in, nor be engaged in, any practice or conduct which would be grounds for denying, revoking or suspending a license pursuant to the provisions of the Act;
(D) Otherwise comply with the rules promulgated by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the Act.
(3) In addition to the requirements in subsection (a) (2), each applicant shall:
(A) Have at least a master's degree in alcohol and substance abuse counseling or other clinical counseling field recognized by the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors from a college or university accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The degree program must include, at a minimum, the courses and the practicum/internship listed in 59 O.S. § 1876 (D) (1) and;
(B) Have successfully completed at least one (1) year of full-time work experience. For the purpose of the Act, "One (1) year of full-time work experience" shall be defined as two thousand (2000) hours of work experience, of which at least one thousand (1000) hours shall consist of direct client contact providing behavioral health services to an individual and/or the individual's family. At least five hundred (500) hours of the one thousand (1000) direct client contact hours must be the provision of alcohol and drug counseling services; or
(C) Be a licensed mental health professional as defined in  Section  1-103   of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes and have completed a minimum of fifteen (15) hours of master's level substance abuse specific coursework, including, but not limited to, chemical addiction, counseling, alcohol/drug counseling theory, pharmacology of drugs and abuse, assessment and treatment of alcohol and drug problems, theories in family addiction and family addiction counseling. An applicant who qualifies under this subsection is not required to complete the supervised work experience.
(D) An applicant must complete all requirements for licensure, including passing the exams, within three (3) years of the date the application was accepted.
(E) Persons who meet the requirements in subsection (a) may include the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders within the LADC scope of practice. The designation LADC/MH (licensed alcohol and drug counselor/mental health) shall be noted on their license and wallet card.
(F) Persons who were licensed as LADC or made application prior to January 1, 2012 and who meet the requirements in subsection (a) may make application for the LADC/MH designation. Applicants must submit a completed application on the form prescribed by the Board and pay a fee of one hundred forty dollars ($140.00) which shall be retained by the Board and not returned to the applicant. The application must include;
(i) An official transcript in a sealed envelope showing that the applicant has obtained the educational requirement;
(ii) Proof that the applicant holds a valid license in good standing in one of the behavioral health professions listed in 59 O.S. § 1876 (F) (1);
(iii) For applicants who do not meet the requirements in (a) (3) (A) or (a) (3) (B), proof that the applicant has a valid co-occurring disorders certification from a certification entity approved by the Board.
(G) The scope of practice of a LADC who does not have the MH designation may not include provision of services that focus solely on mental health disorders. The LADC may provide services for a client with no independent substance use disorder if services are focused on the client's exposure to a family member's substance abuse.