Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 46 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS
Part LXXX - Substance Abuse Counselors
Chapter 7 - Credentials for License/Certification/Registration
Section LXXX-701 - Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC)
Universal Citation: LA Admin Code LXXX-701
Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 3, March 20, 2024
A. The ADRA shall recognize as a LAC each candidate who make application on the forms required by the ADRA and who:
1. possesses a master's degree from an
accredited institution of higher education. The degree shall be in human
service or a behavioral science discipline or such other discipline(s) as the
department may deem appropriate. The applicant shall provide the ADRA with an
official (certified) copy of any an all academic transcripts. Any person
seeking to be recognized as an LAC who possesses a master's degree in a
discipline other than human services or behavioral science may apply to the
ADRA for a waiver. In considering the application for wavier the ADRA shall
consult with representatives of a national credentialing organization for
purposes of insuring compliance with national standards and/or institutions of
higher education for advice and guidance and/or the Louisiana Commission on
Addictive Disorders and may grant or deny the wavier. The ADRA may grant the
waiver on such terms and conditions as are deemed appropriate and in the best
interest of the public;
2. is at
least 21 years of age (date the application is received);
3. is a legal resident of the United
States;
4. is not in violation of
any ethical standards subscribed to by the ADRA;
5. is not now, and has not been, a substance
abuser or compulsive gambler for a period of two years from the date the
application is received;
6. has not
been convicted of, pleaded guilty, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to a
felony. The ADRA may waive this requirement for good cause upon request of the
applicant. The applicant shall provide the ADRA with a certified copy of their
criminal history;
7. signs the ADRA
form of professional and ethical accountability and responsibility;
8. provides evidence of having satisfied the
following requirements in education, supervised practical training and
experience:
a. education-has successfully
completed a minimum of 270 clock hours of education with a minimum of 180 hours
specific to substance abuse and up to 90 hours in related courses or areas of
study. Education is defined as formal, structured instruction in the form of
work shops, seminars, institutes, in-services, college/university credit
courses and distance education. Of the substance abuse specific hours required
by this provision, at least 6 hours must be in professional ethics. The
professional ethics hours may not be obtained through "in service"
training;
b. supervised practical
training-has successfully completed a minimum 300 performance hours in the
KSA's/12 core functions (with a minimum of 10 hours in each core function or
KSA equivalent). The candidate shall document and verify the performance hours
on a form required by the ADRA. Training is defined as a formal systematic
process that focuses on skill development and integration of knowledge. The
training must take place in a setting where addictive disorder counseling is
provided. The training may occur as part of eligible work experience (see
Subparagraph c below) and may be completed under more than one supervisor or
agency. All training hours must be documented and verified;
c. experience-documents and verifies evidence
of having successfully completed 2,000 hours (one year) of supervised work
experience providing addictive disorder counseling services. Supervised work
experience must be paid or voluntary experience as a counselor who provides
direct counseling services to individuals diagnosed as having one or more
addictive disorders, at least one of which is alcohol or substance abuse
related. Supervised work experience must be in the KSA's and 12 core functions
with substance abuse clients. Unsupervised work experience will not be
considered. The supervision required herein must be provided by a certified
clinical supervisor with a minimum of one contact hour per week. In the event a
certified clinical supervisor is unavailable, the individual may apply to the
ADRA for a waiver;
9.
demonstrates professional competency in addictive disorder counseling by
satisfying written and oral examination requirements established by the ADRA
and providing documentation of such. The ADRA shall indicate the examination
requirements that govern each testing cycle;
10. it is the candidate's responsibility to
assure himself that his educational preparation has provided comprehensive
coverage of the subjects and topics necessary to allow him to develop a
sufficient knowledge base and to adequately prepare him to be able to
demonstrate professional competency in addictive disorder counseling;
11. it is the candidate's responsibility to
assure himself that his clinical experience has provided comprehensive training
sufficient to adequately prepare him to be a able to demonstrate professional
competency in addictive disorder counseling;
12. provide three letters of recommendation
attesting to the individual's fitness to be an addictive disorder
counselor;
13. the scope of
practice, for the LAC, shall include making appropriate referrals to qualified
professionals, providing counseling to family members when appropriate, and
utilizing the core functions and KSA's of addictive disorder counseling. The
LAC shall have an independent scope of practice.
AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:3388.4.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.