Certified Substance Abuse Counselor: Ms, Ncac II, Cadac II, Icac II??
Question by tangerine: ms, ncac II, cadac II, icac II??
What do these stand for?
Best answer:
Answer by Megumi D
MS = Master of Sciences, a Masters degree in psychology or another field. Sometimes, a university gives an MA (Master of Arts) in psychology. Same “masters-level” clinical degree. The others are all acronyms for addictions/alcohol/ substance abuse counselor certifications, which are not to be confused with licensure. Each of the certifications has different requirements for giving the certificate, and each differs as to what degrees (if any), hours of clinical practicum (if any), and whether a written or oral exam is administered. The certifying body is not regulated by a governmental agency. On the other hand, marriage & family therapists, clinical social workers, psychologsts, and physicians must all meet stringent requirements for state licensure, which require written and oral examinations, many hours of clinical practice, and supervision by a licensed clinician. The licenses are granted by the governmental jurisdiction in which one wishes to practice, and licensees are required to have malpractice insurance when they practice. Each of the acronyms is for a level of certification through the NAADAC, which is, in my opinion, reputable, and they do require some amount of classwork. (Although I don’t know about the ICAC certification). You can find the NAADAC online at http://naadac.org. Myself, and many of my colleagues, have not obtained certification through these bodies because we are licensed in our disciplines, and our licenses are the best form of assurance to our clients and patients that we are reliable and reputable because one can always check online with the state as to the licensee’s status–whether there have been complaints filed, if the license is in good standing, etc. Several years ago, when the NAADAC first began to offer its MAC certification, they sent letters to licensees in MFT, CSW, and psychology, offering to give us the MAC for a fee without any specialized coursework because the certificate was new. I don’t know of anyone who took them up on their offer.
A license is given by the state in which one practices, and there is also a “Licensed Counselor”, a masters-level designation, that is available in some states but not in California or Hawaii, where I am most familiar with the mental health licensure systems. Hope this helps!
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