CASAC-Trainee certification

Overview

The Mental Health Counseling master’s curriculum and Addictions Counseling advanced certificate are registered with OASAS, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, as a 350-hour CASAC, or Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, curriculum academic provider.

More information

For information about the Mental Health Counseling program’s CASAC curriculum, contact Julie Achtyl.

Who is eligible?

Eligible

Only students who are enrolled in the Mental Health Counseling master’s program or Addictions Counseling advanced certificate are eligible to apply for a CASAC-T (CASAC-Trainee) credential post-graduation.

Maybe

Students enrolled in the bridge program from School Counseling to Mental Health Counseling are not eligible unless they take an additional practicum course as part of their program of study.

Not eligible

Students enrolled in the School Counseling or Human Development programs and doctoral students enrolled in EdD/PhD Counseling or Human Development programs are not eligible.

Post-graduation instructions

Graduates must start a CASAC application with OASAS following commencement. Graduates must submit the following portion of the CASAC application to OASAS for CASAC-Trainee Certificate:

Part A application summary form
Canon of Ethical Principles and Misconduct attestation form
New York State Justice Center Code of Conduct form
Copy of diploma or transcript to verify your highest level of education (must include graduation date)
Copy of your OASAS 350-hour standardized training certificate OR academic transcript(s) to satisfy the requirement
$100 application processing fee (certified check or money order)

CASAC application

From CASAC-Trainee to full CASAC certification

Beyond just completing 350-hours of substance use specific education, OASAS requires a passing score on the Alcohol & Drug Counselor Exam, as well as specific work experience to transition from a CASAC-T to a CASAC.

Work experience

For a graduate to earn the full CASAC certification, they must accrue 2,000 of substance use specific counseling experience from an OASAS approved facility, or by a New York State Office of Mental Health provider.

If a graduate has completed a practicum or internship with either an OASAS approved facility or provider, it is possible that some of those clinical training hours could be applied to the 2000 hours required by OASAS.

Exam

As part of the application process for the CASAC, a graduate must pass the Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam, offered by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium. The exam is comprised of 150 items related to the following competency areas of substance use counseling:

Screening, assessment, and engagement
Treatment planning, collaboration, and referral
Counseling
Professional and ethical responsibilities

The exam is offered on a weekly basis, and it can be taken once every 90-days. For more information about the exam, including how to request an exam appointment, please consult OASAS’s CASAC overview website.

Reciprocity

Forty-six states, and all Canada, use the Alcohol and Drug Counseling Exam to license or credential substance use counselors. A reciprocity application can be obtained from if a graduate is looking to relocate to another jurisdiction outside of New York post-graduation.

Learn more