Senate Bill
1203
 

SB 1203 provides essential oversight by building on the existing system of certification. This bill provides clear authority for the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to oversee these programs for the protection of consumers and counselors while adding no costs whatsoever to the already strained State Budget.

A tireless advocate for collaborative strategies to increase the professionalization of the AODA counselor, Senator DeSaulnier has proposed the requirement of licensure for AODA counselors in private practice, utilizes the existing private-industry process to determine eligibility for licensure and certification by the State of California, and provides ADP more authority to ensure compliance with the tougher certification and licensure standards. 

Senator DeSaulnier’s amendment of SB 1203 includes the results of an "industry-wide collaborative effort that includes treatment providers, AODA counselors, licensed professionals and educators," explains Bob Tyler, immediate past president of California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC), "all working together to protect the consumer, increase standards, and keep certification options available and the costs down for California alcohol and other drug counselors."

This collaborative effort was started by CAADAC, Breining Institute and California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources (CAARR) – collectively known as the "CBC" – in order to make more workable a recent State proposal to comprehensively overhaul the existing AODA counselor certification laws. CAARR, Breining and CAADAC has each invested over twenty years and significant monies in the development and operation of their respective comprehensive training and certification systems.

"The current system of AODA counselor certification is working, and utilizes the many years experience of each of the State-approved and nationally-accredited certifying organizations," explained Susan Blacksher, Executive Director of CAARR. "SB 1203 utilizes the current system and seeks to improve it by giving ADP much more authority to regulate and enforce the provisions of the system."

"As educators, we are very much in favor of increasing the educational and professional standards for AODA counselor certification and licensure," says Kathy L. Christopher, Dean of Academic Affairs for Breining Institute. "At the same time, we need to make certain that there are sufficient safeguards to maintain the availability of qualified counselors to provide those necessary services to clients, and we believe that Senator DeSaulnier’s SB 1203 amendments address both concerns."
 

Christopher was referring to the grandparenting provisions included in SB 1203, providing the opportunity to all counselors certified by an existing ADP-approved certification agency to become certified by the State with no additional requirements. Professionals with advanced certifications from the ADP-approved agencies will also be considered for licensure under this proposal.

In these challenging fiscal times, this is an opportunity to increase the protections afforded to the clients of alcohol and other drug abuse counselors, increase the educational and other requirements to become a counselor, and all with virtually no cost to the taxpayer.

Questions or comments relating to SB 1203 may be addressed to:

Senator Mark DeSaulnier
c/o Michael Miiller, Communications Director for Senator DeSaulnier
michael.miiller@sen.ca.gov, 916-651-4007 or 916-204-0485

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ADP-approved and nationally-accredited certification agencies
 
Association of Christian Alcohol & Drug Counselors (www.acadc.org)
Breining Institute (www.breining.edu)
California Association for Alcohol / Drug Educators (www.caade.org)
California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources (www.caarr.org)
California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (www.caadac.org)
California Association of Drinking Driver Treatment Programs (www.caddtp.org)
California Certification Board of Chemical Dependency Counselors (www.californiacertificationboard.org)
Forensic Addictions Corrections Treatment (www.factcertification.org)
Indian Alcoholism Commission of California (www.iaccinc.net)