Approval for Counselors in Minnesota

INITIAL:

270 hours of education specific to the domains:

1. Screening, Assessment, and Engagement
2. Treatment Planning, Collaboration, and Referral
3. Counseling
4. Professional & Ethical Responsibilities

6 hours must be specific to counselor ethics.

RECERTIFICATION:

Initial MCB certification is good for one year, starting from the date your certification is approved. After your initial certification, you must renew your certification after one year. After your initial certification and first annual renewal, you will move to a two-year recertification cycle.

40 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Domains:

1. Screening, Assessment, and Engagement
2. Treatment Planning, Collaboration, and Referral
3. Counseling
4. Professional & Ethical Responsibilities

Credits must be earned within the past two-year certification period and include 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities.

INITIAL:

300 hours specific to the domains:

1. Screening, Assessment, and Engagement
2. Treatment Planning, Collaboration, and Referral
3. Counseling
4. Professional & Ethical Responsibilities

6 hours must be specific to counselor ethics.

RECERTIFICATION:

Initial MCB certification is good for one year, starting from the date your certification is approved. After your initial certification, you must renew your certification after one year. After your initial certification and first annual renewal, you will move to a two-year recertification cycle.

40 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Domains:

1. Screening, Assessment, and Engagement
2. Treatment Planning, Collaboration, and Referral
3. Counseling
4. Professional & Ethical Responsibilities

Credits must be earned within the past two-year certification period and include 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities.

INITIAL:

Must have a Master's Degree in behavioral science with a clinical application from a regionally accredited college or university within the United States or colleges and universities outside the United States.

180 hours of alcohol and drug counselor-specific education

• 6 hours must be specific to counselor ethics
• 90 hours must be education related to the co-occurrence of substance use disorders with other related disorders and their interaction

RECERTIFICATION:

Initial MCB certification is good for one year, starting from the date your certification is approved. After your initial certification, you must renew your certification after one year. After your initial certification and first annual renewal, you will move to a two-year recertification cycle.

40 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Domains:

1. Screening, Assessment, and Engagement
2. Treatment Planning, Collaboration, and Referral
3. Counseling and Education
4. Professional & Ethical Responsibilities.

Credits must be earned within the past two-year certification period and include the following concentration areas:

• 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities
• 6 hours related to the cooccurrence of substance use disorders with other related disorders and their interaction

INITIAL:

Must currently hold and maintain the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Reciprocal – Minnesota (ADCR-MN) or Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor Reciprocal – Minnesota (AADCR-MN) credentials to be eligible.

100 hours of education relevant to the CCJP domains:

• Dynamics of Addiction & Criminal Behavior
• Criminal Justice System & Processes
• Screening, Assessment, and Treatment Planning
• Case Management and Counseling

6 hours must be in criminal justice ethics.

RECERTIFICATION:

Initial MCB certification is good for one year, starting from the date your certification is approved. After your initial certification, you must renew your certification after one year. After your initial certification and first annual renewal, you will move to a two-year recertification cycle.

40 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the IC&RC domains for this credential:

1. Dynamics of Addiction & Criminal Behavior
2. Criminal Justice System & Processes
3. Screening, Assessment, and Treatment Planning
4. Case Management and Counseling

Credits must be earned within the past two-year certification period and include 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities.

Must currently hold and maintain ADCR-MN, CCJPR, CCDP, or CCDPD or hold a specialty substance abuse credential in another professional discipline in the human services field at a Master’s level or higher for both initial certification and recertification.

INITIAL:

30 hours of education specific to the first five IC&RC clinical supervision domains (listed below) with a minimum of four hours in each:

1. Counselor Development
2. Professional & Ethical Standards
3. Program Development & Quality Assurance
4. Performance Evaluation
5. Administration

RECERTIFICATION:

Initial MCB certification is good for one year, starting from the date your certification is approved. After your initial certification, you must renew your certification after one year. After your initial certification and first annual renewal, you will move to a two-year recertification cycle.

Complete 6 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the clinical supervisor domains. These 6 hours may be counted as part of the continuing education hours required for recertification for the ADCR-MN, CCJPR, CCDP, or CCDPD credential. Credits must be earned within the two-year certification period.

CLINICAL SUPERVISOR DOMAINS

1. Counselor Development
2. Professional & Ethical Standards
3. Program Development & Quality Assurance
4. Performance Evaluation
5. Administration
6. Treatment Knowledge

INITIAL:

Completion of an approved Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training (SAPST) course is required for initial certification.



RECERTIFICATION:

Initial MCB certification is good for one year, starting from the date your certification is approved. After your initial certification, you must renew your certification after one year. After your initial certification and first annual renewal, you will move to a two-year recertification cycle.

40 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the Prevention Domains:

1. Planning and Evaluation
2. Prevention Education and Service Delivery
3. Communication
4. Community Organization
5. Public Policy and Environmental Change
6. Professional Growth and Responsibility

Credits must be earned within the two-year certification period and include 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities.

INITIAL:

120 hours of education across all domains—

1. Planning and Evaluation
2. Prevention Education and Service Delivery
3. Communication
4. Community Organization
5. Public Policy and Environmental Change
6. Professional Growth and Responsibility

24 hours must be on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD)

5 hours must be on Prevention Ethics

12 hours must be on alcohol and drug education

RECERTIFICATION:

Initial MCB certification is good for one year, starting from the date your certification is approved. After your initial certification, you must renew your certification after one year. After your initial certification and first annual renewal, you will move to a two-year recertification cycle.

40 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the Prevention Domains—

1. Planning and Evaluation
2. Prevention Education and Service Delivery
3. Communication
4. Community Organization
5. Public Policy and Environmental Change
6. Professional Growth and Responsibility

Credits must be earned within the two-year certification period and include 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities.

INITIAL:

Completion of an approved Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training (SAPST) course is required for initial certification. 

120 hours of education across all domains:

1. Planning and Evaluation
2. Prevention Education and Service Delivery
3. Communication
4. Community Organization
5. Public Policy and Environmental Change 6. Professional Growth and Responsibility

24 hours must be on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD)

5 hours must be on Prevention Ethics

12 hours must be on alcohol and drug education

RECERTIFICATION:

Initial MCB certification is good for one year, starting from the date your certification is approved. After your initial certification, you must renew your certification after one year. After your initial certification and first annual renewal, you will move to a two-year recertification cycle.

40 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the Prevention Domains:

1. Planning and Evaluation
2. Prevention Education and Service Delivery
3. Communication
4. Community Organization
5. Public Policy and Environmental Change
6. Professional Growth and Responsibility

Credits must be earned within the two-year certification period and include 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities.

INITIAL:

46 hours of training specific to the Peer Recovery domains—

1. At least 10 hours in the domain of Advocacy
2. At least 10 hours in the domain of Mentoring/Education
3. At least 10 hours in the domain of Recovery Support
4. At least 16 hours in the domain of Ethical Responsibility

Education must include information on the principals and the characteristics of substance use and opioid use disorder, evidence-based approaches to their treatment, and understanding of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and the potential for rejection of MAT as part of treatment by some cultural communities.

Education must be completed through an approved provider or the training event must be pre-approved to determine it is in alignment with the necessary education requirements. See a list of pre-approved providers here: https://www.mcboard.org/approved-peer-training/

RECERTIFICATION:

30 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the Peer Recovery Domains—

1. Advocacy
2. Mentoring/Education
3. Recovery Support
4. Ethical Responsibility

Credits must be earned within the two-year certification period and include 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities.

INITIAL:

46 hours of training specific to the Peer Recovery domains—

1. At least 10 hours in the domain of Advocacy
2. At least 10 hours in the domain of Mentoring/Education
3. At least 10 hours in the domain of Recovery Support
4. At least 16 hours in the domain of Ethical Responsibility


Education must include information on the principals and the characteristics of substance use and opioid use disorder, evidence-based approaches to their treatment, and understanding of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and the potential for rejection of MAT as part of treatment by some cultural communities.

Education must be completed through an approved provider or the training event must be pre-approved to determine it is in alignment with the necessary education requirements. See a list of pre-approved providers here: https://www.mcboard.org/approved-peer-training/

RECERTIFICATION:

30 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the Peer Recovery Domains—

1. Advocacy
2. Mentoring/Education
3. Recovery Support
4. Ethical Responsibility

Credits must be earned within the two-year certification period and include 6 hours in professional ethics and responsibilities.

INITIAL:

Must hold a current Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS-MN) or a Certificated Peer Recovery Specialist Reciprocal (CPRSR-MN) credential.

21 hours of forensic endorsement educational training that covers each of the 7 domains, with at least 3 hours in each—

1. Advocacy
2. Mentoring and Education
3. Recovery and Wellness Support
4. Professional and Ethical Responsibility
5. Foundations of the Criminal Justice System and Correctional System Overview
6. Trauma Informed Care in the Criminal Justice Settings
7. Integration, Reintegration, and Reentry

Training must be through a Minnesota Certification Board approved training provider of the Forensic Endorsement domains. See a list of approved providers here: https://www.mcboard.org/forensic-endorsement-training/

RECERTIFICATION:

Complete 6 hours of MCB approved continuing education related to the Peer Recovery Forensic Endorsement domains—

1. Advocacy
2. Mentoring and Education
3. Recovery and Wellness Support
4. Professional and Ethical Responsibility
5. Foundations of the Criminal Justice System and Correctional System Overview
6. Trauma Informed Care in the Criminal Justice Settings
7. Integration, Reintegration, and Reentry

Credits must be earned within the two-year renewal period.

INITIAL:

Must have current certification (e.g., CPRSR, ADCR-MN, AADCR-MN) or licensure (e.g., LADC, LPCC, LICSW) in a behavioral health field in the state of Minnesota. The credential must be maintained in good standing for the duration of approval as a supervisor.

3 hours of education (e.g., training, workshop) that covers each of the following topics: the MCB Peer Recovery Specialist Code of Ethical Conduct; the IC&RC Peer Recovery domains; relevant statutes, rules, and standards relevant to the provision of peer recovery services in Minnesota; and supervision concepts pertinent to peer recovery.

Peer Recovery Domains—

1. Advocacy
2. Mentoring/Education
3. Recovery Support
4. Ethical Responsibility

RECERTIFICATION:

6 hours of continuing education during the two-year period. The continuing education must be related to the peer recovery domains and/or peer recovery supervision with at least 2 hours being specifically focused on peer recovery ethics.

Peer Recovery Domains—

1. Advocacy
2. Mentoring/Education
3. Recovery Support
4. Ethical Responsibility