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Credentialing Process
In order to become a CASAC in New York state, you must: (1) meet specific competency and ethical conduct requirements; (2) meet specific work experience requirements; (3) meet minimum education and training requirements; and (4) pass the ICRC/AODA examination for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselors. All the stated requirements are overseen and/or coordinated by OASAS.
The first step in the credentialing process is the submission of a CASAC Application to the OASAS Credentialing Unit. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and will remain active for five years from the date of postmark.
Upon receipt by the OASAS Credentialing Unit, your Application will be reviewed to ensure that the minimum eligibility requirements have been satisfied. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Based on the findings of the review, your application will be determined to be either incomplete or approved.
If your application is determined to be incomplete, you will be mailed a CASAC Application Review Summary identifying any deficiencies. Once you have satisfactorily addressed the identified deficiencies, your application will be approved.
If you are unable to address the identified deficiencies by the end of the five-year period that your Application is active, your application will not be approved and you will not be eligible for admission to the written examination. In order to be considered to become a CASAC in the future, you will be required to submit a new application, associated documentation and an additional application processing fee.
Approved Applications
If your application is approved at least 45 business days prior to the date of the next scheduled examination, you will be eligible for admission. Otherwise, you will be eligible for admission to all other examinations administered during the five-year period that your application is active (admission to each examination will require submission of an Examination Fee). You will be mailed an approval letter and directed to complete and return to the OASAS Credentialing Unit a CASAC examination registration form and examination fee.
If you do not receive examination admission information within one week prior to the date of the examination, please contact the OASAS Credentialing Unit at 1-800-482-9546 (Option 3).
If you do not pass the examination, you will remain eligible for admission to all examinations administered during the five-year period that your Application is active (admission to each examination will require submission of an examination fee).
OASAS will issue a CASAC Trainee certificate to applicants whose Applications have been approved or who have satisfied a specific portion of the overall requirements, as outlined below. The CASAC Trainee certificate will serve as documentation that you are working toward becoming a CASAC. In addition, CASAC Trainees may be counted toward the Qualified Health Professional staffing requirement in specific OASAS-certified chemical dependence treatment programs.
The CASAC Trainee certification will not authorize you to be considered a Qualified Health Professional for any purpose other than that stated above.
You will be issued a CASAC Trainee certificate if your Application has been approved or you document through the Application process that you have completed either:
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a minimum of 350 clock hours of the required education and training; OR
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a minimum of 4,000 hours of appropriate work experience and a minimum of 85 clock hours of education and training related to Knowledge of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.
Your CASAC Trainee certificate will be effective from the date that any of the above eligibility requirements are approved until the end of the five-year period that your Application is active. The CASAC Trainee certificate is not renewable. However, if you are an examination candidate when your CASAC Trainee certificate expires, a three year extension may be requested for an additional fee. If you do not complete the credentialing process by the expiration date of your CASAC Trainee certification extension, in order to be considered to become a CASAC in the future, you will be required to submit a new application, associated documentation and an additional application processing fee. You will not be considered for CASAC Trainee certification a second time.
The ICRC/AODA examination for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselors is comprised of 150 multiple-choice questions derived from the counselor tasks identified in the 2008 ICRC/AODA Job Task Analysis.
The examination is administered four times a year in New York state. Based on the geographic locations of eligible candidates, examination locations may vary. All examinations are scored by Schroeder Management Technologies. Within six weeks after the date of the examination, the OASAS Credentialing Unit will provide you with your results. Scores are broken down by category so that you can identify areas of strength and weakness.
If you pass, you will have completed the credentialing process and will be issued a CASAC certificate.
If you do not pass, you will be provided with information regarding the next scheduled examination.