Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor - Initial Licensure

To obtain certification as a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor, you must meet the education requirements, work experience requirements, pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules exam, and pass the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors NCAC I exam.

Below are some general instructions for applying for a credential on LicensE. 

1. Create or log into your LicensE account. Please visit LicensE account Information page for detailed guidance on selecting your account type.

2. Select "Apply for a License."

3. Select your Category.

4. Select your License Type.

5. Select your Application Method, then "Next."

6. Review your Personal Information.

7. Enter the requested Information on each page of the application. Information may include Examination, Education, or License History, depending on your profession.

8. If applicable, request a Veterans Fee Waiver or Initial Credential Fee Reduction.

9. Submit the requested Documents you may already have. You do not need to have all documents ready to submit.

   Note: Forms are now hosted on AccessGov. Visit AccessGov Forms Directory to choose your form.

10. Respond to the Attestation questions.

11. Provide Payment Information. Fees may be found Credential Fees.

12. Submit your application.  

Profession specific application requirements can be found in the "Application Information" section.

Create or log into your LicensE account

Select Apply for a License

Category: Health

License Type: Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor

Application Method: Initial

To obtain certification as a CSAC, you must have an associate’s degree or higher in a behavioral science field from an accredited university or college.  Additionally, you must either hold a Substance Abuse Counselor credential or provide evidence of 360 hours of substance use disorder specialized education through a postsecondary institution or department-approved education program (see the preapproved program list below). The 360 hours must include the following:

60 hours in assessment training.

60 hours in counseling training.

60 hours in case management.

60 hours in patient education.

60 hours in professional responsibility.

6 hours in boundaries and ethics.

54 hours of electives in any of the subjects listed above.

Each supervisor will need to submit form 2749-CSAC to verify the work experience you completed while holding an active Substance Abuse Counselor in Training (SAC-IT) or Substance Abuse Counselor (SAC) credential.   

A total of 5,000 hours while supervised by a clinical supervisor is required. 

Of those total hours, 2,500 must be providing substance use disorder counseling, of which 800 hours must be in a one-on-one individual modality setting.

Any 2,500 of the required 5,000 total hours must have been completed in the 5 years immediately preceding the date of application.  The “date of application” is the date you fully submitted the CSAC application through LicensE.

You may submit hours of practice gained under an active credential listed in Wis. Stat. sec. 440.88(3m) which otherwise meet requirements, regardless of whether you held a Substance Abuse Counselor in Training credential or received supervision from a clinical supervisor.  You will need to submit form 2739-CSAC to verify the hours you completed under this credential.

A total of 5,000 hours is required. 

Of those total hours, 2,500 must be providing substance use disorder counseling, of which 800 hours must be in a one-on-one individual modality setting.

Any 2,500 of the required 5,000 total hours must have been completed in the 5 years immediately preceding the date of application.  The “date of application” is the date you fully submitted the CSAC application through LicensE.

• Official transcript (must be submitted directly by the school to DSPS)

• Form 3079 Certificate of Completion of Department-Approved Substance Abuse Education Program (only if you completed a Department preapproved program; must be submitted directly by the educational institution)

• Form 2841 Education and Training Form (only submit if you did not complete a preapproved program)

  • Course descriptions (only if you are submitting form 2841)

  • Proof of attendance and completion for all courses (only if you are submitting form 2841)

• Form 2749-CSAC Affidavit Regarding Supervised Experience​​

• A passing Wisconsin statutes and rules exam score (cannot be submitted by the applicant)

• A passing NCAC I exam score (cannot be submitted by the applicant)

To apply for approval of a Substance Abuse Counselor Pre-Certification Program, you must complete the application form.

2. Include the following in the attached written proposal:

a. One page table of the proposed courses as they pertain to each of the 6 core curricular areas.

b. Description and rationale for proposed program, including curriculum plan and instructional methods (e.g., classroom or distance education).

c. Detailed outlines of each course with specific allocations of classroom hours on each required topic.

d. Description of integrated and identified program outcomes and how the outcomes will be measured.

e. Description of how the program meets all the required content

f. Describe instructor qualifications. Instructors shall be knowledgeable in the subject and shall meet one of the following:

• Be an instructor of substance abuse related courses in an accredited institution.

• Be a current certificate holder as a clinical substance abuse counselor, intermediate clinical supervisor or independent clinical supervisor.

• Be a credential holder in a related field such as a physician, social worker, marriage and family therapist, professional counselor or psychologist, with knowledge and experience related to substance abuse counseling.

• Be a person who in the judgment of the department is qualified by experience or education or both to supervise a course of study.

• If distance education is being provided, describe how instructors will be available to students at reasonable times and by reasonable means, will provide reasonable oversight of student identity, and will provide opportunities for student evaluation of self-mastery.

3. The department will evaluate whether the proposal meets the requirements for a comprehensive program, and may ask for further information or suggest modifications before approval is granted.

4. Once the department approves the program, the provider is required to inform the department in advance of any major changes in courses or instructor qualifications and receive re-approval.

The following content areas and related hours are required

All of the content areas shall be infused with information and application to practice that is responsive to the characteristics of individual, group, family, and couple clients and significant others seeking substance use disorder treatment, including, but not limited to, age, gender, ability, disability, developmental level, sexual orientation, health status, ethnicity, culture, and social issues.

Content definitions are the following:

“Assessment” means education on the comprehensive process of collecting pertinent data about patient or patient systems and their environment and appraising the data as a basis for making decisions regarding substance use disorder diagnosis and treatment or referral. The education shall consist of culturally inclusive studies in understanding addiction, psychopharmacology, recognition and differentiation of co-occurring medical and psychological disorders, clinical evaluation and treatment planning.

“Case management” means education on culturally appropriate administrative, clinical, and evaluative activities included in the process of coordinating and prioritizing patient treatment goals and working with the patient and significant others, as well as other services, agencies and resources to achieve those treatment goals. The education shall include studies in implementing treatment plans including continuing assessment, the referral process, service coordination, including for co-occurring medical and psychological disorders, record management and documentation and utilizing the written client record to guide and monitor services to reach measurable goals and objectives.

“Counseling” means education which includes the study of fundamental theories, principles and techniques of substance use disorder counseling to facilitate the progress of diverse patients toward mutually determined treatment goals and objectives using culturally sensitive modalities. Counseling education shall include studies of understanding addiction, recognized treatment theory and practice, the recovery process, effective strategies for meeting the counseling needs of diverse patients, crisis management skills, and treatment of co-occurring medical and psychological disorders.

“Education” means the process of providing patients, groups, families, couples, significant others, and communities with information on risks related to substance use, the processes of dependence including signs, symptoms and behavior patterns, and available resources for prevention, treatment, and recovery in culturally relevant ways. The education shall include studies in understanding addiction, the classification and basic pharmacology of drugs, basic physiology and the effects of drug use on the human body and patient, learning styles and teaching methods, delivery of educational programs, health and behavior problems related to substance use including transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, and other infectious diseases, and basic life skills such as stress management, communication, and assertiveness.

“Professional responsibility” means education which addresses standards of conduct or professional behavior expectations for counselors, supervisors and prevention workers. Professional behavior areas to be studied shall include, at a minimum, legal issues specific to substance use disorder professional practice, patient welfare as a primary concern, responsibility for professional competence and professional development, participation in ongoing supervision and consultation, counselor values and self-care, relationships with other professionals and institutions and the establishment of limits and boundaries in the patient relationship. This education shall also address the impact of specific cultural, ethnic and racial influences and expectations.

A passing National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors NCAC I exam score is required.  The Wisconsin authorization code to register for the exam is provided upon initial review of the submitted application by an associate.

If you did not already pass the Wisconsin statutes and rules examination as part of obtaining your SAC-IT or SAC, you must pass this exam for the CSAC application.  The instructions are automatically emailed to you after paying the required fee as part of submitting the application through LicensE.

The official scores must be received and manually updated by the credentialing team.  You will receive an automated email when the score is posted and do not need to upload a copy of the score yourself.

After you upload all required documents, submit your application, and pay the required fee(s):

1. Preliminary Application Reference Number (PAR)

   1. Your application will be assigned a Preliminary Application Reference number or PAR number. This number allows you and trusted parties to look up the status of your application without logging in. You can also reference this number in any support tickets you submit in regard to your application.

      • A trusted 3^rd party can look up your credential status by visiting LicensE, clicking “Application Status Lookup” and entering the PAR number you have provided to them.

2. Review Timeline

   1. Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

      • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see the performance data on our LicensE Dashboard to see what date we are reviewing for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

3. Pending Applicant Input Status

   1. After this review, if anything is missing or the credentialing team has any questions on your application, your application will go back into a status called “Pending Applicant Input.”  You will receive an email letting you know your application was moved into this status. You should then log into LicensE and check your application “Due Diligence.”

4. To check your "Due Diligence" 

   1. Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required for your credential.

   2. The Due Diligence section is how DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

   3. Log in to your LicensE account

   4. Click on "Check Application Status" 

   5. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under “Action” select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop.

   6. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select “View Due Diligences.”

   7. The Due Diligence column lets you know what the requirement is.

   8. The “STATUS” column will you know if the item is “Met”, “Not Met”, or “Not Applicable.”

      • Items listed as “Not Met” are items that are needed by the Department.  

   9. The “NOTES” column of your Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

5. To upload documents

   1. Some applications require additional document uploads.

   2. Log into your LicensE account

   3. Click on "Check Application Status"

   4. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under "Action" select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop. 

   5. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select "Upload Document."

   6. The document must be an allowable document type. 

   7. After uploading the document, click "submit." If you do not, it will not be sent to a reviewer. 

6. If you have any questions, you can submit a support ticket on LicensE by logging in and clicking "request support" at the top of the page.

LicensE statuses that require action from applicant:

LicensE statuses that indicate the application is with Department staff:

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.