Practice Standards for Addiction Counsellors

Practice Standards for Addiction Counsellors were launched on October 1st, 2018. These Standards  enhance quality addiction services by developing consistent expectations including:  foundational competence, licensure and registration, continuing competence, practice, and supervision of restricted activity of psychosocial intervention in addiction counselling. To support the launch of the Standards, the Addiction Counselling Learning Series has been developed, which consists of three modules:

This activity is an Accredited Self-Assessment Program (Section 3) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by the University of Calgary Office of Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development. You may claim a maximum of 3.0 hours (credits are automatically calculated). This program was co-developed with 1. University of Alberta Hospital, 2. Alberta Health Services, Professional Development, Concurrent Capability and Problem Gambling and 3. University of Calgary, Faculty of Psychology and was planned to achieve scientific integrity, objectivity and balance.  

The Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation has approved this learning series for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) as follows:

➢ Introduction to the Addiction Counsellor Role – 1 CEU
➢ Understanding Restricted Activity in Addiction Counselling – 1 CEU
➢ Continuing Competence Program in Addiction Counsellors – 1 CEU

With the launch of the Practice Standards for Addiction Counsellors (AC), all addiction counsellors must apply to be on the Addiction Counsellor List, which will state whether the AC has permission to perform the psychosocial intervention of restricted activity in Addiction Counselling.

Information on this and the application are on the Provincial Addiction Practice Council web page on Insite. Click > Here