Sec. 16. 32 MRSA §§6214-C and 6214-D are enacted to read:

§6214-C.__Certified alcohol and drug counselor; qualification

for certification

1.__Eligibility.__To be eligible to practice as a certified alcohol and drug counselor, an applicant must:

A.__Be at least 18 years of age;

B.__Have taken and passed an examination as prescribed by board rule;

C.__Have paid an application and certification fee as set under section 6215; and

D.__Meet one of the following educational requirements:

(1)__A high school diploma or its equivalent and a minimum of 4,000 hours of documented clinically supervised work experience as an alcohol and drug counseling aide consisting of at least 3 of the following alcohol and drug treatment functions:

(a)__Clinical evaluation consisting of intake screening and differential assessment;

(b)__Treatment planning, including initial, ongoing and discharge planning;

(c)__Counseling of individuals, groups, couples or families;

(d)__Case management.__For purposes of this paragraph, "case management" means services that include, at a minimum, assessment of the needs of a client and the client's family, service planning, referral and linkage to other services, advocacy, monitoring and crisis management; or

(e)__Client and family education; or

(2)__At a minimum, course work as defined by board rule or an associate degree from an accredited college or university in behavioral sciences, addiction counseling or a related field as defined by board rule.