HB21-1305 Summary

• Adds new protected titles for addiction counselors including "Certified Addiction Specialist," "Certified Addiction Technician," and "Addiction Counselor Candidate" to prevent unauthorized use.

• Reduces direct clinical hours requirement for licensed addiction counselor licensure from 3,000 hours to 2,000 hours while allowing in-person or telesupervision.

• Increases supervised clinic work hours for certified addiction specialist certification from 2,000 to 3,000 hours over a minimum of 18 months (previously 12 months), which may include 1,000 hours from technician certification.

• Grants certified addiction specialists and licensed addiction counselors supervision privileges to provide clinical supervision to persons working toward certification or licensure in addiction counseling fields.

• Requires the State Board of Human Services to establish education requirements for licensure and certification by March 1, 2022, with a temporary waiver of education requirements until those standards are finalized.