Indiana LCACA Requirements & Hours Tracker

Indiana’s Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor Associate (LCACA) credential is the master’s‑level associate license issued by the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board. It is designed for graduates who have completed a clinically focused addictions master’s program and need an initial license under which to gain post‑degree experience and supervision toward full Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC) status.(counselingdegreeguide.org)

Below is a step‑by‑step breakdown of the requirements, with an emphasis on the exact types and amounts of hours the Board specifies.

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1. Educational requirement

To qualify for an LCACA, you must have:

• A graduate degree (master’s or higher) in:
  • addiction counseling,
  • addiction therapy,
  • or a related area approved by the Board,
• From an “eligible postsecondary educational institution” that meets Board requirements.(secure.in.gov)

The Board’s LCACA instructions state that applicants “must have a graduate in addiction counseling, addiction therapy, or in a related area as determined by the board” and that all education must be met by postsecondary coursework (not by certificates or trainings).(secure.in.gov)

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2. Practicum / internship hour requirements (pre‑licensure)

The LCACA is an associate license, so Indiana does not require something like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience” before you can get the LCACA. Instead, the Board focuses on a substantial graduate‑level practicum/internship completed as part of your degree.

For LCACA applicants, the Board requires at least one supervised practicum, internship, or field experience in a counseling setting that meets all of the following hour requirements:(secure.in.gov)

1. Total practicum / internship hours

   • Minimum of 700 clock hours.

2. Direct client contact hours

   • At least 280 hours of face‑to‑face client contact providing addiction counseling services.

3. Supervision hours during the practicum

   • At least 35 hours of supervision provided by a qualified supervisor with at least five years of addiction‑counseling experience.

In other words, at the graduate‑training level you need:

• 700+ total practicum/internship hours, including
  • 280+ face‑to‑face client contact hours, and
  • 35+ hours of supervision under a qualified supervisor.(secure.in.gov)

These practicum hours are typically documented on Form P – Verification of Practicum that must be submitted with your application.(secure.in.gov)

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3. Who counts as a “qualified supervisor” for the practicum

For LCACA practicum supervision, Indiana defines a qualified supervisor as someone who:

• Is supervising within their scope of experience and training,
• Holds an active license at the time of supervision as one of the following:(secure.in.gov)
  • Clinical Addiction Counselor,
  • Clinical Social Worker,
  • Marriage and Family Therapist,
  • Physician with training in psychiatric medicine,
  • Psychologist,
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist in psychiatric or mental health nursing, or
  • Another state‑regulated addiction counseling professional (or equivalent where no regulation exists),
• And has at least five (5) years of experience in providing addiction services.(secure.in.gov)

Your 35 required supervision hours during the 700‑hour practicum must be provided by someone who meets this definition.

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4. Application components for LCACA

When you apply to the Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board for LCACA, the Board’s checklist requires (summarized, focusing on content rather than formatting):(secure.in.gov)

1. Completed online application for LCACA.
2. Application fee: $50 (nonrefundable), paid online.
3. Criminal Background Check (through the state‑approved process).
4. Positive Response Documentation, if applicable:
   • If you answer “Yes” to any legal/discipline questions, you must submit a written explanation including:
     • the violation, location, date, cause number, and disposition,
     • and attach court or other official documents as evidence.
5. Name change documentation, if your current name differs from the name on any of your supporting documents (e.g., marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order).
6. Official transcripts:
   • From each school listed on your coursework form,
   • Showing the degree awarded and date conferred.
7. Letter of Good Standing (optional but sometimes used):
   • If you are in your last semester and want early exam approval, you can submit a letter of good standing from your university.
8. Form C – Verification of Graduate Coursework:
   • Documents that your graduate program meets the Board’s required coursework content for clinical addiction counseling.
9. Form P – Verification of Practicum:
   • Documents the 700 total hours, 280 face‑to‑face client hours, and 35 supervision hours with a qualified supervisor.
10. License Verification, if you already hold another behavioral‑health license in Indiana or another state:

• Other jurisdictions must send verification directly to Indiana (copies of license cards alone are not accepted).

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5. National examination requirement

LCACA applicants must be associated with one of the Board‑approved national clinical addiction exams:(in.gov)

• AADC (Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor) exam administered via IC&RC/ICAADA, or
• MAC (Master Addiction Counselor) exam administered via NAADAC/IAAP.

Key points:

• If you have not yet taken a qualifying exam:
  • Once your application and documentation are complete, the Board issues exam approval.
  • You must take the exam within one (1) year of the Board’s initial approval; if you do not, the approval expires and you must reapply with a new application and documentation.
• If you have already passed the AADC or MAC:
  • You must request that the exam agency send an official score report directly to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (or upload it through your online account, as directed).

Passing one of these exams is part of the licensing requirement for LCACA and LCAC.(in.gov)

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6. How LCACA hours relate to full LCAC licensure (for context)

Your question uses an example like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience.” That type of breakdown is closer to the post‑degree experience requirements some states use for full clinical licensure, not for Indiana’s associate‑level LCACA.

In Indiana, the structure is:

• LCACA (associate) – requires the graduate practicum hours described above (700 total / 280 face‑to‑face / 35 supervision) but no additional post‑degree experience hours at the time you apply for the associate license.(secure.in.gov)
• LCAC (full clinical license) – obtained after you hold an LCACA and complete:
  • Two (2) years of clinical addiction counseling experience (between 21 and 48 months) documented on Form E2, and
  • At least 200 hours of clinical addiction supervision (100 individual + 100 group) documented on Form S2, under a qualified supervisor.(secure.in.gov)

Those LCAC post‑degree requirements explain where you might see larger hour totals discussed, but they apply when you move from LCACA to LCAC, not for obtaining the LCACA itself.

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7. Hour requirements for LCACA, in one place

For the Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor Associate (LCACA) in Indiana, the Board’s hour requirements are:

• Graduate practicum / internship / field experience
  • At least 700 total clock hours,
  • At least 280 face‑to‑face client‑contact hours of addiction counseling services,
  • At least 35 supervision hours from a qualified supervisor with:
    • a compatible behavioral‑health license (e.g., Clinical Addiction Counselor, Clinical Social Worker, etc.), and
    • 5+ years of addiction‑services experience.

There is no separate pre‑licensure requirement of “1,500 hours direct” plus “1,500 hours supervised” for the LCACA credential itself. Those larger supervised experience totals come into play later, when you pursue the full LCAC license under Indiana’s post‑degree experience rules.(secure.in.gov)