Maryland CAC-AD Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

The Certified Associate Counselor–Alcohol and Drug (CAC‑AD) is Maryland’s bachelor‑level alcohol and drug counseling credential, issued by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists. It allows you to provide alcohol and drug counseling in approved settings under “moderate supervision,” and, with Board approval, to supervise lower‑level credentials (such as CSC‑AD and ADT). (health.maryland.gov)

Below is a step‑by‑step, regulation‑based guide to meeting CAC‑AD requirements, with emphasis on hours, supervision, and the Board’s own terminology.

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1. Basic eligibility snapshot

To qualify for CAC‑AD, the Board requires that you: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• Hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in:
  • A health and human services counseling field, or
  • A program the Board finds “substantially equivalent.”
• Complete specific alcohol and drug coursework (minimum of 33 semester or 50 quarter credit hours).
• Complete:
  • An internship (6 semester / 10 quarter credits) or 1,000 hours of alcohol and drug counseling work under a Board‑approved supervisor, and
  • At least 1 year with a minimum of 1,000 additional hours of alcohol and drug counseling work under a Board‑approved supervisor.
• Pass:
  • A national alcohol and drug counselor examination approved by the Board (for CAC‑AD this is the NCAC II), and
  • The Maryland Law Assessment for alcohol and drug counselors.
• Undergo a criminal background check, be of good moral character, and comply with the Board’s ethics and statutory requirements.

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2. Degree and coursework requirements

Bachelor’s degree

COMAR 10.58.07.06(C)(3) requires that you: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited educational institution in:
  • A health and human services counseling field, or
  • A program of studies determined by the Board to be substantially equivalent.

The Board’s CAC‑AD page repeats this, stating you must have a bachelor’s degree from a Board‑approved regionally accredited educational institution in a health and human services counseling field or equivalent. (health.maryland.gov)

Required alcohol and drug coursework

You must complete at least 33 semester hours or 50 quarter hours in alcohol and drug counselor training from a regionally accredited institution. (mdrules.elaws.us)

COMAR specifies two groups of courses:

1. Six required 3‑credit (or 5‑quarter‑credit) courses (each taken at a regionally accredited institution): (mdrules.elaws.us)

   • Medical aspects of chemical dependency
   • Addictions treatment delivery
   • Group counseling
   • Individual counseling
   • Ethics that includes alcohol and drug counseling issues
   • Abnormal psychology

2. Any three of the following 3‑credit (or 5‑quarter‑credit) courses: (mdrules.elaws.us)

   • Family counseling
   • Theories of counseling
   • Human development
   • Topics in substance‑related and addictive disorders
   • Treatment of co‑occurring disorders

Those nine courses (6 required + 3 electives) make up at least 27 of the 33 semester hours; the remaining credits in “alcohol and drug counselor training” are satisfied by additional relevant coursework according to your program and Board approval.

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3. Experience and hour requirements (the core of your question)

For CAC‑AD, the Board’s regulations create two distinct experiential pieces, both of which must be completed under a Board‑approved alcohol and drug counselor supervisor.

3.1 Internship or 1,000 hours of counseling work

COMAR 10.58.07.06(C)(5) says the applicant must complete one of the following: (mdrules.elaws.us)

1. Internship option

   • An internship in alcohol and drug counseling totaling:
     • 6 semester credit hours, or
     • 10 quarter credit hours
   • Taken through a regionally accredited educational institution, and it must be focused on alcohol and drug counseling.

2. Work‑hours option

   • “A minimum of 1,000 hours of alcohol and drug counseling work completed under and verified by a Board‑approved alcohol and drug counselor supervisor.” (mdrules.elaws.us)

Key points about this first 1,000 hours:

• The regulation uses the specific phrase “alcohol and drug counseling work”; it is not generic human services work.
• It must be completed under and verified by a Board‑approved alcohol and drug counselor supervisor.
• Under the Board’s definitions, “supervised clinical experience in alcohol and drug counseling” means services provided under close or moderate supervision of an approved licensed or certified alcohol and drug counselor supervisor. (law.cornell.edu)

In practice, these 1,000 hours (if you use the work‑hours option) are typically accumulated while you hold an Alcohol and Drug Trainee (ADT) credential, working in approved settings under supervision. Trainees can practice for up to six years while they complete required coursework and supervised hours. (dsd.maryland.gov)

3.2 Additional 1 year and 1,000 hours of counseling work

Separate from the internship/1,000‑hour option above, COMAR then adds a second experience requirement. 10.58.07.06(C)(6) states that an applicant must: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• Complete “not less than 1 year with a minimum of 1,000 hours of alcohol and drug counseling work completed under and verified by a Board‑approved alcohol and drug counselor supervisor.”

This is in addition to the internship / first 1,000 hours requirement in (C)(5), because it appears as a separate numbered item.

How many hours in total?

Putting (C)(5) and (C)(6) together, the regulations effectively require:

• Internship path

  • 6‑credit (or 10‑quarter‑credit) alcohol and drug counseling internship
  • Plus at least 1 year and 1,000 hours of alcohol and drug counseling work under a Board‑approved supervisor.

• All‑work‑hours path

  • At least 1,000 hours of alcohol and drug counseling work (instead of the internship) under a Board‑approved supervisor, and
  • A separate minimum of 1 year and 1,000 additional hours of alcohol and drug counseling work under a Board‑approved supervisor.

Many secondary sources summarize this as 2,000 supervised counseling hours for CAC‑AD, which matches the combined requirements in COMAR. (addiction-counselor.org)

The regulation itself does not subdivide these 2,000 hours into “direct client contact hours” vs. “indirect hours” for CAC‑AD (unlike some other licenses where face‑to‑face vs. supervision hours are explicitly broken out). The Board’s language stays at the level of “alcohol and drug counseling work” and “supervised clinical experience in alcohol and drug counseling.” (law.cornell.edu)

3.3 What counts as “alcohol and drug counseling work” and supervision?

The CAC‑AD scope of practice includes activities such as: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• Biopsychosocial evaluation and involvement in diagnostic impressions for substance use disorders
• Treatment planning, including relapse‑prevention and discharge planning
• Referral and service coordination
• Counseling and therapy (individual, group, couples, families)
• Client, family, and community education
• Documentation and professional/ethical responsibilities

The Board defines: (law.cornell.edu)

• “Supervised clinical experience in alcohol and drug counseling” as alcohol and drug counseling services provided under close or moderate supervision.
• “Moderate supervision” as supervision where the supervisor:
  • Controls the supervisee’s work,
  • Provides face‑to‑face or immediately available supervision, and
  • Ensures work is technically accurate and in compliance with instructions or procedures.

So your counted hours should be time spent providing alcohol and drug counseling services (as defined above) in an approved setting, under this level of supervision.

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4. Where and under what conditions you can accrue and practice

For both trainees and certified CAC‑ADs, the Board dictates the practice environment and supervision level.

Practice setting

A CAC‑AD (and, by extension, someone accruing CAC‑AD experience hours) must provide counseling: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• “As an employee of an agency or facility that is certified or licensed by the State,” and
• Under the moderate supervision of an approved alcohol and drug counselor supervisor.

Supervisor qualifications

Your Board‑approved alcohol and drug counselor supervisor must be one of: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• A Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC)
• A Certified Professional Counselor – Alcohol and Drug (CPC‑AD)
• Another health care provider:
  • Licensed or certified under Health Occupations Article, Title 17, and
  • Specifically approved by the Board as a supervisor.

Independent practice

A CAC‑AD may not practice independently. The regulations explicitly state that a certified associate counselor–alcohol and drug must practice under moderate supervision and “may not practice independently.” (mdrules.elaws.us)

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5. Examination requirements

To become certified, you must achieve passing scores on two examinations: (mdrules.elaws.us)

1. National alcohol and drug counselor examination

   • COMAR requires “a national alcohol and drug counselor examination as approved by the Board.”
   • The Board’s CAC‑AD page specifies this as the NCAC II exam.

2. Maryland law exam

   • COMAR requires an examination of:
     • Health Occupations Article, Title 17, and
     • COMAR 10.58
   • The Board administers this as the Maryland Law Assessment for alcohol and drug counselors.

You cannot be issued the CAC‑AD certificate until the Board receives official proof that you have passed both exams. (health.maryland.gov)

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6. Background check, character, and ethics

COMAR adds several general professional requirements. A CAC‑AD applicant must: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• Submit to a criminal background check.
• Be of good moral character.
• Comply with:
  • Health Occupations Article, Title 17, and
  • The Board’s code of ethics in COMAR 10.58.03.

The Board’s website notes that you submit proof of the criminal history background check with your application and that the Board reviews this before authorizing you to sit for the exams. (health.maryland.gov)

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7. Application process in practice

The Board outlines the process for obtaining CAC‑AD certification as follows: (health.maryland.gov)

1. Complete and submit the CAC‑AD application (or pre‑application credential evaluation) with all required documentation:
   • Official transcripts showing degree and coursework
   • Documentation of internship and/or supervised work hours (on Board forms)
   • Supervisor verification of hours
   • Criminal history record check receipt
2. Wait for Board review of your application and background check.
3. Upon approval, the Board sends an authorization to test for:
   • The NCAC II exam, and
   • The Maryland Law Assessment.
4. After you pass both exams, and the Board receives official exam results, it issues your CAC‑AD certificate.

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8. Renewal and continuing status

A CAC‑AD certificate: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• Is valid for two years.
• Must be renewed online through the Board’s website.
• Requires:
  • A renewal application,
  • Applicable fees, and
  • Attestation of required continuing education under COMAR 10.58.05.05 and .06.

Failure to renew on time means you are not authorized to practice alcohol and drug counseling until reinstated. (mdrules.elaws.us)

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Summary of the hour structure (for quick reference)

For CAC‑AD in Maryland, based on current COMAR and Board materials: (mdrules.elaws.us)

• Coursework:
  • Minimum 33 semester / 50 quarter credit hours in alcohol and drug counselor training, including specific named courses.
• Experiential requirements (all under a Board‑approved supervisor, in approved settings):
  1. Internship or equivalent:
     • 6‑credit (10‑quarter‑credit) internship in alcohol and drug counseling or
     • 1,000 hours of alcohol and drug counseling work.
  2. Additional supervised practice:
     • At least 1 year and at least 1,000 hours of alcohol and drug counseling work.
• The regulations therefore yield at least 2,000 hours of supervised alcohol and drug counseling work in total, though they do not formally subdivide those hours into “direct” vs. “indirect” client contact for the CAC‑AD level.