Wyoming PAT Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Wyoming regulates addictions counselors through the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board. The Provisional Addictions Therapist (PAT) license is the supervised, master’s‑level credential you hold while earning the clinical hours required for full Licensed Addictions Therapist (LAT) licensure.

Below is a state‑specific breakdown of what PAT is, how to obtain it, and exactly what kinds of hours Wyoming requires.

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1. How Wyoming Defines a Provisional Addictions Therapist (PAT)

In the Board’s rules, a Provisional Addictions Therapist (PAT) is defined as a person:

provisionally licensed under the Act to practice addictions therapy… under the supervision of a designated qualified clinical supervisor licensed in the state of Wyoming. (regulations.justia.com)

A Designated Qualified Clinical Supervisor (DQCS) must be a Wyoming‑licensed LPC, LCSW, LMFT, LAT, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric APRN (or a physician with an addictionology specialty for addictions therapist candidates). (regulations.justia.com)

In statute, provisional licensure is described as a way to “continue progress towards satisfactory completion of all licensure requirements.” Provisional licenses (including PAT) generally: (law.justia.com)

• Allow practice only under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor
• Expire 36 months after issuance, unless extended by the Board for good cause

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2. Who PAT Is Intended For

On the Board’s applications page, Wyoming describes PAT as:

intended for those with a master’s degree in addictionology or related field who need to pass their examination and earn supervised experience. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

In practice, that means you are an addictions‑focused graduate who:

• Has a master’s (or higher) degree in addictionology/addiction counseling or a related mental health discipline that meets Board coursework standards (law.justia.com)
• Needs:
  • A Board‑approved addictions exam (MAC/AADC), and
  • A period of post‑graduate, supervised clinical experience toward the 3,000‑hour LAT requirement

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3. Baseline Eligibility for a PAT License

From the statute and Board‑based guidance, to be issued a PAT you must: (law.justia.com)

1. Be an adult and legally able to work in the U.S.

   • Statute requires “age of majority” and no disqualifying criminal convictions for licensure.

2. Hold a qualifying graduate degree

   • A master’s or doctorate “in one of the disciplines identified” from an accredited program, meeting the Board’s academic and training standards. (law.justia.com)

3. Meet addictions‑specific coursework standards

   • Board‑derived summaries list required graduate coursework such as counseling theory/practice, ethics, addictions assessment, addictive behaviors, special populations, alcohol/drugs and behavior, and communicable diseases. (sites.google.com)

4. Have or obtain a Designated Qualified Clinical Supervisor (DQCS)

   • You must have a Supervision Agreement with a DQCS approved by the Board before practicing under PAT. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

5. Submit a complete PAT application and fee
   Typical contents, based on Board‑linked guidance: (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

   • PAT application form (printed from the Board site)
   • Application fee (commonly reported as $150, not including background‑check processing)
   • Proof of legal presence/right to work
   • Official graduate transcripts mailed directly to the Board
   • A Supervision Agreement signed by you and your DQCS
   • A Professional Disclosure Statement
   • Fingerprint‑based background check & NPDB check

6. Sit for a Board‑approved addictions exam

   • For PAT/LAT, the Board requires the NAADAC Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) exam or the IC&RC Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) exam (or another exam it approves), under Chapter 8, Section 5 of its rules. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

Only once the Board approves your application and supervision agreement are you formally licensed as a PAT and allowed to provide addictions therapy services under supervision.

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4. The Core Hour Requirements Behind a PAT License

The PAT license itself is time‑limited and supervision‑only; it does not have a separate hour requirement. Instead, its purpose is to let you legally work while accruing the experience required for full LAT licensure.

Wyoming law and Board‑derived guidance together specify the following:

4.1 Total supervised experience required for LAT

Wyoming statute requires, for full licensure (including LAT):

• “Three thousand (3,000) hours of supervised clinical experience including a minimum of one hundred (100) hours of face‑to‑face individual clinical supervision from a qualified clinical supervisor.” (law.justia.com)

Board‑oriented guidance specific to addictions therapists consistently expands this as: (addiction-counselors.com)

• 3,000 hours of supervised clinical work in alcohol/drug or addictions counseling
• All 3,000 hours must be after the graduate degree is awarded
• At least 1,200 hours must be direct, face‑to‑face client contact in a chemical‑dependency/addictions counseling setting
• At least 100 hours must be direct, face‑to‑face clinical supervision with a DQCS
• Group supervision does not count toward the 1,200 direct‑contact hours and often does not count toward the 100 hours of required individual/triadic supervision

These 3,000 hours are normally accumulated while you hold a PAT (or equivalent provisional addictions credential) under an approved supervision agreement. (substanceabusecounselor.org)

4.2 Breakdown by hour type (Board‑derived practice standards)

Although the statute itself names only the total hours and 100 hours of face‑to‑face supervision, Board‑linked materials and cross‑discipline rules make clear how Wyoming expects those 3,000 hours to be structured. (law.justia.com)

Typical breakdown used by the Board for addictions, counseling, social work, and MFT licenses:

Hour Type	Minimum Required	How Wyoming treats it
Total supervised clinical/work hours	3,000	Must be post‑master’s in an addictions/chemical‑dependency counseling setting under a DQCS.
Direct client‑contact hours	1,200	“Direct face‑to‑face counseling” or “direct client contact”; includes individual, group, family, and couples addictions counseling.
Face‑to‑face individual/triadic supervision	100	Direct clinical supervision with a DQCS. Group supervision and large group case conferences do not count toward this requirement.
Indirect clinical hours (documentation, collateral contacts, trainings, staff meetings, etc.)	Up to 1,700	Count toward the 3,000 total, but not toward the 1,200 direct or 100 supervision hours.

Board and third‑party summaries also describe an expected supervision ratio roughly equivalent to 1 hour of individual/triadic supervision per 30 hours of clinical experience, which aligns with the statutory requirement of 100 hours over 3,000 hours. (mft-license.com)

4.3 Timeframe to earn the hours

Across disciplines, Wyoming ties provisional licensure and supervised‑hours accumulation to a specific time window: (law.justia.com)

• Provisional licenses (including PAT) expire after 36 months unless extended for good cause.
• Board‑derived guidance for addictions therapists describes accruing 3,000 hours over not less than 18 months and not more than 36 months of PAT‑level practice.

Practically, that means you should plan your supervised employment so you can complete:

• ~20–30 hours/week of qualifying clinical work over 24–30 months, or
• Full‑time work over ~18–24 months, ensuring you hit both the 1,200 direct‑contact and 100 supervision‑hour minimums.

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5. Supervision Structure While You Hold a PAT

While licensed as a PAT, you must work under both administrative and clinical supervision:

• Administrative supervision

  • You are an employee of a business/agency that has authority to hire, evaluate, and dismiss you; you may not function as an independent contractor for purposes of meeting the Board’s admin‑supervision requirement. (regulations.justia.com)

• Clinical supervision

  • You practice addictions therapy only under a DQCS (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, LAT, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric APRN; a physician specializing in addictionology may supervise LAT candidates). (regulations.justia.com)
  • You must have a Board‑approved Supervision Agreement on file before engaging in clinical work as a PAT. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
  • Your DQCS later documents your supervised hours and evaluates your readiness for independent LAT practice via the Board’s VESE (Verification of Experience and Supervision) form. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

During PAT status, you are not authorized for private independent practice and must clearly disclose your provisional status and the fact that you practice under supervision in your Professional Disclosure Statement. (law.justia.com)

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6. From PAT to Full Licensed Addictions Therapist (LAT)

Once you have:

1. Completed the required 3,000 hours of supervised post‑master’s clinical experience
   • including 1,200 direct client‑contact hours and
   • 100 hours of face‑to‑face individual/triadic supervision (law.justia.com)
2. Passed a Board‑approved addictions exam (MAC via NAADAC or NBCC, or IC&RC AADC, per Chapter 8, Section 5) (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
3. Maintained good standing as a PAT with no disciplinary issues

…you apply for Licensed Addictions Therapist (LAT) by submitting: (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

• The LAT application (Provisional‑to‑Full Addictions Therapist route)
• VESE documentation of your supervised hours, signed by your DQCS
• Proof of passing the MAC/AADC exam
• Updated Professional Disclosure Statement & any required fees

Once LAT is granted, you may practice addictions therapy independently, without the clinical‑supervision requirement (though you must still meet ongoing CE requirements).

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7. Concise Checklist for Becoming a PAT in Wyoming

1. Earn a qualifying master’s degree in addictionology/addictions counseling or a related mental‑health field that meets Board coursework standards. (law.justia.com)
2. Secure a Designated Qualified Clinical Supervisor and sign a Supervision Agreement. (regulations.justia.com)
3. Gather application materials (PAT form, fee, transcripts, proof of legal presence, background‑check materials, Professional Disclosure Statement). (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
4. Submit your PAT application to the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board and wait for formal approval.
5. Once approved, begin practice as a PAT under administrative and clinical supervision.
6. Over 18–36 months, accumulate at least:
   • 3,000 total supervised post‑master’s clinical hours, including
   • 1,200 direct face‑to‑face client‑contact hours, and
   • 100 hours of face‑to‑face individual/triadic supervision with your DQCS. (law.justia.com)
7. Pass a Board‑approved addictions exam (MAC or AADC). (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
8. Apply for LAT using the Provisional‑to‑Full route once all hours and testing requirements are met, before your 36‑month PAT period ends. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

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Note that fees and some procedural details (e.g., exact forms and mailing addresses) can change. When you are ready to apply, it is prudent to download the current PAT and LAT application packets directly from the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board website and confirm any questions with the Board office.