07/19/2018
Esteemed Colleagues, counselors, students and stakeholders:
We have received notification from the NCCA that our CATC program has been accredited for five (5) years. We will be accepting applications soon! Here is the official statement:
National Commission for Certifying Agencies
The Accreditation Body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence
2025 M Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036-3309
(202) 367-1165 FAX (202) 367-2165
Official NCCA Accreditation Statement in quotes:
“On 07/19/18, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) granted a five (5) year accreditation to CAADE’s Addiction Counselor Certification Board (ACCBC) for demonstrating compliance with the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. The NCCA Standards were created in 1977 and updated in 2003 to ensure that certification programs adhere to modern standards of practice for the certification industry. CAADE/ACCBC joins an elite group of more than 120 organizations representing over 270 programs that have received and maintained NCCA accreditation. More information on the NCCA is available online at http://www.credentialingexcellence.org/NCCA or by calling 202/367-1165.”
Although we are very pleased to inform you of this information, we are not celebrating this accomplishment. We are still acutely aware that it was our responsibility to regain accreditation so that we can continue to provide a conduit for those individuals seeking certification with an organization that honors education, dedication and commitment to excellence. We thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging transition and we will continue to work very hard to provide you with that same dedication and commitment to serving your needs.
We have already contacted the Department of Health Care Services to inform them of our five-year accreditation and we are eagerly awaiting their response. Once they have processed our request to be recognized once again as a certifying body in the state of California, we will begin accepting new applications and immediately processing renewal applications.
We are looking forward with great anticipation to the future of the ACCBC and the entire CAADE organization as we continue to grow, evolve and regain the trust of the profession. We are sincerely grateful to all of you who have stood by us during this challenging time and who are waiting to rejoin our ranks to continue leading the charge for higher standards for addiction treatment counselors in the state of California and beyond.
With great gratitude, respect and sincerity,
Drew Williams, MA, CATC IV
Chair, ACCBC
What this means to you if you are certified or registered though the ACCBC (once we are approved):
- If you are one of the current (recognized as paid and in good standing) 8900 CATCs or Registrants with the ACCBC and want to remain with us, you don’t need to do anything. You are already valid in our system. When your renewal is due, you would just renew with us with your CEUs as usual and not renew with the other agency. If your renewal was due anytime during the period of our loss of accreditation, you are still recognized as valid in our system and your renewal would be due upon our reinstatement by the NCCA, and you will not be charged any late fees or penalized in any way for a lapse.
- If you left the ACCBC and are no longer current (not recognized as paid and in good standing and received a refund) with us but have current certification with another agency and want to return to the ACCBC, you can transfer back to us at no cost to you and we will honor the new expiration date of your current credential.
- If you left the ACCBC and are no longer current (not recognized as paid and in good standing and received a refund) with us and are not current with another agency, you can reapply with us following our new policies and procedures implemented during our reorganization (details are currently listed on the accbc.org website). This does not apply to those who came up for renewal during our down time (see #1).
- The ACCBC will no longer be charging non-member fees (we find it to be unethical and it creates an undue financial burden), you do not need to hold membership with “any” organization to qualify for listed registration or certification fees.
