Addiction counseling is a profession. Being a member of a profession, that is, to hold a professional identity, means to align with the values of that identity, to uphold the standards that membership requires, and to be fluent in the knowledge, skills, and practices of which the profession is based. Certification is how we professionalize the profession. Education is not just a component of that certification process; it is how any profession lays the foundation and transmits values, attitudes, knowledge, skills, and practices to new members. This creates consistency between new and existing counselors and helps the profession sustain and grow for generations to come.
Over the past two years, there has been much conversation within the California treatment industry about AB 2473, or how counselors or some treatment providers might be hearing it, a requirement for “80 hours.” While there have been concerns and frustrations with this bill, and there have been plenty of implementation elements that CAADE and ACCBC believe should have been handled differently, we not only agree with the bill’s intention but also believe it is only a first step towards reforming our industry and strengthening our profession. Outside of concerns from education providers and counselor certifying organizations for compliance purposes, concerns are mainly about the requirements for registered counselors to complete education within their first six months of registration. In addition to education being a primary component of professional identity development, education is essential to the job of a counselor. Despite perceptions that the journey to becoming an addiction counselor begins with registration, it can only formally and officially begin with education.
Persons interested in reading the legislation of AB 2473 can find it here and the regulations that put this bill into effect can be found here. In short, all counselors certified on or after January 1, 2026, will be required to demonstrate education on 12 topics, referred to as “core competencies.” All counselors registering for the first time starting July 1, 2025, will have 6 months from January 1, 2026, to complete education that includes content on 12 specific topics and to complete a minimum of 80 hours toward the requirements for certification. Counselors seeking to become a Registered Addiction Counselor (RAC) through ACCBC will be required to show proof of enrollment or completion of two, three-unit courses specifically identified at college programs throughout the state.
Click here to find AB 2473-compliant education options for first-year Registered Addiction Counselors. Please note that ACCBC does NOT accept the ASCEND education materials. Please read the information below.
This law impacts different groups of counselors in different ways.
- Current Certified Addiction Treatment Counselors: This bill has no impact on you.
- Counselors registered on or before June 30, 2025, and seeking to certify on or after January 1, 2025: This bill will require that you demonstrate education that includes all 12 topics before a certification can be issued.
- For counselors who attended a CAADE-accredited program: CAADE-accredited colleges and universities have already been identified as covering 11 of the 12 topics, if not all 12. CAADE will provide free online materials to supplement any missing content. This content will be available in January 2026 at caadeclasses.org
- For counselors who seek to apply for certification with ACCBC through education equivalency: Determining compliance will require documentation that these topics were all covered. Although it is assumed that all of these topics would be covered in the courses needed to satisfy equivalency, the burden will be to demonstrate that these topics were covered directly. This may be particularly challenging for counselors who completed their education outside of California. ACCBC will work with counselors to minimize the burden and impact.
- Counselors who registered for the first time on or after July 1, 2025, and those registering for the first time on or after January 1, 2026: This bill will require all newly registered counselors to complete education on the above topics, as well as at least 80 hours of education, before they can renew their registration. The legislation stipulates that this education must be completed in six months, and it is expected that counselors complete it within six months. However, if a counselor hits the six-month mark and has not completed their education, or ACCBC informs a counselor that the education they completed is not satisfactory, the counselor will need to remedy this deficiency prior to submission of registration renewal.
- Counselors registering with ACCBC, or any Certifying Organization in California, for the first time between July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025: All counselors who registered with ACCBC for the first time during this period were verified as being enrolled in a qualifying addiction studies program. Counselors need to complete the courses listed for their addiction studies program (found here) in the Spring semester if not already completed.
- Counselors registering with ACCBC for the first time on or after January 1, 2026: All counselors will need to demonstrate by way of unofficial transcripts that they are enrolled in or have passed the courses identified on CAADE’s website that have been determined to meet the minimum hours (at least six semester units) and cover the 12 topics for the college they plan to attend. By requiring enrollment in these materials before issuing a registration, ACCBC is not ensuring that it will be accepted, but attempting to ensure that the requirements are met within the required six months. Counselors are requested to provide their unofficial transcripts once grades are awarded so that ACCBC can provide a letter stating that the first-year requirements have been satisfied. Counselors who choose to withdraw from coursework after approval has been made by ACCBC are advised to reach out to office@accbc.org.
How does a counselor determine the education option best for them?
- ACCBC does not endorse or promote one education provider over another. ACCBC has a set of standards and requirements for education providers. Colleges and universities accredited by CAADE meet these standards and are pre-approved for certification with ACCBC. Colleges and universities that are not CAADE-accredited or pre-approved by ACCBC are still eligible for certification with ACCBC through equivalency evaluation.
- One of the requirements of AB 2473 was that the education ACCBC accepts to satisfy first-year registration requirements must count towards the education needed for certification. The primary mode of certification for counselors is by attending and completing a pre-approved college program. As such, it is important for counselors to consider where they wish to complete their education for certification requirements, and if unable to complete registration requirements at that college or university, to ensure that the option they choose for registration is transferable to their desired college or university. Applying for certification through equivalency is an option, but often it requires additional time, effort, and has an additional cost.
- There are many options to consider when selecting an education program for certification. Many counselors have expressed satisfaction with their college experience, which went beyond their education and coursework. Counselors may wish to choose a college in their local area to connect with a campus, build local networks, and access local job opportunities. Networking may also be based on the program’s size, its history, and the number of alumni/graduates. Counselors may wish to select a program based on that college’s reputation or the counselor’s needs, which may be time constraints or financial aid opportunities. These decisions may be quite personal.
Why is ACCBC not accepting the ASCEND material?
- There are several reasons that ACCBC is not accepting ASCEND materials. In some cases, this was because the course modules were deemed below college level, and therefore, not suitable for certification with ACCBC. The main reason ACCBC will not accept these materials is that, under regulatory requirements, if we accept them for registration purposes, we would have to count them towards certification education. As the materials are below college level, they would not be transferable to many, if any, of the colleges pre-approved by ACCBC or those suitable for equivalency. This creates a major compliance issue. Overall, we found the ASCEND option to add to the length of time of a counselor’s education as well as potentially adding increased cost.
Will ACCBC accept coursework other than that listed on CAADE’s website to satisfy the requirements for first-time registrants?
- Counselors applying for certification through equivalency review may have alternate courses approved to meet these requirements. Equivalency review is strictly based on completed coursework. ACCBC will not issue a registration based on an equivalency review unless at least 80% of the equivalency education requirements have been satisfied.