I hope everyone is having a peaceful transition to cooler weather and the holiday preparations are smooth!

Below are two important items of interest to our substance abuse professionals. Please take a moment to read and share the contents of this edition of the Board Buzz!

Barden Culbreth
Associate Director
NCSAPPB

As you will recall, the NCSAPPB moved to computer-based testing mid-2011. Through a partnership by the International Credentialing and Reciprocity Consortium and Schroeder Measurement Technologies, the Board is now able to offer flexibility to our applicants in regard to time, date, and location of their professional exams.

• First, an applicant sends in their monies and hours in order to qualify for the examination.
• During the next scheduled File Review (typically 3-4 week rotations), the staff approves the applicant for the exam.
• The applicant then receives a letter asking them to monitor their email for an email from the company SMT/IsoQuality Testing.
• The email outlines the three (3) steps to register for the exam along with a username and password.

Following the October deadline for the December 2011 examination period, all applicants will be moved to Year Round Testing!

For example, if you sent to the Board information to test on October 15th (and missed the December test), you will be reviewed and given a testing block starting January 2, 2012 and ending January 2, 2013.

Here is more good news: This means no more deadlines! No more tracking down supervisors for hours. No more deadlines to get money into the Board office!

However, each applicant will be subject to the file review schedule.

For example, you send in your money and hours on February 6, 2012 and the file review is not until the first week of March 2012, you will be given a 365 day window to test based on the (roughly) March 2012 date. Not 365 days from submission of the money.

This means, in the case of the example above, that if the applicant had set their work and personal schedules to test February 20th, 2012, then chances are they will be out of luck. This is friendly instruction to please plan responsibly.

It is responsible planning to send in money and hours at least one (1) month before you plan to test, and even then, do not request time off or set your schedule until you have scheduled your test with the testing center.

Additionally, some testing centers have special hours of operation.

Please read these sentences carefully:
If you select a time, date, and location with the testing facility and must reschedule for a reason other than documented medical illness, death of a family member, or military deployment, the Board will be fined for this action. Therefore, if you cancel for any reason other than the ones listed above, you will be charged the FULL AMOUNT OF THE EXAM.

It cannot be expressed how excited the Board staff and Board members are about this new flexibility in testing! It truly does open up a world of opportunity!

Since March 2010, the renewal applications are available exclusively online.

The education requirements to renew are:

CSAC/CSAPC/CCJP:
60 hours of CEU (half of which must be SA specific), also consisting of 3 hours Ethics, 3 Hours HIV/AIDS, and 3 hours of any of the following: (i) Nicotine Dependence; (ii) Psychopathology; (iii) Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches; (iv) Substance Abuse Issues In Older Adults; (v) Substance Abuse Issues Affecting Veterans

LCAS:
40 hours of CEU (30 of which must be SA specific), also consisting of 3 hours Ethics and 6 Hours HIV/AIDS

CCS:
15 hours of CEU

CSARFD:
10 hours of CEU

IMPORTANT: Only 50% of your total CEU's may be earned online.

IMPORTANT #2: Please be sure to include your signed Ethical Code of Conduct and (if applicable) the Practice Supervision Form.

Members of the substance abuse community will better serve addicted persons and their families by following issues before our policymakers.

Click to follow the events of the North Carolina General Assembly.

Click to follow the events of Department of Health and Human Services.

Click to follow the events of Department of Insurance.

Sincerely,

Barden Culbreth

Associate Director
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

I hope that this Board Buzz finds you well and enjoying this cooler and calmer weather!

This edition of the Board Buzz covers a wide array of topics that the Board office wants to share with you. This edition will cover changes to the Administrative Rules, the upcoming DMV Evaluator training, the annual NCSAPPB sponsored training event, the IC&RC Fall Conference and Training, and an important message from the Board Office staff.

Take care!

They are available at this link.

Please register with NC TASC by following this link:

REGISTRATION

The Board is offering two days of free training for FULLY CREDENTIALED persons with the NCSAPPB to participate in a unique learning track each day. Please email Matt in the office to select which track(s) you would like to attend. You only sign up for one track per day. Space is limited.

Wednesday December 7:

Geri Miller - "Spirituality, Self-Care, and Counseling" (120 attendees)
Mark Crabtree/Dale Willetts "What Were They Thinking?" (Criminal Justice) (50 attendees)
Cheryl Gentile / Lynn Inman 2 Mini-tracks on Nicotine Dependence (50)

Thursday December 8:

Worth Bolton- "Clinical Supervision" (120 attendees)
Al Greene- "Marital and Family Issues for Recovering Clients" (50 Attendees)
Jessica Holton - "Therapuetic Group Sessions: Utilizing Metaphors and Visual Aids to Increase Effectiveness" (50 attendees)

Check out this unique opportunity to meet and learn with other professionals around the world.

Click her for details and on how to register.

You must read the document “Model Scopes of Practice & Career Ladder for Substance Use Disorder Counseling” .

The Board and staff is very excited to announce that following October 3rd, 2011 (the deadline for the December 2011 test), all applicants who submit monies and hours to test will be given 365 days to register to test. Please note:

Applicants will still be subject to file reviews by staff.

Applicants will still receive a letter instructing them to watch their email In-box.

Perhaps most importantly, applicants will no longer be subject to the 60-day deadline to submit items for quarterly testing.

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

I hope that this Board Buzz finds you well and enjoying this warmer weather!

Please take a moment to learn about changes that impact the CCJP's renewal requirements as well other issues that affect our field.

AMENDED ADMINISTRATION RULES
IMPACT CCJP RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS

Of these 60 hours, at least 30 hours must be substance abuse specific, with at least 3 hours in HIV/AIDS/Bloodbourne Pathogens, 3 hours in professional ethics and 3 hours to be selected from the list appearing in Administrative Rule 21 NCAC 68 .0205 "CERTIFIED SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR CERTIFICATION" (2)(e).

As this is a change in policy, the Board office understands that those renewing their CCJP this renewal cycle (with an expiration date of July 1, 2011) will likely not have the full 60 hours to submit for renewal. This is understandable. The final implementation date of this new requirement will be January 1, 2012.

Should you have any questions about this particular rule or any Administrative Rules concerning your substance abuse credential, please do not hesitate to contact the Board office.

Thank you!

The Board recently named the persons chosen to receive scholarships to the ADDICTION: Focus on Women Conference, the Al Greene Addictions Institute and the NC Summer School.

Ms. Stephanie Almeida will be attending the ADDICTION Conference next month in Asheville while Ms. Cynthia Wolfe was awarded the Board scholarship to attend the Al Greene Addictions Institute in Boone. Finally, the NC Summer School scholarship was awarded to Ms. Randi Konikoff. This year's Summer School will occur during the first week of August.

In order to be eligible to receive a Board scholarship, one must be fully credentialed and must submit a written request for consideration, including a statement of financial need, during the application time period. The Board's Nominations and Elections Committee reviews the applications received and makes a determination as to who should receive the scholarship. The Board currently offers one (1) scholarship per conference, as advertised in the Board's quarterly newsletter and on its website.

If you did make application for one of these three conference scholarships and were not chosen, please be sure to apply for future Board scholarships. Who knows, you may be the next recipient chosen!

The Board switched solely to Computer Based Testing this past March. Despite the new process for applicants as well as the Board office, the transition went seemingly smooth and we look forward to the flexibility a CBT offers.

In March, 186 counselors tested. Of these 186 counselors, 74 took the CSAC examination. 68% of the 74 counselors passed this exam. Of the 90 counselors that took the LCAS exam, 60% passed. An overwhelming 16 of the 18 clinical supervisors passed the CCS exam while the one person who sat for the CCJP exam successfully completed the exam.

The passage rate for the CSAPC credential was low in North Carolina compared to the International passage rate. Of the 3 counselors that took this exam, only one person passed (or 33%). The International passage rate for the CSAPC exam during the March administration was 58%.

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

It's hard to believe that spring is right around the corner!

As you begin to look forward to warmer weather, don't forget about NCSAPPB Scholarship opportunities that will be ending soon.

The NCSAPPB is offering scholarships to the following conferences: Addiction: Focus on Women Conference, Al Greene Addictions Institute and the NC Summer School.

The application period for these three conferences began on February 1st and will end on February 28th. To make application for a NCSAPPB scholarship, one must be fully credentialed and must submit a written request for consideration, including a statement of financial need. Application should be mailed to the Board office or emailed to Anna Misenheimer.

During the months of September and December 2010, the Board administered tests to 355 substance abuse professionals in pursuit of NCSAPPB credentialing.

In September, 69 counselors took the CSAC exam. The passage rate was 61%. 99 counselors took the LCAS exam. That passage rate was 58%. Of the 5 counselors that took the CCS exam, 100% passed while 3 of the 6 CSAPC applicants passed their exams.

In December, 67 counselors took the CSAC exam. 69% passed. Of the 89 counselors that took the LCAS exam, 65% passed. Only one person took the CCJP exam. This person was unsuccessful, however. 10 of the 12 CCS applicants successfully completed their exam while 57% of the 7 CSAPC applicants passed the exam.

Beginning in March, all exams will be computer-based. These exam results will be shared via the Board Buzz.

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

Please find important information below regarding a teleconference call that has been scheduled to discuss all public comments received on the proposed NCSAPPB rules revisions.

This call was originally scheduled for last Tuesday, but had to be cancelled due to inclement weather. The Board and office staff wish to apologize to any and all for this inconvenience.

The January 3rd deadline has passed to submit comments on the recent proposed rules revisions that appear in the NC Register Online. Please refer to Volume 25, Issue 09, November 1, 2010, pages 1104-1113.

The NCSAPPB Board Members will be discussing all comments received on January 28th via a teleconference call. This call will begin at 2PM.

If you wish to access the call, you may do so by using the below call-in information:

Dial-in number: (866) 200-5786
Conference ID: 8183253

Also, a meeting room has been reserved at Raleigh's Holiday Inn Brownstone hotel. The hotel's address is 1707 Hillsborough Street.

A phone will be made available in the hotel's Sessions conference room.

Please feel free to contact the Board office with any questions.

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

Please find important information below regarding proposed revisions to the Board's administrative rules.

The NCSAPPB Board and staff wish you and yours a very merry holiday season and happiness thoroughout the new year!

To access the revisions, find the NC Register Online via this link. Look at Volume 25, Issue 09, November 1, 2010, pages 1104-1113.

Proposed Effective Date: March 1, 2011.

Reason for Proposed Action: Enactment of S.L. 2005-431 and S.L. 2008-130. Changes in policies by the ICRC. Revised rules provide more detailed information and descriptions.

Procedure by which a person can object to the agency on a proposed rule: A person may submit written comments to the Board no later than 5:00 p.m. January 3, 2011. Written comments should be mailed to: Ms. Anna Misenheimer, NC Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board, P.O. Box 10126, Raleigh, NC 27605.

Comments may be submitted to:
Anna Misenheimer
Executive Director
11 Glenwood Avenue, Suite A
Raleigh, NC 27603;
Email anna@recanc.com.

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

I hope this Buzz finds you enjoying this hot, hot summer!

Please read below to learn about the latest happenings around the state.

Last week the General Assembly passed House Bill 1797 (Senate Bill 1309) to extend the First Commitment Waiver Pilot program. This legislation will allow LCAS's (as well as LCSW's and master's level psychiatric nurses) trained, tested and certified to provide first commitment evaulations to continue to do so. The expiration date originally set for October 1, 2010 has been changed to October 1, 2012.

The language displayed in House Bill 1797 was amended in a subsequent technical corrections bill (Senate Bill 1202) to amend all references of "masters level certified clinical addictions specialist" and the "North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board" to "masters level licensed clinical addictions specialist" and the "North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board".

The Board wishes to thank Blair Clark, Sandra Layton, Sharon Sigmon and Bill Vaughn for their active participation in the First Commitment Waiver study. Their performance exceeded that of the other specialties and can be credited for this recent legislation and the ongoing recognition of the good work LCAS's provide.

Please note that the September 11th, 2010 Exam Administration will occur at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill.

The Friday Center is located at 100 Friday Center Drive off of Highway 54 West. Highway 54 West can be accessed via Interstate 40 at Exit 273. The exam will begin at 10am. Please plan to arrive at the Friday Center by 9am for exam registration.

You will not be allowed to test on September 11th unless you receive notice from the Board office that you have been scheduled for this exam. Please contact the Board office with any questions.

As always, please contact the Board office should you have any questions about these notices or other credentialing matters.

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

The Board would like to express its sincere thanks to all those who participated in this election. There were many excellent candidates on the ballot and each brought his or her unique experience and skill set to the process.

In the race for the North Central region which includes Stokes, Forsyth, Davie, Guilford, Rockingham, Caswell, Alamance, Person, Durham, Granville, Vance and Warren Counties, the winner is Al Greene.

In the at-Large race, the winner is Dale Willetts from Wilmington.

We hope that those candidates who did not win will continue to serve the field as they have in the past and will consider another opportunity run in the future.

The Practice Board solicits your input about our statutory credentialing process and how the Board can serve you in your professional practice. Please let us hear your thoughts and suggestions by replying to the Board Buzz at any time.

Sincerely,
Barden Culbreth
Associate Director
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

Dear Substance Abuse Professionals,

It has been a very busy new year in the board office as the staff finishes the January renewals, the new licensees from the December examination, and the new rule changes that you will be hearing a lot about in the coming months.

The March newsletter will be out shortly, but there are a number of items too important to wait until the newsletter's publication.

Below you will find some information on the new Administrative Rules, the election schedule for new Board Members, and the upcoming DMV Evaluator Trainings hosted by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Sincerely,
Barden Culbreth
Associate Director

On January 1st, 2010, many rules changed as far as who can be licensed, certified or registered when the applicant has a criminal background.

If this might affect you or someone you know that has been unable to register in the past due to a criminal history, please direct them to
Rule .0216

New Administrative Rules will continue to be developed and approved by the state. The Board Office will keep you updated as they those rules come into effect.

The North Central Seat covers Caswell, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Orange, Person, Rockingham, Stokes, Vance, and Warren counties.

The At-Large Seat encompasses the entire state.

The requirements and duties of be a Board Member are listed in the statute.

The Nominations and Elections schedule is as follows:
Election Nominations Begin: March 15, 2010
Election Nominations Close: May 17, 2010
Ballots Mailed First Class: May 20, 2010
Ballots Due to Board Office: June 3, 2010
Ballots Counted: June 10, 2010 (Thursday)
Results Announced to Board: June 11, 2010 (Friday)
All Nominees Contacted: June 14, 2010

You may also find more information on the website.

ANOTHER BOARD BUZZ WILL ANNOUNCE THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF NOMINATIONS!

If you wish to attend one of these trainings, please email the board office to place your name on the list. You can email matt@recanc.com to be placed on the admission list. Each class will only be able to hold about sixty people so do not delay if you are interested.

The Practice Board solicits your input about our statutory credentialing process and how the Board can serve you in your professional practice.

Please let us hear your thoughts and suggestions by replying to the Board Buzz at any time.

Sincerely,

Barden Culbreth
Associate Director
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

I hope that this edition of the Board Buzz finds you well, keeping busy and enjoying the fall (well, exept for all this rain)!

Please find very important information below about an upcoming Board training event. Additionally, the application dates for the Board's McLeod Institute Scholarship are included.

The Board will host its inaugural "Annual Meeting of the Profession" on Wednesday, December 9th at Wake Tech's Western Wake Campus in Cary, NC. The Board is offering this training at no charge. Early registration is recommended as seating is limited.

NC Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

"Annual Meeting of the Profession"
December 9, 2009
3434 Kildaire Farm Road
Cary, NC

Topics and Trainers:
Clinical Supervision and Ethical Practice
L. Worth Bolton, LCAS, CCS

Effective Groupwork for Addiction Counselors
Jessica Holton, LCAS, LCSW

Goals:

1. To engender a sense of community among Addiction Professionals while providing a forum for discussion and presentation of emerging issues confronting the profession.

2. To provide timely, quality training on evidence-based interventions with proven efficacy for the effective prevention, intervention and treatment of substance abuse and dependency issues.

3. To survey the attitudes and opinions of the professionals actively confronting and working in the State's evolving clinical and administrative environment.

Agenda:
8:00 - 8:30 Registration
8:30 - 10:30 Training Sessions (2 Concurrent Sessions)
10:30 - 11:00 AM Break
11:00 - 12:00 Training Sessions Continue
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch (Participants are on their own)
1:30 - 3:00 Training Sessions Continue
3:00 - 3:30 PM Break
3:30 - 4:30 Training Sessions Continue
4:30 - 5:00 Wrap-up, Evaluations, Adjourn

Credit Approval:
This training has been approved for six (6) hours of substance abuse specific credit. Hours from the "Clinical Supervision and Ethical Practice" track are also consided clinical supervision and ethics-specific hours.

To register for this event, one must possess an active CSAC or LCAS. Please contact Matt Musselwhite in the Board office.

The application period began on November 1st for one to make application for the Board's McLeod Institute Scholarship. Any fully-credentialed counselor may apply for the scholarship by submitting a written request for consideration along with a statement of financial need to the Board office.

The application period ends on Monday, November 30th. Notification to applicants regarding the scholarship recipient will be given after December 14th.

SAMHSA is accepting applications for more than $39.6 million in grants to help people transition from the criminal justice system to the community.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2010 for Offender Reentry Program grants. The purpose of this program is to expand and/or enhance substance abuse treatment and related recovery and reentry services to sentenced juvenile and adult offenders returning to the community from incarceration for criminal/juvenile offenses.
Applicants are expected to form stakeholder partnerships that will plan, develop and provide a transition from incarceration to community-based substance abuse treatment and related reentry services for the targeted populations.

SAMHSA expects that a total of $39.6 million in funding will be available for the three year project period. It is anticipated that up to 33 grants of up to $400,000 per year will be available for each of the three years, $4.8 million per year. That actual award amount may vary, depending on the availability of funds and the progress achieved by the awardees. These grants will be awarded by the SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

WHO CAN APPLY: Eligible applicants are domestic public and private nonprofit entities. [See Section III-1 of the RFA for complete eligibility information.]

HOW TO APPLY: Applications for No. TI-10-006 are available by calling SAMHSA's Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA7 or by downloading the application. Applicants are encouraged to apply online using http://www.grants.gov.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: January 19, 2010. Applications must be received by the due date and time to be considered for review. Please carefully review Section IV-3 of the application announcement for submission requirements.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Applicants with questions about program issues should contact Kenneth Robertson at 240-276-1621 or kenneth.robertson@samhsa.hhs.gov. For questions on grants management issues, contact William Reyes at 240-276-1406 or william.reyes@samhsa.hhs.gov.

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

Happy Fall!

Please take a moment to read important information concerning recent happenings at the Board and a wonderful, new service that is available to all IC&RC reciprocal-level counselors.

Revisions to rules contained in sections .0200 and .0500 of the Board's Administrative Rules have been submitted to the Rules Review Commission. These revisions have been published in the North Carolina Register. You may access these rules by visiting the NC's Office of Administrative Hearing's website. The Board's rules are posted under Volume 24, Issue 05 of the Register.

A 60-day comment period is available during which the Board will accept comments on these revisions. Please submit any comments to Anna Misenheimer via email by Monday, November 2nd. All comments received will be reviewed by the full Board.

The Board members will meet on Tuesday, November 10th to discuss all comments received and make a final determination on each rule.

The Board welcomes and appreciates your feedback during this process!

Now Available for All IC&RC Reciprocal-level Credentialed Counselors

At its Fall 2008 bi-annual meeting, the IC&RC voted to enter into an agreement with Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) for a free online subscription to Counselor Magazine for all reciprocally credentialed professionals.

If you are a reciprocal-level credentialed counselor, please follow these steps to access Counselor Magazine online:

1. Go to http://www.counselormagazine.com
2. Click on the "Get a Free Login" link within the Login module on the top right of the website.
3. Please make sure you enter your first and last name, correct email address, a username that you will use to login to the website, and a password at least six characters in length or more. Once you have entered all of this information, click the "Get a Free Login" button. This will take you to the last step of your IC&RC registration process.
4. Once you have completed the first part of your registration, you will then be prompted to enter your subscription information for full site access. This will enable you to read all of the online articles. It is important that you fill in all of the fields on this screen or your access will not be upgraded to a Paid Subscriber.
5. Enter CN1040 for the CN Account Number, along with the postal code where you are located, the name of the Board you are directly affiliated with (North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board), the Country in which you reside and the State/Province of residence.
6. Once you have entered all of this information, please click on the SUBMIT button.
7. Once you have finished the registration process, you will see a confirmation screen. You will click on the link provided and will then be taken back to the home page of the website.
8. If you look to your right, you will see the Login area. Please login to the site using the username and password you created when signing up for the online subscription. Now, you have full site access!

Please contact Nicole at Counselor Magazine with questions.

I hope that this edition of the Board Buzz finds you well and enjoying your summer!

Please take a moment to read important information concerning the Board's website and upcoming deadline for the September exam administration. Additionally, a wonderful service is now available for all IC&RC reciprocal-level counselors. Read on to learn more...

Approvals will be displayed only for counselors who are actively in the application process (registrants, interns and LCAS-P's). If a substance abuse counselor is already fully credentialed and possesses a NCSAPPB certificate, it is logical that no approvals will be found for that particular counselor unless he/she is actively pursuing another credential with the Board.

Results of the Credential Verification search are in real-time. Should you perform a search on yourself or another counselor and feel that the information posted is inaccurate, please contact the Board office.

We hope that the revision of this webpage is helpful to you, your employer and/or employees!

At its Fall 2008 bi-annual meeting, the IC&RC voted to enter into an agreement with Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) for a free online subscription to Counselor Magazine for all reciprocally certified professionals.

If you are a reciprocal-level credentialed counselor, please follow these steps to access Counselor Magazine online:

1. Go to www.counselormagazine.com

2. Click on the "Get a Free Login" link within the Login module on the topright of the website.

3. Please make sure you enter your first and last name, correct email address, a username that you will use to login to the website, and a password at least six characters in length or more. Once you have entered all of this information, click the "Get a Free Login" button. This will take you to the last step of your IC&RC registration process.

4. Once you have completed the first part of your registration, you will then be prompted to enter your subscription information for full site access, which will enable you to read all of the online articles. It is important that you fill in all of the fields on this screen or your access will not be upgraded to a Paid Subscriber.

5. Enter CN1040 for the CN Account Number, along with the postal code where you are located, the name of the Board you are directly affliated with (North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board), the Country in which you reside and the State/Province of residence.

6. Once you have entered all of this information, please click on the SUBMIT button.

7. Once you have finished the registration process, you will see a confirmation screen. You will click on the link provided and will then be taken back to the home page of the website.

8. If you look to your right, you will see the login area. Please login to the site using the username and password you created when signing up for the online subscription. Now you have full site access!

Please contact the Board office should you encounter any problems.

Happy Easter!

As the June 2009 examination approaches, please note that the deadline to postmark paperwork for consideration for the exam is this Wednesday, April 15th.

Additionally, the exam results from the March 2009 administration have not yet been received by the Board office. We will mail the test results just as soon as they are available!

Please find other important information below.

The Board office has received multiple inquiries regarding a LCAS's ability to diagnose and treat clients with co-occurring illnesses. In response to these inquiries, the office did mail correspondence to non-master's level LCAS's informing them of necessary experience required to be eligible for Medicaid and other reimbursement.

Essentially, every LCAS is charged with evaluating his/her own education and experience when determining whether or not to diagnose and treat co-occurring illnesses. A LCAS must have considerable documentation of a minimum of 45 hours of DSM IV TR training, experience and treatment of mental disorders to include an ongoing consultation and supervision with persons holding clinical application degrees. This, in part, is based on the observation that in order to be eligible for Medicaid reimbursement, the professional will be subject to scrutiny--not only of the credential that he or she holds, but of the actual training and experience that the professional can document.

The Board office simply issues this opinion as an advisory notice. Please DO NOT submit any additional documentation/paperwork to the Board office as a result of this advisory. This is simply an FYI!

May 15, 2009 Deadline for Applications

Faces & Voices is excited to join with A&E Network, NCADD, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, National Association of State Alcohol & Drug Abuse Directors and the Recovery Month Planning Partners in the Second Annual Recovery Delegate Program. Delegates will be honored at the September 12, 2009 Recovery Rally in New York City. Applicants must have at least 10 years of recovery and be active in their local recovery community. You can apply at www.therecoveryproject.com/delegates.

Last year, A&E created the Recovery Delegate Program to bring national attention to recovery by honoring individuals in long-term recovery from each state and the District of Columbia. A&E and their partners worked to secure hundreds of applications from across the country. The Delegates joined over 5000 people on the Brooklyn Bridge, forming a human bridge of recovery.
We are working to help expand the Recovery Delegate Program and increase awareness about recovery across the country. We encourage you to apply for the chance to represent your state at this year's Recovery Rally in New York City on September 12, 2009.

Each delegate will:

--Receive complimentary airfare and hotel in New York City from September 11-13, 2009

--Lead the procession of thousands across the historic Brooklyn Bridge

--Have their recovery story highlighted and shared with local/national media

The deadline for applications is May 15, 2009. Please forward this email to other people in long-term recovery who you think might be interested in this opportunity. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

The Board office wishes you a happy first day of spring!

Please find imporant information below regarding NCSAPPB's examinations. This information will be helpful to you as you prepare either yourself or supervisees for the LCAS examination.

Please remember that the results from March's examination administration will not be received in the Board office and distributed to counselors for another 4-7 weeks.

The Board office has received multiple inquiries regarding the Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS) examination since Saturday's test administration. Several counselors have complained that they felt unprepared for this exam and that the exam was difficult.

It is in response to this feedback that the Board wishes to make the following information readily available:

Firstly, the LCAS exam has 175 questions which test a counselor's knowledge on the ten (10) performance domains: Clinical Evaluation (21 questions), Treatment Planning (18 questions), Referral (10 questions), Service Coordination (12 questions), Counseling (35 questions), Client, Family and Community Education (14 questions), Documentation (17 questions), Professional and Ethical Responsibilities (23 questions), Research Design, Analysis and Utilization (9 questions) and Clinical Supervision (16 questions).

The $29 "Supplemental Review/Preparation Manual for the Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Credentialing Examination" prepared by ReadyToTest.com that the Board offers to help counselors study for the LCAS exam is just that--a supplement. This study guide alone will not adequately prepare one for the LCAS exam. This supplemental study guide only focuses on the two domains that are not covered in the larger "Getting Ready to Test: A Review/Preparation Manual for Drug and Alcohol Credentialing Examinations". This particular study guide is NOT offered by NCSAPPB, but can be ordered directly from ReadyToTest.com.

Additionally, a Candidate Guide is available through the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium's (IC&RC) website to help one in preparation for the LCAS exam. Please visit the IC&RC's website to download this guide.

Despite the anxiety felt by LCAS candidates that tested last Saturday, North Carolina counselors have performed well on this examination throughout the last couple administrations (since the newly compiled exam was first administered in September 2008). Please find the statistics from the December 2008 exam session below.

NC Counselors' Performance Exceed Other IC&RC Member Boards

205 substance abuse counselors sat for and took an IC&RC examination at the December 2008 session. This was a record-breaking number of counselors to take the exam during one single session!

On almost all examinations, NC's passing rate exceeded those of all combined IC&RC member boards. The one exception was the CSAC Spanish exam. As only one counselor took this exam and failed, NC's passing rate was 0%.

Please find NC's statistics as well as IC&RC's statistics below:

CSAC exam: 101 tested; 79 passed, 22 failed. Passing rate: 78.22%

IC&RC pass rate: 72.20%

CSAC Spanish exam: 1 tested; 0 passed, 1 failed. Passing rate: 0%

IC&RC pass rate: 20%

LCAS exam: 92 tested; 60 passed, 32 failed. Passing rate: 65.22%

IC&RC pass rate: 62.87%

CCS exam: 8 tested; 8 passed, 0 failed. Passing rate: 100%

IC&RC pass rate: 68.48%

CCJP exam: 1 tested; 1 passed, 0 failed. Passing rate: 100%

IC&RC pass rate: 50%

CSAPC exam: 2 tested; 2 passed, 0 failed. Passing rate: 100%

IC&RC pass rate: 56.36%

Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

The Board office continues to receive a record number of counselor application packets and inquiries. As is reported in The News and Observer article below, the need for qualified substance abuse counselors continues to grow.

With the influx of applications, it is our goal to credential counselors in the most efficient manner to help meet this demand. The Board office wishes to thank each of you for your efforts to meet this workforce development challenge!

People who crave the harder, faster highs of cocaine and prescription painkillers are turning up more often in substance-abuse treatment in North Carolina even as admissions decrease for people dependent on alcohol, according to new federal data.

The state has gone through a "substantial shift" away from alcohol treatment toward treating a higher percentage of people for drug abuse, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

That finding makes sense to Alaric Vines, 38, a recovering crack addict living at Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, or TROSA, in Durham. In his years as a user, Vines said, he moved from alcohol to a variety of drugs.

"I thought I was escaping, and alcohol didn't help me to escape," said Vines, formerly of Wendell, who has been in treatment at the residential center for 18 months.

Another factor in the rising number of drug admissions is increasing misuse of prescription drugs such as oxycodone and Percocet, experts said. Abusers of these drugs tend to fall into three categories, said Flo Stein, a division chief at the state Department of Health and Human Services who works on mental illness and substance abuse.

"There are the people seeking something other than heroin when heroin is not available, and there are the people that are being managed for pain who originally got it by prescription," Stein said.

"But the biggest, fastest-growing group are teenagers and young adults who are using any prescription drugs they can get their hands on."

Wake Forest University addiction expert David Friedman, a professor of physiology and pharmacology, said substance abusers can gravitate to harder drugs from alcohol because the brain absorbs and feels the effect of harder drugs much more quickly.

"Alcohol you have to take by mouth, and it takes a while to kick in, 30 to 60 minutes," Friedman said. "With crack cocaine, you get a high in 10 seconds."

Kelly Mulligan, 48, a former accountant who's also in recovery at TROSA, described the "strong, intense high" of cocaine as the reason younger users choose it.

"You are always longing for that intense high that you just can't seem to get," she said.

Vines and Mulligan both said they are faring well at TROSA, where about 85 percent of admissions are primarily for drug abuse. But they are part of a small minority in North Carolina who get residential treatment. About 90 percent of substance-abuse treatment in the state takes place in outpatient settings, the new federal numbers show.

"Over the last decade or so, the residential treatment idea has been gutted," Friedman said. "Most places can't afford to do anything but outpatient."

Legislative to-do list

The federal report comes as the quasi-governmental N.C. Institute of Medicine is putting final touches on recommendations to the legislature for changes in the state's substance-abuse programs.

The Institute of Medicine report recommends that legislators approve an additional $101 million for substance abuse services during the next two years. Among other recommendations, it says the state should increase spending on substance-abuse prevention; increase taxes on tobacco, beer and wine; provide more training for professionals working in the field; and create additional drug courts.

Contact Thomas Goldsmith via email or 919-829-8929

Among the North Carolina-specific findings:

* Alcohol-only admissions have declined from more than two in five in 1992 to fewer than one in five in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics were available.

* Drug-only admissions have more than doubled, from 15 percent in 1992 to 35 percent in 2005.

* Unmet need for alcohol treatment has generally been below national rates and in 2005-06 was among the lowest in the country for all age groups except those 26 and older.

* Rates of unmet need for drug treatment, however, have varied more and in 2005-06 were among the highest in the country for people older than 26.

The application period for the 2009 NC Summer School and the Addiction: Focus on Women Conference began on Sunday, February 1st.

If you hold a Board credential and wish to apply for this scholarship, please write the Board office and request consideration. Please include a statement about your individual financial need. Also, please include your contact information, credential number and expiration date. The deadline to make application for this scholarship is Saturday, February 28th.

Thank you for your help in disseminating this information to the Board's membership and other interested parties. I truly appreciate your dedication to this field and to the Board!

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board

Happy New Year!

I hope that you each had a wonderful and relaxing holiday season and that the new year finds you refreshed and eager for what 2009 has in store!

As we get underway in this new year, I wanted to share the exciting news below with each of you. Please join the Board in congratulating Ms. Flo Stein for her recent appointment to SAMHSA's Advisory Council and be sure to make a note of new opportunites and information that is now available to you.

I look forward to another prosperous year with each of you!

Sincerely,

Anna Misenheimer
Executive Director
NCSAPPB

"We are honored that these distinguished leaders have agreed to serve on our Advisory Council," said Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H., acting administrator of SAMHSA. "The diverse backgrounds and experience of these distinguished leaders will help inform our work at SAMHSA to improve the capacity and effectiveness of the mental health and substance abuse service delivery systems."

The new SAMHSA National Advisory Council members are:

Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D., distinguished professor, Bouvé College of Health Sciences and director, Institute on Urban Health Research, Northeastern University, Boston

Dr. Amaro's research focuses on public health epidemiology, prevention and intervention in the areas of substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, mental illness and inter-personal violence. Over the last 25 years, her work has focused on improving the connections between public health research and public health practice. She has developed and tested prevention and treatment approaches for Hispanic and African-American women, young incarcerated males, and college students. She has been the principal investigator of over 30 federally funded grants and has served on review and advisory committees to the National Institutes of Health and the Institute of Medicine.

Flo A. Stein, M.P.H., chief, Community Policy Management, North Carolina Division of Mental Health Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, Raleigh

Stein manages community-based substance abuse, mental health and developmental disabilities programs for the state of North Carolina. She is implementing system transformation, including the transition to a person-centered system supported by state, federal and Medicaid funding. Previously, Ms. Stein directed, administered and supervised the substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery program for the state, including three alcohol and drug abuse treatment centers.

These new members will join the following existing members of the SAMHSA National Advisory Council: Mr. Marvin C. Alexander, Mr. George Braunstein, Mr. Terry L. Cross, Ms. Judy Cushing, Dr. Faye Annette Gary, Dr. Keith N. Humphreys, Dr. Thomas A. Kirk, Jr., Mr. Kenneth D. Stark, Ms. Cynthia A. Wainscott, and Dr. Edward K.S. Wang.

For more information, visit SAMHSA's website.

The Clinical Administrator's Training helps participants apply information and approaches within seven areas of organizational effectiveness to deliver the best possible services to patients with co-occurring disorders.

Objectives
1) Discuss the philosophy and research behind CDP
2) Interpret the DDCAT (Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment) and the DDCMHT (Dual Diagnosis Capability in Mental Health Treatment) guides to evaluate your program's operational effectiveness for treating patients with non-severe co-occurring disorders
3) Identify system, program, and staff level issues and challenges for developing integrated services

This program will help you effectively use the Clinical Administrator's Guidebook to assess and enhance the way you provide treatment for co-occurring disorders. Interaction with instructors and colleagues will help you apply concepts and materials to your own setting.

Who should attend: Administrators, Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Directors, Mental Health Treatment Directors, Clinical Supervisors and Managers

When: December 15, 2008
Where: Hazelden, Center City, MN.

To register or for more training information, please send an email to cdptraining@hazelden.org

Please remember that the deadline to submit application materials in order to be considered for the December 13th testing is tomorrow! As long as materials are postmarked by Wednesday, October 15th, your file will be reviewed for the December testing.

Thank you for all your hard work and cooperation!

Sincerely,
Barden Culbreth
NCSAPPB
Associate Director

Passage of the "Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008" will:

· Improve access to lifesaving drug and alcohol addiction treatment services. Of the 23.2 million Americans with alcohol or drug problems in 2007, only 2.4 million-roughly one in ten-received treatment at a specialty treatment facility, leaving 20.8 million untreated. Over thirty percent of the people who needed treatment but didn't receive it
cited lack of health insurance coverage or other cost factors as a major reason for not receiving care.

· Eliminate a clearly discriminatory policy that has kept thousands of individuals with untreated addiction from receiving critically important treatment services. Providing parity will help to eliminate stigma for alcohol and drug addiction, by treating addiction similarly to other chronic health conditions like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension.

· Ease costs for the public system. According to SAMHSA's recent National Expenditure Report, public funding provides the vast majority of drug addiction treatment expenditures, increasing from 62 percent in 1991 to 76 percent in 2001. Private insurance represented only 13 percent of addiction treatment expenditures in 2001, while it covered 36 percent of all health care expenditures.

The full text of Public Law 110-343 can be found at: thomas.loc.gov. The "Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008" can be found beginning in Section 511 of Public Law 110-343.

The N.C. Foundation for Alcohol & Drug Studies is pleased to announce that 15 scholarships will be offered for the 2009 Winter School. Specific information is as follows:

School Dates: February 22-25, 2009
Location: Village Inn Conference Center, Clemmons, NC
Registration Options:
$515 (includes training, Sunday dinner; breakfast and lunch Monday thru Wednesday; no housing)
$470 (includes training, Sunday dinner, lunch Monday thru Wednesday; no housing)
Registration will be possible during November 2008.

Scholarship Applications may be found on the web site (www.ncfads.org) under school participation. Please complete all parts of the application form and return it by December 1, 2008.

To order your FREE copy of Guía de Servicios para el Abuso de Sustancias Para Proveedores de Atención Primaria de la Salud, contact SAMHSA's Health Information Network (SHIN) online at www.samhsa.gov/shin or by phone at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) (English and Español). Ask for publication order number MS631S.

In preparation for Tropical Storm Gustav, the American Red Cross (ARC) recruited disaster behavioral health workers. As the hurricane season continues to bring hurricanes to our state and the southeast, volunteers are encouraged to contact their local ARC chapter if they are available to deploy to the Gulf States. Please use the ARC chapter locator at www.redcross.org to find your closest ARC chapter.

• Those who have yet to receive the ARC Foundations of Disaster Mental Health training may have to wait to deploy until a training can be scheduled, or until a decision is made to do trainings at a staging site or at relief operation sites. Those interested should contact their ARC chapter to begin the process of registering as an ARC volunteer.
• For those who are already registered as an ARC disaster mental health worker, please contact your ARC chapter to update your availability in the ARC Disaster Services Human Resources system. Updating your availability will facilitate impending and future deployments.

Please contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Technical Assistance Center (SAMHSA DTAC) at 1-800-308-3515 or dtac@esi-dc.com with any questions regarding disaster behavioral health preparedness for hurricane season.

Anna Misenheimer
North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board