� Journal ofAddictions&OffenderCounseling•October�007•Volume�8

Editorial

© 2007 by the American Counseling Association. All rights reserved.

AccreditedAddictionCounselingPrograms:TheFutureIsUponUs

Theprofessionofaddictioncounselingstandsonthebrinkofanincred-ibleopportunitywiththewritingofthethirddraftofthe�009CouncilforAccreditationofCounselingandRelatedEducationalPrograms(CACREP)Standards.As you may have heard by now, this is the first time that aspecialtyarea inaddictioncounselinghasbeenofferedbyCACREP.Asthe addiction counseling profession moves toward a new standard ofrequiringpractitionerstopossessamaster’sdegree,thecreationofthesespecialty standards could not have come at a better time.Additionally,theimportanceforallcounselorstorecognizetheimpactofaddictionsineveryareaoftheirwork(beitschools,marriageandfamily,career,collegecounseling,etc.)hasbeenestablishedbyplacingaddiction-relatedcontentintothecorecurriculumforeverycounseloreducationstudent.

ButweneedyourhelptokeepthesespecialtystandardsonCACREP’sradar.Withoutasignificantoutpourofsupportfrominterestedparties,thereisachancethatthesestandardsmayvanishbeforetheyarepublished.

Here’swhatyoucando(anditdoesn’ttakemuchtime).SimplygototheCACREPWebsite(http://www.cacrep.org/StandardsRevisionText.html)andopen“Draft#3” ineitherMicrosoftWordorAdobeAcrobat.You’rewelcometoreviewtheentiredocumentgiventhattherearesomeexcitingchanges proposed. For the purposes of the mission of the InternationalAssociationofAddictionsandOffenderCounselors(IAAOC)toincreasethe professionalism of addiction counseling, I would suggest you payparticularattentiontotwoareas.

First, reviewStandardII.F.3.g. inwhichtheneedforstudies thatprovideanunderstandingofthe“theoriesandetiologyofaddictionsandaddictivebehaviorsincludingstrategiesforprevention,interventionandtreatment”(p.10)isoutlined.Thisisthecorecurriculumstandardthatrequiresallcounseloreducationstudentstounderstandconceptsrelatedtoaddictioncounseling.

Second, the addiction counseling specialty standards can be found onpages17–�1.Pleasereviewtheseandseewhatyouthink.AlotofworkhasgoneintodraftingthesestandardsbyyourveryownIAAOCAddic-tion Counseling Standards Committee, IAAOC Executive Committee,andvariousmembersoftheCACREPBoardandtheCACREPStandardsRevisionCommittee.

Then,andthisisthemostimportantstep,clickononeofthevariouswaystoprovidefeedbacktoCACREP.YoucaneitherprovidefeedbackdirectlyonlineorprintaWordorAdobeformandfaxormailitin.Ontheseforms,therewillbeareasforyoutoprovidesuggestionstodelete,add,orrevise

Journal ofAddictions&OffenderCounseling•October�007•Volume�8 3

varioussections.Ifyouhavefeedbackinanyarea,byallmeansgiveit(you’llneedtocompleteaseparateprintoronlineformforeachsuggestion).Ifyoudon’thaveanysuggesteddeletions,additions,orrevisions,pleasestillprovideyoursupport.FillintheSectionandPagelinesatthetopoftheform,andtheninthefirstsection,provideyoursupportfortheproposedchangesinthe�009CACREPStandards.Thismighttaketheformofyouragreeingwiththeproposedadditionoftheaddictioncounselingspecialtystandardsandtheneedforallcounselorstolearnabouttheimpactofad-dictivedisordersontheirclients.Inthesecondsection,pleaseprovideabrief rationale for theneedforaddictioncounselingspecialtystandardsandforwhyallcounselorsshouldhaveknowledgeabout the impactofaddictivedisordersonclients.

Ifyou’vereadthisfar,itdemonstratesthatyou’recommittedtohelpingthisprocesstomoveforward.PleasetelleveryoneyouknowwhowouldbeinsupportofincludingspecialtystandardsforaddictioncounselingintheCACREPStandards,whetherornottheyaremembersofIAAOCoreveniftheyarenotprofessionalcounselors(buttheyshouldbestudentsorpractitionersinthehelpingprofessions).ItiscrucialthatCACREPandtheStandardsRevisionCommitteeknowthatweareinsupportofthesesignificantchanges.

Thankyouinadvancefortakingthe5–10minutestohelpmoveourprofes-sionforward.ThedeadlinetosubmitcommentsaboutDraft#3ofthe�009CACREPStandardsis6p.m.ETNovember30,�007,sogetonittoday!

—W.BryceHagedorn, Editor