Certified Recovery Mentor (CRM)
CRMs have lived experience in recovery from substance use and are trained to help others identify and achieve their self-determined goals of recovery.
- State-approved 40-hour Peer Support Specialist training in Adult Addictions
- Requires lived experience with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and one year in recovery as defined by the individual.
- Recovery means a process of healing and transformation for an individual to achieve full human potential and personhood in leading a meaningful life as they define it in communities of their choice. OAR 309-019-0125 (122)
- Background check performed by hiring/training agency.
Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA)
QMHAs provide case management and skills training to clients diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness.- Degree Path – Requires a bachelor’s degree in a behavioral health field such as psychology, social work, human services, child development, etc.
- Non-Degree Path – Requires 6000 hours (3 years) of experience and/or education in behavioral health.
- Supervisor Assessment – Both paths require a competency assessment which can be completed by any QMHP or equivalent (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, PsyD) that is familiar with the applicant’s work.
- Complete 1000 hrs of supervised experience in a state-approved mental health agency as a QMHA-R, based on MHACBO Core Competencies.
- Pass the QMHA Competency Exam to become fully certified as a QMHA-I.
Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADC)
CADCs help clients gain an understanding of their substance use and help them seek treatment. Counseling occurs in group or one-on-one sessions.
- Two-steps: CADC-R, then CADC I. No degree is required.
- Candidates must register with MHACBO within 30 days of employment with a SUD provider.
- Registration binds a candidate to the MHACBO Code of Conduct. CADC-R certification is valid for two years.
- CADC I certification must be completed within two years. Training requirements include the following:
- 150 Education Hours with Core Courses in Basic Counseling Skills, Group Counseling Skills, Alcohol & Drug Pharmacology, Infectious Disease Risk Assessment & Risk Reduction, Counseling Ethics, and Clinical Evaluation for ASAM & DSM Substance Use Disorders.
- 1000 hours of supervised experience in a SUD treatment provider setting.
- Education and training may be incomplete upon employment. Most job postings for CADCs state the candidate is “Able to obtain a CADC-I in six months to a year.”
