CERTIFIED PREVENTION SPECIALIST

(CPS)

    The Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) is a certification level granted by the Idaho Board of Alcohol/Drug Counselor's Certification recognizing those persons working in the Alcohol/Drug field who specialize in the Education and Prevention of Alcohol/Drug Abuse.  This level of certification does not give authority to the individual to provide any form of counseling.  This level of certification does recognize and grant a certificate for the recognition of meeting the following minimum standards established by the Idaho Board of Alcohol/Drug Counselor's Certification and the International Certification Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, Inc.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Education

1.          Documentation of a high school diploma or an equivalent.  (Documentation is not required if applicant is documenting credit for college courses or a degree.)  

2.          Documentation of 210 hours Education as follows:

A.      Documentation of 100 hours specific alcohol/drug Prevention Training

B.      Documentation of 50 hours specific alcohol, tobacco, and/or other Drugs Training

C.      Documentation of completion of ten (10) hours of education in each of the Performance Domains as identified by ICRC and Columbia Assessment Services, (CAS).  

Work Experience

Documentation of 480 hours work experience.  This may be practicum hours.  This may be volunteer or paid hours.  Hours must be documented by a Supervisor.

Letters of Reference

Three (3) letters of reference which are directly related to the applicant’s professional knowledge and skills are required (forms are provided).

A.      One (1) letter must be submitted by the applicant’s supervisor.

B.       Two (2) letters of character from peers, etc. that are familiar with your work and/or knowledge of the drug/alcohol field.

C.       All letters of reference must be sent directly to the IBADCC office by the person evaluating the applicant.

Testing

Applicants are required to pass the ICRC/AODA Prevention Specialist Exam. The exam will be given the SECOND Friday of March and September of each year in each region of the state. Applicants may be asked to test in another region if necessary.

A completed application must be submitted by the following deadlines in order to be eligible to test for the written CPS exam.

For March Testing:                 Deadline is January 10

For September Testing:                 Deadline is July 10

Renewal Procedure

1.          Documentation of 30 hours of continuing education is required annually.  

A.      Education must be related to the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the tasks within each performance domain.

B.      A minimum of 24 hours must be attained in a classroom setting.

C.      A maximum of six (6) hours in-service training is acceptable.  

2.          Documentation of voluntary, part-time, or full-time experience for the past year is required.  

Residency 

As an ICRC member board, Idaho subscribes to the residency requirement of ICRC.  If a counselor lives or works in an ICRC state, they must  certify in that state.  If a counselor lives or works in a non-ICRC state, that counselor is allowed to certify in an ICRC state, including Idaho.  

Fees

Application/Manual...... $50.00  

Written Examination...... $75.00  

Certificate...... $50.00  

Annual Renewal Fee...... $50.00