Loosening the Grip: A Handbook of Alcohol Information

by Jean Kinney

To promote uniformity of standards as well as facilitate recognition of credentials between states and across different certification groups, a voluntary organization—the National Certification Reciprocity Consortium—was established in the 1980s. Since that time other substance abuse specialists have emerged—tobacco addiction counselors, prevention specialists, and clinical supervisors, as well as those with special expertise in co-occurring disorders. In addition, credentials for counselors have been modified to recognize different levels of expertise and experience. In light of these developments, efforts are under way to merge the different credentialing groups to create uniform standards.