NAC641C.276. Native American Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors: Qualifications for certificate; designation.

     1. A person who has contracted with or receives a grant from the Federal Government to provide services as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor to persons who are authorized to receive those services pursuant to 25 U.S.C. §§ 450 et seq. or 25 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq. may apply for a certificate as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor without satisfying the educational requirement set forth in paragraph (c) of subsection 1 of NRS 641C.390 if the person satisfies all of the other requirements set forth for certification as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor in this chapter and chapter 641C of NRS.

     2. For a person described in subsection 1 to qualify for certification as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor, the person must:

     (a) Have received a high school diploma or a general education diploma and have completed 270 hours of formal education approved by the Board, including the minimum hours required pursuant to subsection 3; or

     (b) Have been issued a credential to provide counseling services relating to alcohol and drug abuse by the Southwest Indian Substance Abuse Certification Board or the Northwest Indian Council on Chemical Dependency.

     3. To satisfy the requirements for formal education set forth in subsection 2, the education must include at least 10 hours of instruction in each of the following skills:

     (a) Screening;

     (b) Intake;

     (c) Orientation;

     (d) Assessment;

     (e) Treatment planning;

     (f) Counseling;

     (g) Case management;

     (h) Crisis intervention;

     (i) Client education;

     (j) Referral;

     (k) Reports and recordkeeping; and

     (l) Consultation with other professionals.

     4. For the purposes of this chapter and paragraph (d) of subsection 1 of NRS 641C.390, the Board will consider an applicant for a certificate as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor who has contracted with or receives a grant from the Federal Government to provide services as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor to persons who are authorized to receive those services pursuant to 25 U.S.C. §§ 450 et seq. or 25 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq. to have successfully completed 1,000 hours of supervised counseling of drug and alcohol abusers if the applicant has successfully completed an associate’s degree in a field of social science approved by the Board.

     5. A person who is issued a certificate as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor pursuant to this section must be referred to as a Native American Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor.

     6. As used in this section, “formal education” means formal, structured instruction received after the receipt of a high school diploma or a general education diploma, including, without limitation, workshops, seminars, institutes, courses from an accredited college or university or distance learning that is specifically related to the knowledge and skills necessary to perform activities and services relating to assessments, counseling, case management, and educational and professional responsibilities and ethics.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Exam’rs for Alcohol, Drug & Gambling Counselors by R157-03, eff. 12-16-2003)