Did you know that CMHCs are not considered to be Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP) under the Department of Transportation?
As the link shows: http://www.naadac.org/sap-qualification CMHCs do not qualify as substance abuse professionals.
In fact, here is the quote in case you have trouble finding it:
"In order to qualify as a U.S. Department of Transportation Substance
Abuse Professional (SAP), the applicant must have one of the following
credentials:
- Alcohol
and drug abuse counselor national level certification through the
NAADAC Certification Commission (NCC AP) or the International Certification
& Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC). Note: State level certification does NOT meet DOT requirements.
- Alcohol and drug abuse counselors with MAC certification through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC)
- Licensed physician (Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy)
- Licensed or certified psychologist
- Licensed or certified social worker
- Licensed or certified employee assistance professional
- Licensed or certified Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT)"
Now, although there are other means of getting similar designations, I find it unacceptable that we are locked out of this particular one. I have contacted the NAADAC to get clarification on this, and although incredibly helpful and insightful, this must be changed on the federal level.
I have also reached out to the DOT Policy Director. We will continue our discussions regarding a means to get us included, but it seems that an overall policy change must take place first. I was told that NBCC and NAADAC have "similar" credential that allow for "similar" abilities. However, "similar" is not okay. We need to have parity in every facet and credential in the exact same way that others have it. I will keep everyone posted. However, if you are interested in assisting with eliciting change please contact the DOT to advocate at (202) 366-3784
This is important to continue our mission of parity and professional identity. Every program we are excluded from is one more hardship for our profession. I ask that in addition to the many pursuits we have from a state and federal level, we add this important matter to all of our agendas.