Certified Addiction Professional (CAP)

The Certified Addiction Professional (CAP) credential is for professionals who provide direct, clinical counseling to persons affected by substance use. CAPs demonstrate the clinical skills necessary to provide a full range of recovery-oriented, substance use clinical services, including but not limited to screening, assessment, intake, treatment/discharge/recovery planning, individual and group counseling, case management and referral to necessary resources, and psychoeducation.

The CAP designates competency in the domains of Clinical Evaluation; Treatment Planning; Counseling; Case Management and Referral; Client, Family and Community Education; Documentation; and Professional Responsibility.

Individuals holding the CAP are a qualified professional under Chapter 397, Florida Statutes and the CAP credential is recognized for billable services under Florida’s State Medicaid Plan.

All CAP applicants or certified professionals are eligible to apply for the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) credential.

CAP applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field. Related fields are listed in the CAP Standards and Requirements Tables. If your degree isn’t specifically listed as a related degree but you think your coursework makes your degree equivalent, you may request a Related Degree Equivalency Review.

NEW CAP Application Documents

Beginning July 1, 2023, new CAP standards and requirements are open. There are two certification pathways or tiers that are designated by academic degrees. Each tier determines specific training, work experience, and on-the-job supervision requirements.

• The Tier I pathway is for applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specified counseling-related field. The additional requirements are streamlined to recognize the counseling-related course content in the designated bachelor’s degree programs.
  
• The Tier II pathway is for applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in a health and human services field. Additional requirements must be met in full as the designated degree programs for this tier generally have less counseling-related course content.

Applying for certification is a multi-step process that requires you to submit information and supporting documentation directly to the FCB and to request documentation from other individuals, which they will need to submit directly to the FCB on your behalf.

Please carefully review all of the credential documents before applying for certification.

Policy

Mandatory Forms – Tier I

• CAP Tier I On-the-Job Supervision Verification Form
• CAP Tier I Work Experience Verification Form
• CAP Professional Recommendation for Certification Form
• CAP Tier I Training Verification Form

Mandatory Forms – Tier II

• CAP Tier II On-the-Job Supervision Verification Form
• CAP Tier II Work Experience Verification Form
• CAP Professional Recommendation for Certification Form
• CAP Tier II Training Verification Form

Test Preparation

• CAP Training Self-Assessment and Test Preparation
• The FCB offers study guides available for purchase on our Products page.

How to Apply

1. If you don’t already have one, create an online account.
2. Create an electronic application for certification (from your online account).
   • Complete all required fields of information.
   • Upload required documents.
   • Pay the certification fee.
3. Provide mandatory forms to eligible people to complete and submit to FCB on your behalf.

Key Information

1. You can expect to be contacted by your FCB Certification Specialist within 30 days of submitting your online application and fee payment.
2. The credential is awarded after all requirements have been submitted and approved.

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