Which state do you reside or plan to live?

Massachusetts 

What credentials does your state offer for addiction professionals?

My chosen state offers these credentials Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselor (CADC), Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselor Advanced Level (CADC-II), Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS), (Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP) and Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS).

Which credential are you interested in pursuing?

I am interested in pursuing Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS). CPS is an entry level specialization which will require strategizing wellness support for patients, families, and community members in the field of substance use. As a medical health care professional, I have always felt a connection for understanding, therefore I feel that this field of specialization will further help me through as a nurse. 

URL for your state’s requirements:

https://csps-ma.org/certification 

What degree is required (none, associate, bachelor’s, master’s)?

This certification has two levels. The first CPS certification requires a bachelor’s degree or higher. The second CPS certification is available for an individual who does not have a bachelor’s degree. I will be pursuing the first certificate which is a bachelor’s degree or higher.  

How many educational hours are required? 

In order to complete the certification requirement, I will have to complete 12 Capella quarter credit hours. Out of these 4 Capella quarter credit hours, 3.6 credit hours will be completed through distance learning. 

Are there specific courses required for your state, and are there a certain number of hours in this content (that is, Ethics=4 hours)? 

In order to get a CPS certification, I will have to complete the following courses:

• 0.6 Capella Credit Hours of prevention ethics
• 1 Capella Credit Hours of cultural competence
• 0.5 Capella Credit Hours of gambling education
• 1.0 Capella Credit Hours of mental health education
• 0.5 Capella Credit Hours HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C
• 3 Capella Credit Hours of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD)
• 3 Capella Credit Hours of Prevention Practice and Theory
• 1.9 Capella Credit Hours electives.

Additionally, I will also have to take two the required courses: 

• 3.6 Capella Credit Hours of Massachusetts CPS Content Training
• 0.6 Capella Credit Hours for ethic for prevention professionals

What specific content is required?

The specific content that I will be studying will include various topics such as alcohol use, drugs, sexual transmitted diseases, mental health education, psychology, diversity and ethical knowledge. 

How many hours of supervised experience are required?

For completion of the CPS certificate, I will have to complete 200 quarter credit hours of supervised and documented work with alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse-specific domain. 

Are working experience hours required? If so, how many? 

Yes, working experience is required. I will have to get 12 Capella credit hour of work experience in the following domains:

Administrative, Clinical, and Evaluation process for monitoring, assessing and enhancing learning experience. 

Are any licensing or certification tests required?

For this certification, I have to take CPS certification test and pass IC&RC International Examination for Prevention Specialists (CPS).  I will also have to get a license from the Massachusetts Board of Substance Abuse Counselor Certification (MBSACC).  

What other requirements are there that you haven’t already listed on the form?

There are some other requirements that I will have to complete as well. I have to submit the CPS certification signed and handwritten application with official certificates of all the required documents. The name must match the legal documentation. MBSACC must verify all the documentation.