The Texas Department of State Health Services offers professionals the Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) licensure. An individual can apply for the credential only after completing the required training by sending the filled Counselor Intern Registration application and associated fees by mail (Texas Health and Human Services, n.d.-b). There are several requirements for the application, including the age of 18 and older, high school diploma, finished educational program of chemical dependency curricula (270 hours), practice hours (300), and appropriate criminal history (Texas Health and Human Services, n.d.-b, para. 5). Finally, it is demanded to adhere to the ethical standards of the Texas Administrative Code and satisfy public trust, which is expressed in the application form.
The requirements for the LCDC-intern and the fully licensed LCDC are similar. As such, the application submission process supposes that an individual includes such documents as a “high school diploma, its equivalent (GED) or a copy of college transcript” and papers that confirm the completed training and practice hours mentioned earlier in the form of college transcript “in accordance with 25 TAC §140.404(b)” (Texas Health and Human Services, n.d.-b, para. 8). The application fees constitute $25; a “background investigation fee of $40” is also required, so the total cost is $65 (Texas Health and Human Services, n.d., para. 8). Therefore, one should complete the educational requirement, pass the exam, and comply with several criteria to send the application, as well as pay for the licensure process.
LDCS certificate, as was mentioned, requires examination completion, which could be described. Before the application, one should pre-register for the LCDC exam by submitting a DSHS LCDC counselor intern verification letter, paying a $250 fee, and scheduling the date of the test in a 60-day window (Testing Certification Board, n.d., para. 13). The fitness for the credential is determined by the LCDC, which is administered by the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals and approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
The exam is accessible via computer-based testing; however, if one does not have the ability to participate in this kind of testing (due to a learning disability or psychological disability), it is possible to submit for a written exam. According to Testing Certification Board (n.d.), “official Score letters will be emailed to candidates within 2 weeks of the exam date… TCB sends LCDC exam scores to the state (HHSC) at the beginning of each month” (para. 5). Failure on any test will lead to a 90-day delay before one may retake it. Following 90 days, individuals may reapply for the exam registration forms, money, needed papers, and any relevant special accommodation paperwork in order to retake the exam (Testing Certification Board, n.d.). Thus, the process of registering includes sending the required documents, scheduling the test, completing the examination, and receiving the results.
It is also possible to renew the LCDC license through several steps of registration. First, one should complete the renewal application form and pay the renewal application cost as well as the licensing fee, which constitutes $125 by mail (Texas Health and Human Services, n.d.-a). Next, it is required to meet the criminal history requirements outlined in Texas Administrative Code Title 25 140.431 (Texas Health and Human Services, n.d.-a). Finally, one should complete all needed continuing education requirements, including ethics HIV, Hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted diseases training.
References
Testing Certification Board. (n.d.). Testing registration. Web.
Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a). LCDC license & registration renewal. Web.
Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.-b). LCDC new license registration. Web.