History

The National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC AP), under the auspices of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, operates as an independent body for all matters involving the Association’s substance use disorders counselor certification and endorsement opportunities at the national and international level.

Established in 1989, the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC AP) has independent autonomy in the development and promulgation of standards for testing, including who qualifies for the exams, content, administration, scoring and appeals. Specifically, the NCC AP:

• Develops and keeps current national and international standards of requisite knowledge in substance use disorder counseling;
• Provides evaluation mechanisms for measuring and monitoring the level of knowledge required for national and international credentialing;
• Provides formal recognition to those individuals who meet the national and international standards; and
• Establishes appropriate policies for acquiring and maintaining the national and international credentials.

PLEASE NOTE: NCC AP Certification and NAADAC membership are distinct.  NAADAC membership is not required to hold a NCC AP credential and NCC AP certification does not automatically include NAADAC membership.  Click here for more information about the benefits of NAADAC membership.