New Mexico
Register / Volume XXXVI, Issue 22 / November 18, 2025
This is an amendment to
16.27.11 NMAC, Section 9, effective 11/18/2025.
16.27.11.9 APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE: An alcohol and
drug abuse counselor (LADAC) must possess the following qualifications and
provide the required documentation with the application.
A. Age requirement: Be at least 21 years of age.
B. Applicant must sign a statement
provided in the application indicating the applicant has read the code of
ethics and agrees to be bound and governed by the code of ethics.
C. Applicant must demonstrate
professional competency by passing the national certification examination for
addiction counselors (NCAC level 1).
D. Education requirements
(1) Holds
an associate degree in counseling, counseling related field or a substance
abuse related field from an accredited institution. The board may approve, on a case-by-case
basis, applicants whose education is not in a counseling or substance abuse
related field. One semester credit hour is equal to 15 clock hours of
education. Qualifying education shall include 276 clock hours in the following
areas:
(a) 90
hours in the field of alcohol abuse
(b) 90 hours in the
field of drug abuse
(c) 90
hours in the field of counseling
(d) six
hours that pertain specifically to alcohol and drug counseling ethics training.
(2) Holds a baccalaureate degree in
counseling, a counseling related field or a substance abuse related field from
an accredited institution. The board may
approve, on a case-by-case basis, applicants whose education is not in a
counseling or substance abuse related field. One semester credit hour is equal
to 15 clock hours of education. Qualifying education shall include 276 clock
hours in the following areas:
(a) 90
hours in the field of alcohol abuse
(b) 90
hours in the field of drug abuse
(c) 90
hours in the field of counseling
(d) six
hours that pertain specifically to alcohol and drug counseling ethics training,
(must be acquired two years prior to submission of an application).
(3) Holds
a masters or doctoral degree in counseling, a
counseling related field or a substance abuse related field from an accredited
institution. The board may approve, on a case-by-case basis, applicants whose
education is not in a counseling or substance abuse related field. One semester
credit hour is equal to 15 clock hours of education. Qualifying education shall
include 276 clock hours in the following areas:
(a) 90
hours in the field of alcohol abuse
(b) 90
hours in the field of drug abuse
(c) 90
hours in the field of counseling
(d) six
hours that pertain specifically to alcohol and drug counseling ethics training,
(must be acquired two years prior to submission of an application).
E. Experience requirements.
(1) associate
degree requires a minimum of three years and 3,000 client contact hours under
appropriate supervision of experience in the practice of alcohol and drug abuse
counseling and 200 hours of appropriate supervision; or
(2) a
baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of two years and 2,000 client contact
hours under appropriate supervision of experience in the practice of alcohol
and drug abuse counseling and 100 hours of appropriate supervision; or
(3) a masters or doctoral degree requires a minimum of one year
and 1,000 client contact hours under appropriate supervision of experience in
the practice of alcohol and drug abuse counseling and 50 hours of appropriate
supervision.
F. Documentation required for
licensure:
(1) a completed application as specified
in 16.27.3.8 NMAC, and
(2) proof
of completed education and experience requirements:
(a) the
applicant is required to upload
or submit an
official transcript [in a
sealed envelope] from each institution contributing to the
applicant's associate, baccalaureate, or masters
degree; the official transcript must be submitted with the application;
applicants educated in foreign institutions who are unable to submit certified
official transcripts shall submit a statement explaining why such transcripts
are not available and shall submit certified copies of the degree certificates
granted, information on the curricula offered, and any other documentation
requested by the board, and
(b) documentation
of required drug, alcohol, counseling and ethics training (attachment D) shall
include:
(i) transcripts from the college or
university, and
(ii) the
date, course title, course description, number of hours attended and
certificate of attendance, and
(c) a
statement from each supervisor [in
a sealed envelope] on a form provided by the board (attachment B)
verifying the applicant’s supervised experience and setting forth the nature
and extend of such supervision must be
submitted with the application; the statement shall verify that the applicant’s
performance was in accordance with adequate counseling standards of alcohol and
drug practice; if a supervisor’ statement is not available, the applicant may
submit documentation explaining why the supervisor’s statement is not available
and sworn affidavits from other individuals verifying that supervision took
place and describing the nature and the extent of supervision, and
(3) applicant
must sign a statement provided in the application indicating the applicant has
read the code of ethics and agrees to be bound and governed by the code of
ethics, and
(4) verification of the applicant’s
licensure, registration, or certification status must be submitted on
attachment form A, which must be sent directly to the board by the jurisdiction
in which the applicant is licensed, certified or registered.
[16.27.11.9 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.11.9 NMAC, 11/30/2021; A, 11/18/2025]