This article originally appeared in the President’s Corner of the Spring 2016 issue of NAADAC’s official publication, Advances in Addiction & Recovery.

By Kirk Bowden, PhD, MAC, NCC, LPC, NAADAC President

In my current roles as NAADAC President and college addiction counselor educator, I am frequently questioned about the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC) of which I am a Commissioner. As such, I have compiled some basic FAQs to share in the hopes of clarifying what NASAC is, what it does, and why NASAC accreditation is important for college and university addiction studies programs.

 What is NASAC?

The National Addiction Accreditation Studies Commission (NASAC) is an academic accreditation organization for higher education addiction studies programs.  It is the only accrediting body that represents addiction-focused educators and practitioners. It is also the only discipline-specific accrediting body that accredits all levels of higher education addiction studies programs, from Associate Degree program to Doctoral Degree programs.

What is the history of NASAC?

In 2010, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) and its Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) held a panel summit of expert stakeholders tasked with developing national educational standards for college and university addiction studies education programs. The standards were to be based on SAMHSA’s Technical Assistance Publication (TAP) 21, Addiction Counseling Competencies: The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Professional Practice.

At the conclusion of the summit, SAMSHA/CSAT encouraged the two primary groups representing academic educators and counselors, the International Coalition for Addiction Studies Education (INCASE) and NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, to jointly develop and implement a single accreditation body to assess and accredit addiction studies programs at regionally accredited colleges and universities nationally.

In addition to serving as NAADAC’s President, Kirk Bowden, PhD, MAC, NCC, LPC, serves on the Editorial Advisory Committee for Advances in Addiction & Recovery. While serving in many capacities for NAADAC through the years, Bowden also serves as Chair of the Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Program at Rio Salado College, consultant and subject matter expert for Ottawa University, a past-president of the International Coalition for Addiction Studies Education (INCASE), and as a steering committee member for SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Partners for Recovery, and the Higher Education Accreditation and Competencies expert panel for SAMHSA/CSAT. Bowden was recognized by the Arizona Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors as Advocate of the Year for 2010, and by the American Counseling Association for the Counselor Educator Advocacy Award in 2013, the Fellow Award in 2014, Outstanding Addiction/ Offender Professional Award in 2015, and most recently the California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

What levels of addiction education does NASAC accredit?  

NASAC accredits Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral Degrees addiction studies programs at regionally-accredited colleges and universities. NASAC also accredits Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral level certificate programs at regionally-accredited colleges and universities.

Why is NASAC accreditation important?

• To meet the challenges facing the addiction profession, a major focus toward developing the addictions workforce is to improve the competencies of those entering and serving in the profession. NASAC accreditation assures key stakeholders (students, legislators, future employers, and others) that a college or university’s addiction studies program meets or exceeds all NASAC standards and TAP 21 curriculum competencies and its faculty members are experienced and appropriately credentialed.
• Some state licensing boards including the board in my home state of Arizona accept NASAC-accredited degrees as meeting academic requirements for licensing. Non-NASAC-accredited degrees must have each individual course reviewed and approved by the board. This is a distinct advantage for students.
• Potential employers can be assured that a graduate of a NASAC-accredited program has completed a high quality program that meets or exceeds national established standards.
• NASAC accreditation requires a college or university to provide their students with a nationally standardized curriculum that includes all of SAMHSA’s TAP 21, Addiction Counseling Competencies. Competencies are the professional standards guiding addiction professionals and TAP 21 provides a comprehensive list of 123 competencies that all addiction counselors should master to do their work effectively.
• Nationwide standardization of addiction studies curriculum is vitally important to the future health of our profession. Currently addiction studies educational standards and counselor credentialing varies greatly from state to state and from university and university. Some states require as little education as a GED and 300 clock hours of seminar-type training for an independent level certification, while other states require as much as an addiction counseling specific master’s degree to obtain an independent level license. NASAC has established a single set of academic expectations that meet national standards set by SAMHSA.
• NASAC accreditation standards can be used as guidance when developing or evaluating an addiction studies program at a college or university to make sure the program meets national standards. Its self-assessment allows colleges & universities to evaluate their program’s goals, curriculum, strengths, and weaknesses.NASAC accreditation requires an institution of higher learning to commit to continuous quality improvement.

What are the steps to NASAC accreditation?

Step 1: Review NASAC Manual

Download the NASAC Manual from the NASAC website (www.nasacaccredititation.org) and review all aspects of the NASAC accreditation process.
Step 2: Complete and Return Application and Self-Study

Obtain a NASAC application and instructions from the NASAC website. The application requests verification of the college or university’s regional accreditation information and information on the college or university’s eligible degree program(s). For each program, the requested information includes: an overview; its mission and goals; a program self-assessment; a detailed review of its curriculum, including course descriptions, outlines, syllabi, and a TAP 21 course crosswalk; its educational modalities; and documentation of any practicum, internship, fieldwork, or field experience required. Programs are welcome to contact NASAC at any time with questions or for help with the application process.  Once all of this material is complete, the application & supporting documents can be submitted by email, along with payment of the application fee.

Step 3: Peer Evaluation

Upon receipt of the completed application and fee, NASAC will select an evaluation team made up of three peers matched for expertise and relevant field experience from similar NASAC-accredited programs to review the application and self-study.  The team may consult with the program’s leadership, faculty, and/or staff and, if necessary, recommend an on-site evaluation. Upon completion, the evaluation team will make its recommendations to the NASAC Board of Commissioners.

Step 4: Decision by NASAC Board of Commissioners

Upon reviewing the evaluation team’s written report and documentation, the NASAC Board of Commissioners will render one of the four accreditation decisions below and notify the institution by written notice:

• Full Accreditation for a period of seven years;
• Conditional Accreditation, requiring the program to submit a plan and timeline for specific program modifications, the submission of additional documentations, additional policies/procedures to be developed, or other relevant information, within three years;
• Denial of Accreditation; or
• The tabling of the application to allow for further development of the program, or submission of further documentation where indicated.

Institutions will have the opportunity to appeal any decision if there is disagreement with the Board’s decision.

How do I get more information on NASAC?

For more information on NASAC, including full guidelines, accreditation details, benefits, student membership and more, please visit http://nasacaccreditation.org.

How do I contact NASAC?

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding NASAC, please email info@nasacaccreditation.org.

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In addition to serving as NAADAC’s President, Kirk Bowden, PhD, MAC, NCC, LPC, serves on the Editorial Advisory Committee for Advances in Addiction & Recovery. While serving in many capacities for NAADAC through the years, Bowden also serves as Chair of the Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Program at Rio Salado College, consultant and subject matter expert for Ottawa University, a past-president of the International Coalition for Addiction Studies Education (INCASE), and as a steering committee member for SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Partners for Recovery, and the Higher Education Accreditation and Competencies expert panel for SAMHSA/CSAT. Bowden was recognized by the Arizona Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors as Advocate of the Year for 2010, and by the American Counseling Association for the Counselor Educator Advocacy Award in 2013, the Fellow Award in 2014, Outstanding Addiction/ Offender Professional Award in 2015, and most recently the California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.