(a) The Board shall issue a license as a licensed substance abuse counselor if the applicant:
(1) has met the requirements set forth in section 206;
(2) has demonstrated to the Board the successful completion of a master’s or doctorate degree in addictions counseling, professional counseling, counselor education, counseling psychology, community mental health or in a comparable field with a concentration in mental health and substance abuse;
(3) has demonstrated the completion of course work in the core areas, relating to the treatment of clients for alcohol and/or drugs abuse; and
(4) proves that the education received by the applicant was received from an institution of higher education which at the time the applicant graduated, was accredited by the United States Department of Education and by an accrediting body recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors, or can demonstrate equivalent course work at an institution of higher education located outside the United States, which at the time the applicant was enrolled and at the time the applicant graduated, maintained a standard of training substantially equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions in the United States which are accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation or the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors.
(A) The applicant shall have received education and training from an institution or higher education program officially recognized by the government of the country in which it is located as an institution or program to train students to practice as addictions counselors or psychotherapist.
(B) The applicant shall have the burden of establishing that the requirements of this paragraph have been met.
(b) The Board may require documentation, such as, an evaluation by a foreign equivalency determination service as evidence that the applicant’s graduate degree program and education are equivalent to an accredited program in the United States.
(c) Nothing in this chapter may be construed to authorize a substance abuse counselor to practice medicine, social work, or psychology, to provide counseling for disorders other than substance abuse, or to order, administer, or interpret psychological tests or utilize psychometric procedures.