NYS CASAC Association:
CASAC Professional Standards & Certification | NYS-CASAC
Supporting High Standards and Continuing Education for CASAC Professionals
The NYS Association of CASAC Professionals (NYS-CASAC) is committed to building a culture of excellence in addiction counseling by ensuring that Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASACs) across New York State have the resources, training, and ethical framework to thrive. Through clear standards, accessible education, and professional support, we empower counselors to deliver evidence-based care that transforms lives and strengthens communities.
Code of Ethics
The NYS-CASAC Code of Ethics, modeled after NAADAC and OASAS standards, provides the foundation for professional integrity in substance use counseling. It emphasizes client welfare, cultural humility, and the highest standards of accountability. Members agree to practice within their scope of training, uphold confidentiality, and engage in ongoing professional growth.
This ethical framework protects clients and elevates the profession, ensuring that CASACs are trusted and respected throughout New York. It also guides counselors in navigating complex challenges, such as dual relationships, implicit bias, and trauma-informed care. By adhering to the Code of Ethics, members commit to being not only effective clinicians but also advocates for equity, dignity, and justice in behavioral health.
Professional Standards
The NYS Association of CASAC Professionals upholds professional standards that ensure consistency, quality, and credibility across the workforce. These standards encompass CASAC certification, credentialing, and recredentialing, as well as adherence to evidence-based practice guidelines.
Certification begins with structured education and supervised experience, preparing counselors to address the complexities of substance use treatment. Recredentialing ensures ongoing competency and accountability through continuing education and professional development. Evidence-based practice guidelines, informed by OASAS and NAADAC, help counselors integrate proven interventions such as motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and harm reduction approaches.
By promoting professional standards, the Association ensures that CASACs deliver services aligned with both science and compassion. This commitment strengthens public trust, enhances treatment outcomes, and affirms the CASAC credential as an essential part of New York’s behavioral health system.
Education & Certification
Education and certification are cornerstones of the CASAC pathway. To become credentialed, professionals must complete a 350-hour OASAS-approved training program covering addiction counseling, ethics, and clinical practice. The NYS Association of CASAC Professionals partners with trusted providers to ensure accessible, flexible, and high-quality training opportunities for both new counselors and those seeking advanced education.
In addition, the Association offers Training-approved workshops, webinars, and seminars that help CASACs meet recredentialing requirements while staying current with best practices. Topics include trauma-informed care, co-occurring disorders, harm reduction, and cultural competence. These continuing education opportunities strengthen skills, expand knowledge, and reinforce the profession’s credibility.
Through robust education and certification pathways, the Association equips CASACs with the tools to succeed at every stage of their career, from trainee to advanced professional.
Practice Education & Certification
Beyond classroom learning, the Association offers practical resources to help CASAC professionals apply theory to effective practice. Our library of publications, worksheets, workbooks, and psychoeducational tools supports counselors in delivering client-centered, evidence-based care.
These downloadable resources help counselors address real-world challenges such as relapse prevention, motivational enhancement, and family engagement. They also provide CASAC-Ts with accessible study aids and practice materials that reinforce classroom instruction.
By curating high-quality, practical tools, the Association ensures that continuing education is not just about knowledge, but about application. This strengthens the daily practice of CASACs across New York and helps standardize excellence in client care.
Specializations in Social Work
The role of CASACs continues to evolve within the broader fields of social work and behavioral health. The Association recognizes the importance of specialization, particularly in areas where addiction counseling intersects with trauma, mental health, and systemic inequities.
CASAC professionals are increasingly collaborating with licensed social workers, LMHCs, and public health leaders to provide integrated, wraparound services. Specializations in trauma-informed care, harm reduction, justice-involved populations, and veteran services highlight the growing expertise of CASACs within New York’s workforce.
The Association also encourages MSWs and LMHCs to pursue CASAC certification, creating bridges between credentials and expanding opportunities for holistic care. By supporting CASAC and social work specialization, the Association empowers counselors to address complex community needs, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, and lead innovation in behavioral health.
Elevate Your Practice With NYS-CASAC
Join the NYS Association of CASAC Professionals today and gain access to education, ethical guidance, and professional standards that strengthen your practice. Together, we advance the role of addiction counselors and ensure CASACs are recognized as essential contributors to New York’s behavioral health system.
