40 ára afmælisráðstefna SÁÁ: Counsellors: What is needed to get certified as an addiction counsellor in the US today 
Gerard J. Schmidt, MA, LPC, MAC, President of NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals and the Chief Operations Officer at Valley HealthCare System in Morgantown WV

Abstract
This presentation will be an overview of the various levels of certification that the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC AP) offers.  This will include qualifications, education and training and hours of services required for each level of certification.  Time permitting, an overview of NAADAC’s career ladder for addiction treatment professionals will be discussed as well.

Gerard J. Schmidt, MA, LPC, MAC, is President of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals and the Chief Operations Officer at Valley HealthCare System in Morgantown, WV. He has served in the mental health and addictions treatment profession for the past 45 years. Publications to Schmidt’s credit include several articles on the development of Employee Assistance Programs in rural areas and wellness in the workplace, addictions practice in the residential settings and an overview of addictions practice in the United States. He has edited Treatment Improvement Protocols for CSAT for several years and has been active with the Mid-Atlantic ATTC. Schmidt has served as Chair of the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCCAP) and NAADAC’s Public Policy Committee, and as NAADAC’s Clinical Affairs Consultant. Awards include the Distinguished Service Award in 2003 and the Senator Harold Hughes Advocate of the Year in 2010. In addition to his national and international work, Schmidt has been active within West Virginia in advocating for and supporting State legislative issues related to addictions and addiction treatment.