Ala. Admin. Code r. 580-9-44-.02

Personnel

This personnel rule establishes minimum qualifications and training requirements for staff working in Alabama's substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery support programs under Chapter 580-9-44. It defines four tiers of Qualified Substance Abuse Professionals (QSAP I–III and paraprofessionals), peer support specialists, and student practicum workers, specifying education, licensure, certification, and supervision requirements for each. All entities must maintain written policies on credentialing and provide annual training covering crisis intervention, suicide prevention, confidentiality, cultural competency, and infectious disease. As a personnel section within a chapter governing multiple ASAM levels of care—including outpatient, IOP, PHP, detox, and residential SUD programs—this rule applies across all those facility types.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 580-9-44-.02 - Personnel 

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(1)
 Qualified
 Treatment Personnel. The entity shall employ qualified and trained personnel to
 ensure the health, safety, and well-being of its clientele, and to support
 efficient utilization of its resources. 
(a)

 The entity shall develop, maintain, and document implementation of written
 policies and procedures to ensure that all personnel meet and remain current on
 credentials required for certification, licensure, and for job performance and
 service delivery as specified by these rules.

(b)
 Qualified Substance Abuse Professionals
 (QSAP). The entity shall utilize qualified substance abuse professionals, to
 provide treatment for individuals with substance related disorders.
 
1.
 QSAP I. A Qualified Substance Abuse
 Professional I (QSAP I) shall consist of: 
(i)

 An individual licensed in the State of Alabama as a: 
 
(I)
 Professional Counselor, Graduate Level
 Social Worker, Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, Psychiatric Nurse
 Practitioner, Marriage and Family Therapist, Clinical Psychologist, Physician's
 Assistant, Physician; or

(ii)
 An individual who: 
 
(I)
 Has a master's degree or above from a
 nationally or regionally accredited university or college in psychology, social
 work, counseling, psychiatric nursing, or other behavioral health area with
 requisite course work equivalent to that of a degree in counseling, psychology,
 social work, or psychiatric nursing, and

(II)
 Has successfully completed a clinical
 practicum or has six month's post master's clinical experience; and

(III)
 Holds a substance abuse counselor
 certification credential from the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors,
 National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, Alabama Alcohol
 and Drug Abuse Association, or International Certification and Reciprocity
 Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, Inc. which shall be obtained within
 thirty (30) months of date of hire.

(iii)
 A QSAP I is authorized to provide
 services as delineated in the most recent version of the ADMH Substance Abuse
 Services Billing Manual as published and maintained by ADMH.

2.
 QSAP II. A Qualified Substance
 Abuse Professional II (QSAP II) shall consist of: 
 
(i)
 An individual who: 
 
(I)
 Has a Bachelor's Degree from a nationally
 or regionally accredited university or college in psychology, social work,
 community, rehabilitation, or pastoral counseling, family therapy, or other
 behavioral health area that requires equivalent clinical course work,
 and

(II)
 Is licensed in the State
 of Alabama as a Bachelor Level Social Worker; or

(III)
 Has a Bachelor's Degree from a
 nationally or regionally accredited college or university in psychology, social
 work, community, rehabilitation, or pastoral counseling, family therapy, or
 other behavioral health area that requires equivalent clinical course work,
 and

(IV)
 Holds a substance abuse
 counselor certification credential from the Alabama Association of Addiction
 Counselors, National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors,
 Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, or International Certification and
 Reciprocity Consortium, or

(V)
 Has
 a bachelor's degree from a nationally or regionally accredited university or
 college in psychology, social work, community rehabilitation, pastoral
 counseling, family therapy, or other behavioral health area that requires
 equivalent clinical course work and

(VI)
 Obtains a substance use counselor
 certification credential from the Alabama Association of Addition Counselors,
 National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, Alabama Alcohol
 and Drug Abuse Association, or International Certification and Reciprocity
 Consortium within 30 months of hire and

(VII)
 Participates in ongoing weekly
 supervision from an assigned QSAP I that is documented and appropriately filed
 in their personnel record for auditing purposes until counselor certification
 is obtained.

(ii)
 A QSAP
 II is authorized to provide services as delineated in the most recent version
 of the ADMH Substance Abuse Services Billing Manual as published and maintained
 by ADMH.

3.
 QSAP III. A
 Qualified Substance Abuse Professional III (QSAP III) shall consist of: 
 
(i)
 An individual who: 
 
(I)
 Has a Bachelor's Degree from a nationally
 or regionally accredited university or college in psychology, social work,
 community, rehabilitation, or pastoral counseling, family therapy, or other
 behavioral health area that requires equivalent clinical course work,
 and

(II)
 Participates in ongoing
 supervision by a certified or licensed QSAP I for a minimum of one (1) hour
 individual per week until attainment of a substance abuse counselor
 certification credential from the Alabama Association of Addiction Counselors,
 National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, or Alabama
 Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, or International Certification and
 Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, Inc. which shall be
 obtained within thirty (30) months of hire.

(ii)
 A QSAP III is authorized to provide
 services as delineated in the most recent version of the ADMH Substance Abuse
 Services Billing Manual as published and maintained by ADMH.

4.
 Qualified
 Paraprofessionals(QPP). A qualified paraprofessional shall have the following
 minimum qualifications: 
(i)
 A high school
 diploma or equivalent, and

(ii)
 One
 (1) year of work experience directly related to job responsibilities
 and

(iii)
 Concurrent participation
 in clinical supervision by a licensed or certified QSAP I.

(iv)
 A QPP is authorized to provide services
 as delineated in the most recent version of the ADMH Substance Abuse Services
 Billing Manual as published and maintained by ADMH.

5.
 Peer Support Specialist. A peer support
 specialist must meet the following minimum qualifications: 
 
(i)
 Certified by ADMH as a Certified Recovery
 Support Specialist (CRSS) within six (6) months of date of hire, and

(ii)
 Concurrent participation in clinical
 supervision by a licensed or certified QSAP I.

(iii)
 A Peer Support Specialist is authorized
 to provide services as delineated in the most recent edition of the ADMH
 Substance Abuse Services Billing Manual as published and maintained by
 ADMH.

6.
 Students who
 are completing a graduate degree from a regionally accredited university or
 college in psychology, counseling, social work, or psychiatric nursing may
 conduct direct services under the following conditions: 
 
(i)
 The student is in a clinical practicum
 that is part of an officially sanctioned academic curriculum.

(ii)
 The student receives a minimum of one
 (1) hour per week of direct clinical supervision (face to face) from a licensed
 or certified QSAP I.

(iii)
 Any
 written clinical documentation generated by the student must be reviewed and
 signed by the supervising clinical staff member.

(2)
 Staff Development.
 The entity shall develop, maintain, and document implementation of written
 policies and procedures that establish a staff development and training program
 for all employees, students, and volunteers. This program shall include, at a
 minimum, the following requirements:
(a)

 Annual Training: During each calendar year, the entity shall provide training
 for each employee that addresses the following topics: 
 
1.
 Crisis intervention.

2.
 Management of disruptive
 behavior.

3.
 Suicide
 prevention/intervention.

4.

 Confidentiality and privacy of client information.

5.
 Cultural competency relative to the
 program's target population.

6.

 Infectious disease prevention and management, to include at a minimum: TB,
 HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Hepatitis.

7.
 Program policies and procedures.

8.
 ADMH Administrative Code specific to
 level(s) of care.

(b)

 First Aid/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Training. All staff of each
 substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery support program shall
 obtain, within one (1) month of hire, and continuously, thereafter, current
 certification in First Aid and CPR.

(3)
 An individual who met the requirements of
 the Administrative Code 580-9-44-2 Personnel effective March 2012 and was
 employed prior to the approval of these rules shall be in good
 standing.

Notes

Ala. Admin. Code
 r. 
580-9-44-.02

 New: Filed: July 22, 1992.
 Extended: September 30, 1992. Extended: December 31, 1992. Certified: March 30,
 1993. Effective: May 5, 1993. Repealed and New Rule: Filed January 26, 2012;
 effective March 1, 2012.

Amended by
 
Alabama
 Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVI, Issue No. 04, January 31,
 2018
, eff. 
2/22/2018
.

Amended by
 
Alabama
 Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVII, Issue No. 01, October 31,
 2018
, eff. 
11/30/2018
.

Amended by
 
Alabama
 Administrative Monthly Volume XLI, Issue No. 04, January 31,
 2023
, eff. 
3/17/2023
.

Amended by
 
Alabama
 Administrative Monthly Volume XLI, Issue No. 07, April 28, 2023
,
 eff. 
6/12/2023
.

Author:
 Substance Abuse Services Division

Statutory Authority:

Code of Ala.
 1975
, §
 
22-50-11
.

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