CATC study guide

The CAADE Certified Addiction Treatment Counselor (CATC) credential is associated with the California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators (CAADE), a California organization whose stated focus is "Excellence in Education for Addiction Professionals." The credential is aimed at counselors working in alcohol and drug (AOD) treatment settings in California who want a certification grounded in the educator-accredited training pathway rather than a generalist human-services route. Candidates typically come through CAADE-accredited Alcohol and Drug Studies higher education programs, which the association describes as consisting of "a minimum of 39-semester credit units – or approximately 645 clock hours." Because CAADE's published material directs counselor registration and certification inquiries to ACCBC, candidates should confirm current application procedures there rather than assuming the exam is administered by CAADE itself. Exam content mirrors the two areas CAADE emphasizes for ongoing counselor development: addiction treatment knowledge tied to the TAP 21 framework, and addiction-specific laws and ethics. Preparation usually combines formal coursework with supervised field experience, then targeted review of TAP 21 competencies and California legal and ethical requirements. The CATC study guide has 2 sections and about 708 words.