IC&RC ADC (IC&RC Addiction Professional Exams) study plan

Map the ADC four-domain blueprint against your current job tasks and mark which screening and counseling competencies you already perform daily

Build a one-page comparison of the major screening instruments used in addiction work (AUDIT, DAST-10, CAGE, TCU Drug Screen) covering what each measures and its cutoffs

Practice writing a 250-word biopsychosocial intake summary from a fictional client vignette that separates presenting problem, history, and risk factors

List the DSM-5-TR substance use disorder criteria from memory, then check your list and correct gaps

Explain the difference between screening, assessment, and diagnosis in writing, using one clinical example for each

Outline the informed consent elements required before assessment, including limits of confidentiality and mandated reporting triggers

Draft a suicide and violence risk screening script you could deliver in under five minutes

Identify three cultural or language factors that distort screening results and describe how to adjust for each

Compare motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and twelve-step facilitation on target population, core mechanism, and typical session structure

Write three reflective-listening responses and three affirmations for a client expressing ambivalence about quitting

Describe how to conduct a functional analysis of a drinking or drug-use episode (triggers, thoughts, behavior, consequences)

Practice summarizing a client's stage of change and matching one intervention to that stage

Build a treatment plan from a fictional case that includes measurable goals, objectives, and at least two evidence-based interventions

Write two SMART goal statements and revise two weak goal statements into measurable form

Describe how to collaborate with a prescriber on medication for opioid use disorder and what to monitor

Explain how to involve family or a support person in treatment planning while respecting client consent

Map the levels of care in the ASAM Criteria continuum and match three fictional presentations to the appropriate level

Draft a referral packet checklist covering what information must travel with a referral and what must be withheld without consent

Describe how to coordinate with courts, child welfare, and employers without breaching confidentiality

Identify documentation standards for progress notes (timeliness, objectivity, linkage to the treatment plan)

Design a relapse prevention plan that names warning signs, coping strategies, and an emergency contact protocol

Explain the difference between a lapse and a relapse and how to respond clinically to each

Summarize the major ethical codes relevant to addiction counseling (confidentiality, dual relationships, competence, scope of practice)

Analyze two fictional ethical dilemmas and state the decision steps you would take, including supervision and consultation

Review 42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA differences as they apply to substance use disorder records

Describe documentation and reporting obligations for suspected child abuse, elder abuse, and imminent danger

Practice writing a release of information that is specific enough to be valid

Revisit your week-one self-audit and rate your confidence in each domain on a 1 to 5 scale

Complete two timed practice sets covering all domains and score them by domain to find remaining weak spots

Write out answers to five likely scenario questions in the style used on the exam (best response, not perfect response)

Review your lowest-scoring domain notes and create a condensed one-page summary for each weak area

Rehearse a two-minute explanation of how you would handle a client who relapses after 60 days of abstinence