What is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, (CRC)...

A Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) is a specialized professional who assists individuals with disabilities, injuries, or other challenges in achieving personal, educational, and employment goals. CRCs provide guidance, resources, and support to help clients improve their independence, career opportunities, and overall well-being

Key Roles of a CRC:

✔ Vocational Counseling & Career Planning – Helping individuals with disabilities explore career options, develop job skills, and secure meaningful employment.
✔ Disability & Rehabilitation Support – Assisting clients in adapting to physical, mental, or emotional disabilities and accessing appropriate services.
✔ Educational Assessments & Accommodations – Evaluating students for IEP (Individualized Education Programs) and 504 Plans to ensure proper academic support.
✔ Mental Health & Substance Abuse Counseling – Providing strategies to cope with emotional and behavioral challenges.
✔ Advocacy & Accessibility Assistance – Ensuring clients receive necessary accommodations and resources for success.

How to Become a CRC:

• Earn a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling or a related field.

• Complete a supervised internship in rehabilitation counseling.

• Pass the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam, administered by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).

• Maintain certification through continuing education.

What is a Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CAADC)...

A Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC) in Tennessee is a professional credential for individuals who provide specialized counseling and treatment services for substance use disorders. This certification signifies advanced expertise in addiction counseling, including assessment, intervention, treatment planning, and relapse prevention.

Key Roles of a CAADC:

✔ Conducting comprehensive assessments for substance use disorders
✔ Developing individualized treatment plans and relapse prevention strategies
✔ Providing individual and group counseling for addiction recovery
✔ Addressing co-occurring mental health disorders in clients
✔ Educating clients and families on addiction, recovery, and coping skills
✔ Adhering to ethical guidelines and state regulations for substance abuse treatment

Requirements for CAADC Certification in Tennessee:

To become a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Tennessee, candidates must typically:

1. Hold a master’s degree or higher in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related field.

2. Complete supervised clinical experience, typically requiring 2+ years of post-master’s work in addiction counseling.

3. Obtain required training in areas such as ethics, assessment, treatment planning, and pharmacology of addiction.

4. Pass a national certification exam, such as the IC&RC Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) exam.

5. Maintain certification through continuing education and adherence to professional ethics.

As a field and profession, rehabilitation counseling is unique among the counseling disciplines as it was legislated into existence more than one hundred years ago. The passage of the Smith-Fess Act in 1920 established the federal-state vocational rehabilitation program and helped elevate rehabilitation counseling to a profession. The Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credentialing process—the first in the U.S.—established a professional standard of excellence (CRCC, 2025).

Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. (2025). About - What is the history of the CRCC. CRCC. https://crccertification.com/about-crcc/