Alcohol & drug counseling studies

State licensing laws are very specific on which "national or "state approved" certifications are eligible for licensure! A FAKE certification simply won't get you a license in the first place! Hence, the imposter!

College degrees from "bogus" schools won't get you a license either! When it comes to state licensing specifically in substance abuse counseling, the rules and regulations are very explicit to protect the public! With that said, most if not all States require substance abuse counselors to obtain a license! It is possible that some States don't require licensure and if this is the case in your State I recommend you contact your State Legislator and have a bill proposed to require licensure of substance abuse counselors in the name of public safety! Become a politically active patient advocate!

Now this goes for other professions as well. For example, midwifery is banned in some states, requires licensure in others and some States don't require anything! The residents of their respective States have to write their State legislators to recommend laws that protect the prople such as licensing a Traditional Midwife. The same goes for Naturopaths which has some States with legislation for licensing or banning the practice! Often, unlicensed professions undergo some sort of review by their respective State Legislation for public safety concerns.

 

Johann, I can see how your concerns may be warranted depending on which State you live in and if there are licensing laws relative to the health related profession you are seeking! There really are very few "Federal" guidelines so it is up to each individual State to regulate such professions and protect public safety. My State does an excellent job! So my perspective is limited!

 

I live in "The Nanny State" - Canada! EVERYTHING - health or not, is regulated here! :smile:

I would guess, though, that you're right. Probably, only a "select few" are licensed with false credentials. Impostors - their numbers would doubtless vary by State and field of endeavour.

And the authorities would not likely hear about impostors except by consumer complaint -- after all, this is not a door-to-door inspection job. My point is not that the authorities do an insufficient job, or that a slew of quacks gain professional licences. I'd agree with Delta - such individuals don't usually manage to get licenses -- I only know of a couple of exceptions.

Summary of what I believe:

(1) By whatever means, totally unfit individuals are practicing in most healthcare fields.
(2) There is no means of bringing them to justice except by followup of consumer complaints.

It is unfortunate that by the time complaints are made and followed up, great and irreparable harm is often done, or a "patient" may have become the victim of a criminal act, in some cases. And I must admit, some properly-licensed professionals have committed such offenses as well. It seems there's always an arrest or trial of that sordid nature in the news - even here.

Johann

 

In the USA, if a licensed healthcare provider commits malpractice, the lawyers are All over it! If an unlicensed person practices a regulated profession, they are most likely going to serve time! From your description Canada regulates the entire healthcare profession, in the US, Each individual State has its own set of rules.

 

Well, health care is (mostly) free here - some call us "unarmed Americans with health care." :jester: Seriously, the State regulates it some, and the Provinces (each with its own Medical Association) do the bulk of the job. Unlicensed practitioners aren't TOO much of a problem, partially because they're not able to bill the Province for their ill-gotten fees.

Yes - here the authorities are all over offenders, too. And as in America, it often takes far too long to happen. I get the feeling there are less wrong-os to be "gone after" here. That's only natural - US has nine times the population -- but even one is too many. It seems some quacks and criminal offenders, American or Canadian - licensed or not, can go for years, doing untold harm, before the ultimate whistle-blowing. A real and ongoing tragedy.

Johann

 

OK. So then where are we? A person who wants to figure out the minimum qualifications for licensure/certification where they live, or where they want to live or anywhere near where they want to live has to first discover the governing laws in this area. It's going to be X number of credits from a school recognized by Y and that these credits might result is a set of letters that can be written after your name (I've always like LMNO). Warguns is clearly not a newby and can do this research. Once you've got that info it's pretty simple to find the cheapest. I don't track prices. They change too often. The California state system, maybe the North Carolina system, Troy, Peru, there might be 10 others. The sleeper is the Alaska state system. It's an afternoon on the internet. Best of luck.

 

Exactly, you have to know the licensing regulations of the State you are going to practice in! I'm going to throw in another caveat. Federal run facilities (Va Hosipital, Indian Clinics etc.) usually accept a license from any State or Territory of the USA.