Illinois

Illinois substance use credentials are issued by the Illinois Certification Board (ICB), part of the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association (IAODAPCA). The CADC (Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor) is the foundational credential — 225 training hours, 2,000 hours of supervised AOD counseling work, 150 hours of clinical supervision across 12 core skill areas, and a passing CADC/ADC examination. Counselors working in criminal justice settings can pursue the CCJP (Certified Criminal Justice Professional), which has multiple degree-based hour pathways.

The CADC (Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor) is Illinois’s primary alcohol and other drug counselor credential, issued by the Illinois Certification Board (ICB) and built on the IC&RC ADC examination. CADC holders provide substance use disorder counseling services in Illinois — typically in licensed substance use treatment programs, community-based behavioral health agencies, and recovery support organizations. The credential serves as the foundation from which counselors advance to ICB’s higher-tier credentials, including the CRADC (reciprocal), CSADC (clinical supervisor), and CAADC (advanced).

The CADC is Illinois’s general substance use counseling credential — 225 training hours, 2,000 supervised work hours, and the CADC/ADC exam. The CCJP is a specialty credential for counselors working at the intersection of substance use and the criminal justice system (correctional treatment, drug courts, parole/probation). The CCJP has five degree-based pathways with different hour requirements (270 hours for high school diploma down to 80 hours for IDFPR-licensed professionals or CAADC/MAC holders) and requires the IC&RC CCJP exam — plus the CRADC exam for some pathways.

The CADC requires a passing score on the CADC/ADC examination, administered by ICB. The CCJP requires a passing score on the IC&RC CCJP examination. CCJP applicants who do not currently hold the CRADC, CSADC, or CAADC must also pass the IC&RC CRADC exam first.

Illinois’s CADC credential requires: a high school diploma or GED, 225 hours of AOD counselor education (including 100 hours of AOD-specific content with 15 hours each on Women/Families and Adolescents/Families), 2,000 hours of paid supervised work in an addictions services setting within the past four years (at least 51% in direct primary AOD counseling), 150 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision documented across 12 core skill areas, and a passing CADC/ADC exam. CEU Matrix’s ICB-approved CADC package covers 215 of the 225 required education hours.

The CCJP (Certified Criminal Justice Professional) is an ICB credential for counselors working at the intersection of substance use and the criminal justice system — including correctional treatment, drug courts, parole/probation, and reentry programs. Hour requirements scale with degree or existing credential: 270 hours (high school), 200 hours (associate’s or CADC), 150 hours (bachelor’s or CRADC), 100 hours (master’s or CSADC), or 80 hours (IDFPR-licensed professional, CAADC, or MAC). All pathways require work experience in criminal justice addictions services, supervised hours, and the IC&RC CCJP exam. CEU Matrix offers ICB-approved CCJP packages at every degree pathway.

Training is self-paced — 225 hours total. The longest factor is the supervised work experience requirement: 2,000 hours of paid AOD counseling work within the past four years, with at least 51% in direct primary AOD counseling. Combined with 150 hours of clinical supervision and the CADC/ADC exam.

Illinois CADC, CCJP, and other ICB credentials renew every two years and require 40 continuing education hours per renewal cycle. CADC renewal requires at least 15 hours of AOD-specific content. CCJP renewal requires at least 15 hours in criminal justice-specific topics (Category I) and 25 hours in CCJP performance domain knowledge (Category II). Counselors holding multiple ICB credentials can apply qualifying CE hours across credentials within published limits.

Yes. The Illinois CADC is built on the IC&RC ADC examination, which is portable across IC&RC member boards in other states. The CCJP, which uses the IC&RC CCJP examination, is similarly reciprocal.

Counselors holding an IC&RC ADC-equivalent credential from another IC&RC member state can transfer to the Illinois CADC through reciprocity, provided their issuing board is in good standing. Transfers to the CCJP are processed through ICB using the IC&RC CCJP reciprocity application. Some pathways may require additional Illinois-specific content (such as CADC’s 15 hours each on Women/Families and Adolescents/Families).

Yes. CEU Matrix is an ICB-approved continuing education provider. Our Illinois packages cover the major credential pathways — CADC (215 of the 225 required hours) and CCJP at every degree tier (270h high school, 200h associate’s/CADC, 150h bachelor’s/CRADC, 100h master’s/CSADC, and 80h IDFPR-licensed/CAADC/MAC).

All courses become available in your CEU Matrix Student Center the moment payment clears, with no enrollment delay. Coursework is fully self-paced — there is no fixed completion deadline. Your progress, exam scores, and earned certificates are tracked automatically and stored under “My Courses,” giving you a single consolidated view of your Illinois credential progress and total hours earned.