Certified Addiction Professional (CAP) Tier I

The Certified Addiction Professional (CAP) is a foundational clinical credential for skilled professionals offering counseling and related services to individuals affected by substance use and mental health conditions. CAP holders serve as a cornerstone of Florida's addiction treatment workforce, providing direct clinical evaluation, treatment planning, and case management to the people who need it most.The Tier I Pathway is specifically designed for professionals who hold a bachelor's degree or higher in a strictly counseling-related field. Because these academic programs already cover foundational therapeutic theories, the FCB requires a streamlined 150-hour training track to earn this credential. Those 150 hours are distributed across five core domains: Understanding Addiction and Treatment Knowledge (80 hours), Application to Practice and Professional Readiness (25 hours, including 6 hours specific to professional ethics), Case Management and Referral (15 hours), Client, Family, and Community Education (15 hours), and Documentation (15 hours).CAP holders are recognized as Qualified Professionals for billable services as defined by Chapter 397, Substance Abuse, Florida Statutes, which is a meaningful distinction in the field. That said, the credential does not permit independent private practice, and CAPs are authorized to offer services exclusively within community mental health centers and licensed inpatient or outpatient mental health treatment settings. A CAP may not sign a Baker Act or Marchman Act, nor may they diagnose or dispense or prescribe medication.The CAP credential must be renewed annually by June 30th, with renewal requiring the completion of 20 Continuing Education (CE) hours each year.In accordance with Florida Certification Board (FCB) standards, our training is delivered exclusively via compliant self-paced online courses; "homestudy" formats are no longer accepted. To successfully verify learning and earn a certificate of completion, participants must pass a post-test with a minimum score of 70% and complete a Level One evaluation (attitude questionnaire) assessing course satisfaction, relevance, and presenter knowledge.