For BSW and MSW Students at University of Montana

The LAC pathway is available to BSW and MSW Social Work students who wish to pursue dual licensure in social work and addictions counseling.

This pathway blends core social work courses with substance use disorder (SUDs) specific electives to meet the required 330 course hours for LAC-candidacy-licensure in Montana, upon graduation from the Social Work program.

LAC Electives COURSEWORK:

• SW 423, Addiction Studies, BSW/MSW, or SW 553, Addiction Studies, MSW, 3 cr
• SW 426 SUDs and SW Skill Sets, 3 cr (SW 423 is pre-req in most cases- check with advisor for exceptions)
• SW 427, Motivational Interviewing, 2 cr
• PHARM 110, Use and Abuse of Substances, 3 cr
• Gambling, Free online self-directed CEU's to meet state required 30 hours in Gambling

The Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) credential is offered to those individuals who meet the requirements of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Board of Behavioral Health for licensure. The University of Montana does not grant the credential, but it offers courses that will help to meet the educational requirements of the state of Montana. This license is very valuable and useful to social workers at both BSW and MSW levels of practice, due to the knowledge and skills obtained during the education and training required for practicing in the field of addictions. Social Workers with dual licensure, as an LAC and a LBSW or LCSW,  are a much-needed professional workforce. The pathway that has been developed for UM Social Work students reflects a national trend towards building a  professional workforce within higher levels of education to meet the complex needs of SUDs impacted clients, families and communities.

BSW and MSW LAC ADVISING PATHWAYS:

BSW

MSW

The following information is provided as a way of helping students considering this credential. Students can begin the process of acquiring this credential while in school, and at graduation can apply for LAC-Candidate status. When LAC-Candidacy is approved by the Board of Behavioral Health, accumulating the hours of supervised experience required for licensure can begin. These hours cannot be acquired during school, so the social work practicum hours will not count toward the 1000 required hours, as they are post-degree only. 

Visit the MT Board of Behavioral Health LAC-Candidacy Checklist to familiarize yourself with licensure requirements.

Importance of the Licensed Addiction Counselor Credential

Because of the scope and impact of substance use disorders (SUD’s) in the overall population, and because the impact of these SUD’s is great for the individuals, their families and their communities, social workers must be knowledgeable about SUD’s and the recovery process. They need to develop skills in the areas of prevention, intervention, and social policy. The credential is essential for those wishing to work in the field of addictions, as it will often be required by agencies, and it demonstrates the social worker’s commitment to preparing themselves for effective practice in this area. Even those not planning to practice primarily in the field of SUD’s, this additional training and knowledge will be very useful in practice because of the prevalence of substance misuse and SUDs.

Reasons to Begin the Process of Licensing While Still in School

Although the actual LAC credential is only earned post degree, the coursework can completed while students are in the BSW and MSW programs. Students who are strongly interested in this credential are encouraged to learn about the requirements, plan their course of study around required courses, learn about practicum opportunities available in the field, and communicate with their advisor about their questions. Follow these guidelines as you pursue the LAC:

1. Refer to the LAC Pathway Planning Advising grid at the top of this page, and meet with your advisor for assistance in planning a pathway the works for you.
2. Make sure to inform your advisor of your commitment towards satisfying the LAC curriculum. This will assure you will receive LAC-related opportunities, such trainings, special events and licensure updates.
3. Invest yourself in understanding the Board of Behavioral Health guidelines and application process. Keep all syllabi from courses you will be using to demonstrate to the Board of Behavioral Health that you have acquired the required content areas, specific to SUD skill sets, best practices and specific populations most vulnerable to the impacts of SUD’s.
4. Ideally, your practicum should be in an agency that includes treatment for clients affected by SUD’s. Your practicum hours will not count towards your LAC-Candidacy, so this is ideal, but not required.
5. Remember that you can also use webinars, in-service training events in your practicum or work site, and online courses from other institutions to meet hours as well. Keep all certificates of completion and attendance to prove that you have had this training.
6. If you have not been able to take all the sample courses listed below, you can submit courses from other schools or from UM that contain similar content to the required areas.

Resources for Quality CEU’s:

The Montana Primary Care Association provides frequent trainings related to SUD’s and integrated care and treatment. They are FREE! Get on their mailing list to receive notices.

The National Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) offers a low-cost membership for students. NAADAC members can take free on-demand webinars on topics that correlate with Board of Behavioral Health requirements. Students with needs for missing curriculum may find this helpful.

Educational Requirements for the LAC in Montana

Degrees

1. AA degree in chemical dependency / addiction studies, BSW (or related bachelor’s degree), or MSW (or related master’s degree)

Required Addiction Coursework

1. Specific coursework taken at the University of Montana, at other universities, through approved online courses, in-service training, or webinars.
2. The following 330 hours of coursework are required in the respective categories (subject to change pending revised requirements).
3. Portions of various courses will provide specific numbers of hours of education in the required content areas.
4. To compute the number of contact hours in a course, one credit equals 15 hours of contact.
5. You can use the same course in more than one category, but the hours claimed cannot exceed the clock hours in that course.

The pages below provide curriculum to list when applying for your LAC-Candidacy post-graduation. There is a BSW and an MSW guide.

BSW LAC-Candidate Planning Guide

BSW Courses Used to Meet State Requirements:
Approved by the Behavioral Health Licensing Board, Legal Counsel, 2018. Revised to reflect legislative changes in 2021, updated March, 2022

MSW LAC Planning Guide

MSW Courses Used to Meet State Requirements:
Approved by the Behavioral Health Licensing Board, Legal Counsel, October, 2018

Revised for hours required, updated post 2021 Legislative Session changes, July 2022

NOTE: Undergraduate courses which fit the course content below may also be presented for approval. 

Additional Required Coursework and Sample Courses that may be Used

1. You can use the same course in more than one category, but the hours claimed cannot exceed the clock hours in that course.
2. Other courses taken at UM or elsewhere can also be used if the course covered the Undergraduate courses may be accepted for approval for MSW candidates.

Post-Degree Supervised Work Experience

1. 1000 hours of supervised post-degree work experience in an approved addiction treatment setting
2. Supervisors must meet the requirements of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
3. Supervisors must provide 80 hours of direct supervision.
4. Supervision must be provided in DLI-specified areas of practice, found on the LAC-Candidate checklist website.
5. Work experience must be obtained in no more than 2 settings and within a specified period of time.
6. All educational requirements must be met prior to acquiring the hours of work experience. This includes one of the required degrees and all of the required coursework.

An application to the DLI for the Licensed Addiction Counselor-Candidate status can be made upon completion of the educational requirements. Approval of the LAC -Candidate status allows individuals to begin accumulating the required hours of supervised work experience.

MSW Student LAC Planning Guide

MSW Courses Used to Meet State Requirements:
Approved by the Behavioral Health Licensing Board, Legal Counsel, October, 2018

NOTE: Undergraduate courses which fit the course content below may also be presented for approval. 

Additional Required Coursework and Sample Courses that may be Used

1. You can use the same course in more than one category, but the hours claimed cannot exceed the clock hours in that course.
2. Other courses taken at UM or elsewhere can also be used if the course covered the content area.
3. Selected MSW students or LAC-E BSW students, with practicum placement and supervision in a SUD aligned field, may utilize SW 596, Independent Study, to assist with and audit SW 423, while working on and presenting a SW 423 classroom special topics presentation, with combined supervision of Field Supervisor and SW 423 Instructor.
4. Undergraduate courses can be presented for approval for MSW candidates.

(3)Supervised Work Experience

1. 1000 hours of supervised post-degree work experience in an approved addiction treatment setting
2. Supervisors must meet the requirements of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
3. Supervisors must provide 80 hours of direct supervision.
4. Supervision must be provided in DLI-specified areas of practice, found on the LAC website.
5. Work experience must be obtained in no more than 2 settings and within a specified period of time.
6. All educational requirements must be met prior to acquiring the hours of work experience. This includes one of the required degrees and all of the required coursework.
7. An application to the DLI for the Licensed Addiction Counselor Eligible (LACE) status can be made upon completion of the educational requirements. Approval of the LACE status allows individuals to begin accumulating the required hours of supervised work experience.