FAQ

Application forms that can be filled out on your computer are available in the DOWNLOADS drop down menu on this website.  If you want a packet of all forms just for information, you can go to the the Credential of your choice in the CREDENTIALS drop down menu.  There will be link to a printable (but not fillable) set of forms on the right side of the page.

No; as stated on the application form, you MUST complete the SAPST and Ethics in Prevention within the first year of Provisional Certification. If it takes you more than a year to do so, your only option is to complete all requirements for Prevention Specialist Certification, including passing of the IC&RC Prevention Specialist examination.

Yes.  The MPCB requires that 25%, or 500 of the 2000 hours of experience that you document be in ATOD programming.  This may mean that you need to document more than one job.  You may include two or more signed Experience Documentation forms in your application to show that you meet this requirement.

MPCB asks applicants to divide up their training hours into categories based on looking at the six IC&RC prevention domains.  Remember that the minimums are not extensive: 24 hours of ATOD, 31 hours of SAPST (or a MPCB-approved equivalent), 6 hours of Ethics, and 59 hours relating to the IC&RC domains, with no minimum for any one particular domain.  Some of your trainings will potentially could in more than one category.  In figuring this out, the only thing to remember is not to count the same exact hours for more than one of the categories.

Yes — there are two options: Option 1:  You may count 31 of the 96 hours from the CADCA National Coalition Institute (known as the National Training Academy) for SAPST and use the remainder of the training hours for other training-related hours, as they are applicable.  HOWEVER, there is one large caveat!  Because the SAPST-equivalent hours are scattered throughout the entire 3 week training, you must document attendance of all three weeks of the CADCA National Training Academy in order to claim 31 SAPST hours. Option 2: An applicant may attend the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) HEA 211 Substance Abuse Prevention course taught by Robert Rogers, Certified SAPST Instructor, or another SAMHSA approved/certified SAPST instructor. Applicants MUST have perfect attendance at all classes, a certificate of completion from the Introduction to Substance Abuse Prevention online course, and a certificate of completion from the in person UMF Substance Abuse Prevention course.

Yes.  You may submit undergraduate or graduate coursework for credit towards the required hours. One credit hour = 15 contact hours or 3 Credit hours = 45 contact hours, as long as all the hours in the course are relevant. If not, you must select the hours that are relevant to the hours claimed on the form. UMF HEA 211 course can count towards required hours but cannot count towards SAPST-equivalent unless Certificate of Completion is presented with it; transcript alone only counts towards training hours.

No.  It is only required that you have the hours of experience, on a full-time, part-time or volunteer basis, and that these hours are documented.

Your application is good for 6 months from the date you signed it.  This is done to allow you time to acquire additional training if the board’s review of you application indicates that more hours are needed.

Having a credential attests to your status as a professional.  Being a Certified Prevention Specialist tells employers and the public that you are qualified to provide prevention services by virtue of experience, education and knowledge (passing an exam).  Certification also means that you have agreed to abide by a code of prevention ethics and that you meet a set of standards that has been vetted through MPCB, a member board of IC&RC.  IC&RC is an organization of national stature and your credential is reciprocal with 44 other states.  Being credentialed will also keep you up-to-date in your field as time goes by because continuing education is a part of the recertification process. 

No. Supervisors do not have to have the Prevention Specialist credential. Supervision is broadly defined. No further explanation or documentation of the type of supervision is required other than the signed Supervision page included in the application. Additional hours of supervision, over the minimum requirement (120 hours), are not required.

The president or representative from the board of directors can sign off on supervision.

No, there are no time restrictions on training and education for initial certification. All training must be documented. If you cannot obtain documentation, you may be able to use the Undocumented Education Form; however, please note that only 15% (18 hours) of total education can be applied with this form. However, for re-certification the necessary 40 training hours must be attained during the course of the two-year initial certification period. Again, all training hours must be documented. Please note that only six (6) hours can be submitted on the Undocumented Education Form for PS-C Re-certification.

Yes.  Webinars must be documented as all trainings must be. Certificates of completion can be used to document participation. If certificates were not awarded, one should contact the organization who provided the training regarding participant documentation. If documentation from the web-based training provider cannot be obtained, a supervisor may provide documentation stating the applicant participated in the given training (using the Undocumented Education Form).

Yes, training/education hours may be considered if an applicant is a trainer in a given topic as long as appropriate documentation is provided (course title, hours, etc.).  Up to 30% (12 hours) of the continuing education hours for recertification every two years may be met through teaching and/or training experience. If you claim hours based on time spent teaching/training others, you may claim time spent delivering a specific educational event or session only once. The numbers of contact hours applicable is equal to the number of contact hours for the educational event.

No.  Individuals do not have to be working in the field of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention at the time of  application for the PS-C or PPS credential.

You may apply for Voluntary Inactive Status by emailing, writing or calling the MPCB, which will send you the application form.  There will be a $20 annual fee to keep you in the system. This will prevent having to go through the initial application process again.

We ask that you go through our on-line payment system so that we can keep a central automated record of payment status, even if you end up paying by check.