All Certified Addiction Technicians (ACA), Certified Addiction Specialists (ACC), and Licensed Addiction Counselors (ACD) in active status shall maintain and demonstrate Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) in order to renew, reinstate, or reactivate a certificate or license to practice addiction counseling in the state of Colorado.
- Effective immediately upon certification or licensure, addiction counselors must demonstrate CPC in order to renew a license by one of the following three methods: The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program administered by the Board
- Complete the Professional Practice Survey and Self-Assessment.
- Establish learning goals and create a Learning Plan to accomplish those goals.
- Accrue 40 Professional Development Hours (PDH) in line with your Learning Plan and retain documentation of the completed activities.
- For certificate holders and licensees who obtain their initial license during the course of a license period, PDH requirements will be prorated at 1.66 hours per month, including the month the license is Issued through the month the license expires.
- Deem Status
- If you participated in the formalized professional development program of a Colorado state department and that program’s requirements meet the definition of CPC, you may qualify for Deem Status.
- Active Duty Military Exemption
- If you were called to federally-funded active duty for more than 120 days for the purpose of serving in a war, emergency or contingency, you may be eligible for an exemption from CPC requirements.
Details about how to meet CPC requirements by the three methods above can be found in the CPC Program Manual and other documents listed in the Resources section below.
**Audits of compliance will be conducted after a license period ends.**
Resources
Select the link to view the form. To use the form’s fillable fields, download and open it from your computer.
- Continuing Professional Competency Program Manual - This document explains in detail continuing professional competency requirements and the CPD program.
- Professional Practice Survey and Self-Assessment - We recommend downloading this document and opening it in Adobe Reader to maximize the form's functionality. Use this form at the beginning of each license period to reflect on your practice and create learning goals that you will complete throughout the period. Save your completed form either electronically or in paper format. Practice Surveys will not be sent to the Board.
- Learning Plan - Use this form to record the completion of your Professional Development Hours (PDH), Professional Development Activities (PDA), and the learning goals that you created. Save a completed copy electronically or in paper-format and provide if you are selected for an audit (along with documentation as described in the PDA Chart).
- PDA Chart - This document summarizes the Professional Development Activities (PDA) or categories that you can choose to complete the required PDH (remember no more than 20 PDH in a single category can be accepted). For a detailed explanation of each category and documentation requirements, it is important that you read the Program Manual.
- Independent and Group Learning Form - Use this form to document any PDH completed in the Independent and Group Learning categories. If you are selected for an audit, you will provide this form to document any hours in these categories.
- Deem Status Verification Letter - This letter template may be completed by the employer of any certificate holder or licensee claiming Deem Status and stored with all CPC documentation. Completion of this letter is not required in order to claim Deem Status.
Contact Information
Division Wide Programs
Continuing Competency/Continuing Education
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-894-2363 | Fax: 303-869-0329 | Email: dora_dpo_continuedcompetency@state.co.us