How to Become an Addiction Counselor in New York

New York credentials addiction counselors through the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), the state agency that oversees SUD services. The core credential is the CASAC series, issued in tiers.

Credential tiers

• CASAC-T (Trainee) — awarded after required education hours; authorizes supervised work while accruing experience toward CASAC.
• CASAC — OASAS-approved education, supervised work in an OASAS-certified program, and the written exam.
• CASAC-Advanced Counselor (CASAC-G) — master's degree in an approved field with additional supervised experience and the advanced exam.

Adjacent licenses

LMHC is a separate mental-health license issued by the New York State Education Department's Office of the Professions. It follows a different pathway from OASAS CASAC credentials.

What this page is not

A structural reference. Not career advice. Not a substitute for the exact hour totals and application forms published by OASAS.