Indiana Rules for Court-Administered Alcohol & Drug Programs

Section 30. Professional Requirements

Effective August 31, 2021

(a) A program must have written policies and procedures describing staff qualifications that comply with current rules requirements.

(b) All professional staff members hired after December 31, 2004, must obtain and maintain a Court Substance Abuse Management Specialist (CSAMS) credential* and will be allowed two years from the date of first hire as a professional staff member to complete the requirements for the CSAMS credential. The Indiana Office of Court Services shall award the CSAMS credential to each program staff member who provides written evidence of meeting the following requirements:

(1) A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

(2) At least nine months of full-time employment experience related to assessment, referral and case management of clients with substance abuse problems.

(3) The applicant must be employed at an Indiana Office of Court Services certified program.

(4) At least 500 hours of direct supervision within the last five years in the areas of assessment, referral and case management of substance abuse clients, with a minimum of 100 hours in assessment of clients. The 500- hour supervised practical training requirement is not required for program staff members who hold a current substance abuse certification recognized by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction or a current addictions counselor license regulated by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.

(5) The practical training must be supervised by a person who has at least two years of experience in the criminal justice field and one of the following:

(A) a current CSAMS credential;

(B) assessment staff status obtained under subsection (c);

(C) a current substance abuse certification recognized by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction, or a current addictions counselor license regulated by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.

(6) Attendance and completion of an Indiana Office of Court Services staff orientation training.

(7) A signed statement indicating that the applicant understands and will adhere to the CSAMS Code of Ethics and the Code of Judicial Conduct.

(8) A passing score on the CSAMS test obtained within the first two years from the date of initial hire as a professional staff member at a certified court alcohol and drug program.

(A) Applicant must submit a test registration form with a testing fee of $50 in the form of a cashier’s check, money order, or claim voucher payable to the Indiana Office of Court Services on or before the date of the test.

(B) The Indiana Office of Court Services will offer the written test a minimum of four times per year.

(C) An applicant may take the test a maximum of three times. An applicant who fails the test two times shall not be permitted to take the test again until after attending an Indiana Office of Court Services approved training in preparation for testing a third time.

(D) An applicant may take the test one time during the first year of hire as a professional staff member. Applicants passing the test within the first year of hire:

(i) must complete half of the required hours of supervised practical training under subsection (b)(4) of this section.

(9) A completed CSAMS application with all required documentation submitted to the Indiana Office of Court Services, Justice Services Division, Attention: CSAMS Credential.

(10) The program director shall approve and maintain documentation that each person with a CSAMS credential performed at least 15 hours each quarter of each calendar year in professional staff member duties in the staff member’s personnel file.

(11) The CSAMS credential must be maintained in accordance with subsection (f) of this section.

(12) A professional staff member who does not maintain his/her CSAMS credential by failing to obtain the required quarterly professional staff member hours is prohibited from continuing to perform his/her job functions as defined in Section 4 of these rules except as authorized by the Indiana Office of Court Services. The program director may submit a written exception request or accommodation for staff who do not meet their quarterly hour requirement. The Indiana Office of Court Services’ determination under this section may be appealed as outlined in section 10 of these rules. Reactivation of the CSAMS credential shall be in accordance with Section 30(f).

(c) A professional staff member hired before January 1, 2005, who performs client assessments and has achieved assessment staff status is not required to obtain the CSAMS credential. Assessment staff status shall be maintained as follows:

(1) The program director shall approve and maintain documentation that each person with assessment staff status performed at least 15 hours each quarter of each calendar year in professional staff member duties in the staff member’s personnel file.

(2) Assessment staff obtain continuing education as required by subsection (e) of this section.

(3) A professional staff member who does not maintain his/her assessment staff status by failing to obtain the required quarterly assessment hours is prohibited from continuing to perform his/her job functions as defined in Section 4 of these rules except as authorized by the Indiana Office of Court Services. The program director may submit a written exception request or accommodation for staff who do not meet their quarterly hour requirement. The Indiana Office of Court Services’ determination under this section may be appealed as outlined in section 10 of these rules. Reactivation of assessment staff status shall be in accordance with Section 30(f).

(d) All professional staff members employed after June 30, 2004, including program directors, shall attend a staff orientation program conducted by the Indiana Office of Court Services within one year from the date that the staff person is initially hired.*

(e) Continuing education.

(1) Each professional staff member shall obtain 12 hours of continuing education relevant to the staff member’s program job functions for each calendar year after the year in which the CSAMS credential or assessment staff status was obtained. At least six hours of the annual education requirement shall contain information on evidence-based practices.

(2) Each program director shall:

(A) approve and maintain documentation of the continuing education hours in the staff member’s personnel file; and

(B) no later than February 1 of each year, notify the Indiana Office of Court Services of any staff member who failed to fulfill the continuing education requirements for the previous year, the reason for the failure, and the proposed corrective action to be taken.

(3) A professional staff member who does not maintain his/her professional staff member status by failing to obtain the required annual continuing education hours is prohibited from performing his/her job functions as defined in Section 4 of these rules except as authorized by the Indiana Office of Court Services.

(A) The Indiana Office of Court Services shall send written notice to the supervising judge and program director of a professional staff member’s failure to maintain professional staff member status as required by this subsection.

(B) The Indiana Office of Court Services shall notify the supervising judge and program director in writing of the Indiana Office of Court Services’ decision to impose a suspension on a professional staff member’s ability to perform his/her job functions.

(C) The decision of the Indiana Office of Court Services becomes final on the thirtieth day following the date of the written notification to the supervising judge unless the supervising judge submits specific written objections to the Indiana Office of Court Services before the expiration of the 30-day period.

(D) If the Indiana Office of Court Services and the supervising judge are unable to resolve all points of contention, the supervising judge may request a hearing in accordance with Section 14 of these rules.

(f) Reactivation of professional staff member status.

(1) A person who is no longer employed by a certified court alcohol and drug program as a professional staff member may allow the person’s CSAMS credential or assessment staff status to become inactive for a period of not more than three years from the date last employed as a professional staff member by a certified program.

(2) To reactivate the person’s professional staff member status, the person shall:

(A) If no more than one year has elapsed since the date of last employment as a professional staff member with a certified program, the person shall document that the person obtained the required continuing education hours for the months of the initial year of re- employment as a professional staff member and thereafter in accordance with these rules.

(B) If at least one year but no more than three years have elapsed since the date of last employment as a professional staff member with a certified program, the person shall document that the person obtained the required continuing education hours for the months of the initial year of re-employment as a professional staff member and thereafter in accordance with these rules, and shall attend a staff orientation program conducted by the Indiana Office of Court Services within one year from the date that the person resumes employment as a professional staff person.

(3) A person whose professional staff member status is reactivated under this subsection is exempt from the requirements in subsection 30(b).

(4) A person who is no longer employed by a certified court alcohol and drug program as a professional staff member for a period more than three years from the date of last employment with a certified program is required to obtain the CSAMS credential in accordance with subsection (b) of this section upon re-employment as a professional staff member.