Support for Alternative Pathways to Practice for Experienced Substance Abuse Professionals In support of Bill HB1282 Members of the Committee, I respectfully urge you to consider legislation that creates alternative pathways to practice for individuals who possess extensive experience and education in substance abuse treatment but do not currently hold a valid state license. Why this matters 1. Addressing the Workforce Shortage Our state is facing a critical shortage of qualified behavioral health and substance abuse professionals. At a time when overdose rates, mental health crises, and treatment waitlists continue to rise, we cannot afford to exclude capable, experienced individuals who are ready to serve. 2. Valuing Real-World Experience Many professionals have spent years working in recovery support, peer services, community programs, case management, or prevention education. Their hands-on experience with high-risk populations often exceeds the practical training of newly licensed professionals. Alternative pathways allow the state to recognize competency gained through experience, not just traditional academic routes. 3. Expanding Access to Care—Especially in Underserved Areas Rural and low-income communities are disproportionately affected by provider shortages. Allowing experienced practitioners to qualify through supervised practice, competency exams, or provisional credentials can rapidly expand access to lifesaving services. 4. Supporting Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care Individuals with lived experience and long-term recovery work bring credibility, cultural competence, and trust to the populations they serve. Research consistently shows that peer-informed and experience-based support improves engagement and retention in treatment. 5. Maintaining Public Safety While Increasing Access Alternative pathways do not lower standards—they modernize them. Requirements such as: • Supervised practice hours • Background checks • Competency examinations • Continuing education • Time-limited provisional licenses ensure accountability while removing unnecessary barriers. 6. Economic and Community Impact Expanding the qualified workforce reduces emergency room use, incarceration costs, and lost productivity. Every additional trained provider increases treatment access, supports family stability, and strengthens community health. Conclusion This bill is not about lowering professional standards—it is about recognizing competence, expanding capacity, and responding to a public health emergency with practical solutions. By creating structured alternative pathways, the state can responsibly bring experienced, dedicated professionals into the workforce and save lives. Thank you for your consideration and your commitment to improving behavioral health care in our communities.

Based on my professional experience as a certified addictions counselor in Virginia, I have directly observed that counselor competence and therapeutic effectiveness are driven more by the quality and depth of supervised clinical experience than by performance on subjective or exam-based assessments alone. I was trained by highly experienced clinicians who were grandfathered into licensure and whose extensive practical expertise, clinical judgment, and application of evidence-informed treatment models—including structured use of 12-step recovery frameworks—significantly enhanced treatment engagement, retention, and recovery outcomes. This experience underscores a critical distinction in counselor preparation: standardized testing may assess theoretical knowledge, but it does not reliably measure clinical skill, therapeutic alliance, ethical decision-making, or real-world treatment effectiveness. These competencies are developed through sustained, supervised practice with diverse client populations. Establishing an alternative licensure pathway that places greater emphasis on supervised clinical experience would strengthen the counseling workforce without compromising quality of care. In the context of a nationwide shortage of mental health and substance use disorder professionals, this approach preserves clinical rigor, expands access to qualified providers, and prioritizes therapeutic outcomes and public safety.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing in strong support of House Bill HB1282 (Cole, J.G.), a bill that is both timely and necessary in addressing the ongoing substance use and addiction crisis in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia continues to face a critical shortage of qualified and accessible substance use treatment providers. This shortage has serious consequences. Individuals and families seeking help often encounter long waitlists, limited provider availability, or barriers that prevent experienced professionals from practicing to the full extent of their training and expertise. House Bill HB1282 directly addresses these challenges while maintaining the integrity and standards of care within the substance abuse treatment field. Importantly, this bill does not lower or weaken professional requirements. It upholds established standards, ethical obligations, and competency expectations for practitioners. What it does recognize is that experience matters—especially when professionals have spent ten or more years practicing under supervision and meeting all required standards. House Bill HB1282 responsibly removes unnecessary barriers for long-standing, qualified professionals who have already demonstrated competence and accountability. Requiring indefinite supervision for individuals who have fulfilled all expectations serves as an administrative obstacle rather than a public safety safeguard. This bill allows those practitioners to move forward with full credentialing while remaining subject to licensure requirements, ethical oversight, and regulatory accountability. Additionally, this bill expands access to care at a time when access is urgently needed. Virginia is facing a fentanyl crisis, with overdose deaths continuing to rise and families and communities suffering profound loss. Every barrier that delays treatment increases the risk of preventable harm and loss of life. Substance use disorder is a complex, chronic condition that requires timely, consistent, and qualified care. When experienced providers are restricted from practicing independently, those seeking help are the ones most affected. House Bill HB1282 strengthens Virginia’s treatment infrastructure by retaining experienced providers, increasing access to care, and ensuring professional standards remain intact. This legislation is not about convenience—it is about capacity, safety, and saving lives. For these reasons, I support House Bill HB1282 because it addresses provider shortages, maintains professional standards, removes unnecessary barriers for qualified practitioners, expands access to care during an overdose crisis, and has the potential to save lives. I respectfully urge support for this bill and thank you for your continued commitment to the health and well-being of the Commonwealth of Virginia. ---

I support this bill provided that the person has the proper degree and experience in this field.

I support HB1282 as a result of the specific professional requirements met as a result of experiential learning: Certified as a substance abuse counselor for at least 10 years and is actively practicing; Completed a master's degree within appropriate field of counseling; Completed a minimum of 5 years of documented supervised experience; and holds a Master Addition Counselor credential issued by the professional organization NAADAC supersedes any further required examination as a result of the experiential years of knowledge actively acquired within the counseling field.

Support for Alternative Pathways to Practice for Experienced Substance Abuse Professionals In support of HB1282 Members of the Committee, I respectfully urge you to consider legislation that creates alternative pathways to practice for individuals who possess extensive experience and education in substance abuse treatment but do not currently hold a valid state license. Why this matters 1. Addressing the Workforce Shortage Our state is facing a critical shortage of qualified behavioral health and substance abuse professionals. At a time when overdose rates, mental health crises, and treatment waitlists continue to rise, we cannot afford to exclude capable, experienced individuals who are ready to serve. 2. Valuing Real-World Experience Many professionals have spent years working in recovery support, peer services, community programs, case management, or prevention education. Their hands-on experience with high-risk populations often exceeds the practical training of newly licensed professionals. Alternative pathways allow the state to recognize competency gained through experience, not just traditional academic routes. 3. Expanding Access to Care—Especially in Underserved Areas Rural and low-income communities are disproportionately affected by provider shortages. Allowing experienced practitioners to qualify through supervised practice, competency exams, or provisional credentials can rapidly expand access to lifesaving services. 4. Supporting Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care Individuals with lived experience and long-term recovery work bring credibility, cultural competence, and trust to the populations they serve. Research consistently shows that peer-informed and experience-based support improves engagement and retention in treatment. 5. Maintaining Public Safety While Increasing Access Alternative pathways do not lower standards—they modernize them. Requirements such as: - Supervised practice hours - Background checks - Competency examinations - Continuing education - Time-limited provisional licenses ensure accountability while removing unnecessary barriers. 6. Economic and Community Impact Expanding the qualified workforce reduces emergency room use, incarceration costs, and lost productivity. Every additional trained provider increases treatment access, supports family stability, and strengthens community health. Conclusion This bill is not about lowering professional standards—it is about recognizing competence, expanding capacity, and responding to a public health emergency with practical solutions. By creating structured alternative pathways, the state can responsibly bring experienced, dedicated professionals into the workforce and save lives. Thank you for your consideration and your commitment to improving behavioral health care in our communities.

To whom it may concern, I am reaching out regarding House Bill, which I support for the following reason: Firstly, there remains a significant shortage in Virginia concerning the treatment of individuals with addictions. Secondly, this bill does not reduce the standards expected in the substance abuse field. Thirdly, it removes barriers for those who have practiced for over a decade under the supervision of a licensed professional. This change will enable these individuals to pursue credentialing independently, as they have fulfilled all necessary requirements. I firmly believe that this bill has the potential to save lives, especially in light of the ongoing fentanyl crisis, which continues to claim lives due to drug overdoses. Thank you for your time, Kevin Williams

To whom this may concern, I am grateful for this platform and opportunity to present my reasons for supporting the aforementioned bill. This bill establishes an additional licensure by endorsement pathway for substance abuse treatment practitioners who meet defined education, experience, and credentialing requirements. It does not replace existing licensure pathways or remove current regulatory standards. Eligibility under this pathway requires at least ten years of certification as a certified substance abuse counselor, a minimum of five years of documented supervised experience, a master’s degree in an appropriate counseling-related field, and a Master Addiction Counselor credential issued by NAADAC. These criteria reflect long-term professional practice and formal training. Virginia continues to experience increased demand for substance use and mental health services. Workforce shortages in these areas have contributed to delays in access to care. This proposal supports workforce capacity by allowing the Board of Counseling to recognize professional equivalency for a limited group of experienced practitioners, reducing unnecessary administrative barriers while maintaining existing safeguards. The pathway does not eliminate public protections. All education, supervision, and credentialing requirements remain in place. It provides a more efficient route to licensure for practitioners who have already demonstrated sustained competency through years of regulated practice. Respectfully, Elison Epperson Angelo Recovery, Office Assistant

I support HB1282-Cole because I believe we still have a shortage in the state of Virginia when it comes to treating people that have addictions. Reason two. This bill does not lessen the requirements that is expected to be in the substance abuse field. Reason three. This bill also take away any barriers for someone who's been practicing for over 10 years under supervision of another licensed person. This will give that person the opportunity now to be able to go forward with all of the credentialing without any forms of supervision because they've done it all and what was required of them. I believe this bill will help to save lives due to the fact that we have a fentanyl crisis and people are still dying from overdosing drug addiction.