Guided by Standards, Grounded in Integrity.

Legislation and policies shape the way addiction counselling
is practiced in Canada.

CACCF works to ensure our certifications and ethical frameworks align with current laws and professional standards. Here you’ll find resources that explain how these policies affect counsellors, employers, and clients. By staying informed and engaged, our members continue to deliver safe, ethical, and effective care across diverse communities.

Our mandate is to protect the public.

CACCF is Internationally recognized as the gold standard provider in addiction credentialing both in Canada and on the international stage. We follow best practices related to the issuance of addiction credentialing as clinically researched and confirmed by the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium.

CACCF promotes, certifies and monitors the competency of addiction specific counsellors in Canada using current and effective practices, which are internationally recognized. We certify thousands of Addiction Counsellors across Canada. The certifications CACCF issues along with our professional conduct review process provide public protection for counsellors, employers, regulatory agencies, clients and their families.

The Risk to the Public

At the most vulnerable time in people’s lives, when they most need the help of a competent, trained and certified counsellor, clients might currently be subjected to someone themselves suffering from mental health and addictions challenges.

These clients might fall prey to those who would victimize them for money, for drugs, or for sex, taking advantage of their addiction. And perhaps worse yet, clients might be victimized by known predators that have had all of their certifications stripped, perhaps even had a lifetime ban, but in parts of Canada – can just relocate and victimize clients in a new location.

The Solution – Regulation Initiatives

Unlike the United States, where virtually every state mandates the credentialing and certification of Addiction Counsellors, in Canada it’s too often the Wild West. Few provinces have taken steps to ensure that practicing Addiction Counsellors are certified and that professional standards are maintained.

Some provinces have signaled they have a keen interest in regulating the addiction counsellors’ space and are taking steps to enhance the professionalism of the industry and to protect the public from bad actors.

CACCF has submitted drafted legislation to the Ontario government to ensure that vulnerable Ontarians can ensure that their addiction counsellors are trained, certified, and in good standing with CACCF.

For information about our advocacy efforts in your province, please reach out us a info@caccf.ca