October 2011 was a banner month for IC&RC. In sunny Orlando, Florida, we celebrated our 30th Anniversary with a bang:

• The inaugural meeting of our advisory council of international experts

• A successful meeting of our board of directors

• Our first conference for professionals

Each of these events reflects our core value of protecting the public—through collaboration, responsible leadership and education. We look forward to continuing all of these efforts for the next 30 years of our organization.

It is with special pride that IC&RC celebrates the 2011 Fall Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. Not only will we be continuing our celebration of the organization’s 30th anniversary, but it will also kickoff two new initiatives. The Advisory Council will meet for the first time the Monday prior to our meeting, and IC&RC’s firstever, training conference—“ A Principled Practice: Ethics in Addiction Treatment and Prevention”—will take place immediately after the IC&RC meeting. This conference is a part of our expansion into services for professionals.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated, “We know what can and needs to be done to help reduce the burden of psychoactive substance abuse,” in reference to the reported 2.5 million people who die annually from alcohol consumption alone. Sadly, that number includes the 9 percent of all deaths from the 15- to 29-year age group, which now exceeds deaths from AIDS among youth. Add to this the 15.3 million youth who have drug use disorders, we have a horrendous world problem. If, as the WHO suggests, we know what needs to be done, the question is why aren’t we doing it?

Over the years, we have talked about supply and demand and have developed strategies around both. I have no qualifications to speak on reducing the supply through enforcement; I leave that to such experts as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. What I do know is that sending out messages like “Just Say No” just doesn’t cut it. Those words didn’t have an impact on me living in one of the wealthiest countries, so it is hard to imagine them having any impact on me if I were impoverished and hopeless.

So, there are no simple solutions. That does not mean we shouldn’t try. On both the prevention and treatment sides, I believe the best solution is workforce development: recruitment, training and credentialing of competent professionals; lobbying governments and creating political will; and finding the resources needed to do the job. We are witnessing growth around the world in workforce development. I am encouraged with the development of IC&RC’s first regional board: the Nordic/Baltic Regional Certification Board (NBRCB), which brings together Iceland, Lithuania, Denmark, Latvia, Finland, Norway, Estonia and Sweden. We are also welcoming applications from such jurisdictions as Hong Kong.

In South Africa, a number of organizations and government officials convened to establish the first certification board in that country and apply for IC&RC membership. The vision is to eventually evolve to a number of boards, similar to the structure in the United States. Assisting them in this development is IC&RC’s Criminal Justice Committee Chair Donna Johnson, who has and will continue to do extensive training in that part of the world. Having trained and credentialed staff will go a long way to the success and expansion of new programs to reduce the burden of addiction – and the health and social problems it brings – on that society.

One of the lessons we learn again and again in this work is that other countries may have different standards – based on different cultures. Therefore, we need to be innovative to meet their needs. IC&RC continually investigates the governance and operational structures that would best achieve the advancement of workforce development across the world. Last year, the organization created an Associated Certification Board (ACB) membership category, which allows new boards to become part of IC&RC, by meeting different reciprocal standards and to utilize a modified exam.

However, reaching our goal of worldwide workforce development is a monumental task, one that requires a collaborative effort. With that in mind, IC&RC has had productive discussions with the National Certification Commission and is pleased to have a meeting planned with the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC), NAADAC The Association for Addiction Professionals, and an alliance from Asia. We will report news of these collaborations as they evolve.

The old saying goes, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” We have the will. Let’s find the way.

Jeff Wilbee is the Executive Director of the Canadian Addictions Certification Federation and operates a consulting and speaking business called Discovering Recovery. He is Past President of IC&RC and currently chairs the organization’s International and Cultural Affairs Committee. IC&RC protects the public by establishing standards and facilitating reciprocity for the credentialing of addiction-related professionals. Incorporated in 1981, the organization represents 40,000 professionals and 75 member boards, including 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, two U.S. territories, and all branches of the U.S. military. Members also include 22 countries and six Native American areas.

Last April in Denver, Colorado, more than 75 delegates from IC&RC Member Boards gathered to set the direction for the future of the international organization. As the kickoff to the organization’s 30^th anniversary year, the Spring 2011 Meeting was special.

Being in Colorado was made all the more celebratory when the Colorado Prevention Certification Board was joyfully welcomed into the organization. Carmelita Muniz, Mary Anne Burdick, and Cheryl Reid represented the new board at the meeting and already made their contributions clear.

Celebrating 30 Years

IC&RC President Rhonda Messamore opened the meeting with a heartfelt speech about the anniversary.

“According to some traditions, the 30^th wedding anniversary is the pearl anniversary. We’ve taken the pearl as a symbol for this year. Think about it: a pearl begins as a grain of sand, but oh-so-slowly, over time, the oyster turns this irritation into a beautiful treasure. A pearl represents healing from imperfection, creating beauty and meaning from pain,” Messamore said. “This imagery resonated strongly for me, and I hope it does for you too. Our very work has, at its foundation, a world of hurt—the pain that drives addiction, and the pain that it causes in individuals, in families and in communities. But slowly, with persistence, through the long, hard effort of counselors and prevention specialists, many of these wounds have been healed—and miraculous beauty has come from them.”

With the milestone election of President Obama, we all knew that change was coming; and in the two years since his inauguration, there has been change aplenty. Two policies—health care reform and the National Drug Strategy—have the potential to completely transform our profession. The complicated process of writing regulations is underway, and we must all wait to learn how exactly our practices and funding streams will be affected.

Over the last several years, IC&RC has been steadily working to strengthen its organizational structure and prepare for the inevitable changes that will occur in our profession. In that time, it has become clear that the election of President Obama will usher in new policies that will change the way we all do business. Both Health Care Reform and the National Drug Strategy could radically alter the fields of addiction and prevention.
Looking ahead, IC&RC is glad to have strategic plans in place for its business operations, federal policy outreach and marketing efforts, thanks to the dedicated effort of many volunteers. The IC&RC Strategic Marketing Plan, specifically, was approved by the Executive Committee in March 2010, and the staff and marketing committee has been busy implementing its recommendations.

Refreshing Our Identity.
In May, we proudly unveiled a revised logo.  A new typeface and subtle shift in color brought the graphic identity up-to-date, and it incorporates the new tagline, “Setting Global Standards for Addiction Professionals.”

Soon, you’ll be seeing this logo on new materials—electronic and printed, as well as on member board websites.

Creating an Online Presence.
IC&RC is also building its online presence through social networking. If you’re on Facebook, come visit the IC&RC page at  http://www.face
book.com/internationalcredentialing. We recently hit the 100-member mark, and we’d love to keep growing! You can also keep up with new
posts to the IC&RC Insights blog on Twitter: @ICRCcredentials.

Participating in Conferences.
Conferences are an important form of outreach that promote our organization and facilitate discussions with colleagues. In the last several months, IC&RC has been represented at a number of conferences.  

In April, Executive Director Mary Jo Mather and Federal Policy Liaison, Andrew Kessler attended the National Institute of Drug Abuse Blending Conference in Albuquerque, NM.

Many presentations from this conference are available online at http://www.seiservices.com/blendingalbuquerque/topics.aspx.

Stefán Jóhannsson, of the International & Cultural Affairs Committee, attended UK/European Symposium on Addictive Disorders in London, England from May 13 to 15. In addition to sponsoring the lanyard, there was an IC&RC brochure in every conference bag. Jóhannsson presented on “The X-factors” and accreditation of staff as a part of a panel with David Finney, Susan Waine, Rebecca Flood and David Parker. He summarized, “Slowly but surely, IC&RC is becoming well known in many countries.”

Donna Johnson, Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee, travels extensively discussing IC&RC, including the National Association of Drug Court Professionals conference in Boston, MA in early June. IC&RC shared an exhibit booth with the California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC), and Johnson was able to distribute brochures and have many fruitful conversations.

Lastly, Julie Stevens, Chair of the Prevention Committee, attended Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s 20th Anniversary National Leadership Forum on our behalf. In the midst of a record snowstorm, attendance was down. Stevens was optimistic, “Unfortunately the weather conditions left us with less than ideal outcome, but hopefully it won’t happen again.”

Moving forward
In the coming months and years, IC&RC will be unveiling new marketing materials and initiatives. We welcome our members, certified professionals and the field at large to join the conversation. We want to hear from you on Facebook, Twitter or by email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Kay Glass is the Marketing Director for IC&RC, the international organization that protects the public by establishing standards and facilitating reciprocity for the credentialing of addiction-related professionals.