CGAC-I - Testing Requirements

CGAC I - Initial Certification

The CGAC Testing application will be assigned to you after you complete the CGAC-R Certification in Certemy.

The CGAC requires credentialing, education, supervised experience hours and successful completion of a written examination. Education and/or Credentialing Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the behavioral health field such as license or certification in a recognized behavioral health field (i.e. psychology, addictions, clinical social work). Educational coursework for degree requirement must include the following:
  • Basic Counseling Skills
  • Group Counseling Skills
  • Counseling Ethics
  • Counseling Diverse Populations
  • Coexisting Disorders, or Multiple Diagnosis, or Dual Diagnosis, etc
• 30 Hours Problem/Compulsive Gambling Education. All education hours must be accredited or approved by a recognized/approved accreditation body. A minimum of 2 hours is required in following categories:
  • Gambling Client Assessment/Intake
  • Gambling Financial Planning & Budgeting
  • Gambling Counseling (Individual, Group, Family)
  • Gambling Case Management
  • Professional Responsibility and Ethics
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Co-occurring Disorders
• 500 Hours of Supervised Experience in the Gambling Addiction Counselor Domains Experience
  • Experience may include any gambling specific counseling services rendered in the Four Domains; Clinical, Documentation, Administrative and Client Advocacy. (1 Full Time Month = 160 experience hours).
  • Included in the experience must be a minimum of 100 hours as a gambling counselor delivering direct treatment to problem/disordered gambler and significant others.
• 24 hours of face-to-face, telephone, email, or other electronic communication clinical supervision from a qualified problem gambling treatment certification clinical supervisor.
• Code of Conduct (signed and dated)
• International Certification Examination for Gambling Counselors
  • Passing score on the International Certification Examination for Gambling Counselors professional psychometric national certification examination from the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board

• Recommended Study Material for CGAC Exam

• IGCCB Exam Prep Book
• IGCCB Exam Prep eCourse

CGAC Recertification

Recertification occurs every two years.  Certified CGACs must submit 40 hours of continuing education every two years, which must include 6 hours of Ethics Training and update their certification file with any changes (address, phone, email, etc.).