West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals

www.wvcbapp.org

The purpose of WVCBAPP (West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals) is to certify addiction and prevention professionals in West Virginia, ensuring they have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide quality care and prevention services. This includes supporting the development of a skilled workforce, promoting high standards for prevention programs, and helping to address a wide range of at-risk behaviors through certified professionals.

Certification Levels in WV

  • PS I

    Level 1 certification, known as Prevention Specialist I (PSI), is granted to professionals whose primary duties involve providing direct services to consumers, such as delivering school prevention programs, facilitating youth and community groups, and similar activities.

  • PS II

    Level 2 certification, known as Prevention Specialist II (PSII), is granted to professionals involved in a broader range of prevention services, such as coordinating, advising, planning, administration, research, and development. This level is for highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals who can function with little or no supervision.

WVCBAPP PS Certification Guide

This manual serves as a resource for individuals seeking certification as Prevention Specialists, providing detailed requirements, processes, and ethical standards. 

The requirements for the Prevention Specialist Certification are as follows:


Level I Prevention Specialist


  • 2 years qualifying work experience (one year in direct services to the consumer)
  • Minimum of 2 year college degree or 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university (in community health, education or related field preferred) approved by WVCBAPP 12 credit hours must be in the content areas of the domains, which are listed in the Prevention Specialist Manual.
  • 300 hours education/training (180 hours must be prevention specific)
  • Must live or work 51% of the time in West Virginia 
  • Must pass the IC&RC International Prevention Specialist Examination (valid ID required)
  • Must adhere to a prevention code of ethics
  • Must re-certify every two years with 40 hours of continuing education, including 6 hours of SUD or prevention ethics


Level II Prevention Specialist


  • 4 years qualifying work experience
  • Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university of which 24 credit hours must be in the content areas of the domains, which are listed in the Prevention Specialist Manual.
  • 360 hours education/training (240 must be prevention specific)
  • Must live or work 51% of the time in West Virginia 
  • Must pass the IC&RC International Prevention Specialist Examination (valid ID required)
  • Must adhere to a prevention code of ethics
  • Must re-certify every two years with 40 hours of continuing education, including 6 hours of SUD or prevention ethics

Practice Exam Information

After successful acceptance of your PS application to WVCBAPP, you will be directed to register for an exam with the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC). To help you prepare for that exam, we have developed a practice test. 



Additional Study Resources

More resources are available here.