
Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA)
CDCA Training Schedule for February 2025
Register for each class.
Tuesday, February 4, 2024
11:00 am to 1:15 pm
2 CE Hours
Group Therapy: A Unique Approach
Instructor: Ashley Focht, M.Ed., LPCC-S, LICDC-CS
Register for Group Therapy: A Unique Approach
Thursday, February 6, 2024
10:00 am to 12:45 pm (15-minute break)
2.5 CE Hours
Cultural Humility in Group Work
Instructor: Diedre Fleming, LISW-S, LICDC-CS
Register for Cultural Humility in Group Work
Thursday, February 20, 2025
10:00 am to 12:45 pm (15-minute break)
2.5 CE Hours
Things You Can Change: Engagement Skills & Stigma in Treatment
Instructor: Matt Butler, LISW-S, LICDC-CS
Register for Things You Can Change: Engagement Skills & Stigma in Treatment
Thursday, February 27, 2025
10:00 am to 12:45 pm (15-minute break)
2.5 CE Hours
Diagnosis and the Use of SMART Goals in Treatment Planning
Instructor: Matt Butler, LISW-S, LICDC-CS
Register for Diagnosis and the Use of SMART Goals in Treatment Planning
About Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA)
A Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA) works with individuals, families, and communities affected by substance use disorders. They perform a variety of tasks, including assessment, treatment planning, crisis intervention, counseling, case management, education, and referrals.
Each year (usually in the late winter or early spring), the Ashtabula County MHRS Board hosts a CDCA Training Academy. Local experts provide live virtual training courses that meet some of the requirements for the CDCA Preliminary Certification. Additionally, the Ashtabula County MHRS Board provides a list of online training courses available at no cost that meet the remaining hours of training required for the Preliminary CDCA. Our live online trainings and the free online training courses offered through Ohio eBased Academy and The Ohio State University College of Social Work add up to the 40 hours of training required to apply for the CDCA Preliminary Certification. Please read the following steps of the CDCA Preliminary Certification process carefully.
STEPS OF THE CDCA PROCESS
1. Obtain a blank CDCA Grid from the Ohio Chemical Dependency Counselor Professionals Board website at www.ocdp.ohio.gov.
2. Obtain the list of ebased academy courses from the Ashtabula County MHRS Board website at www.ashtabulamhrs.org under the “EVENTS & TRAINING” tab by clicking on “CDCA Training Academy”.
3. Go to www.ebasedacademy.org and create an online account and search for the courses listed. You can also search for each content area (C1, C2, C8, etc.).
Visit https://osucosw.catalog.instructure.com/browse/careline to find additional online courses (you can also search by content area on this site).

4. You are ready to begin LEARNING! Complete your video courses on your own time and make sure you SAVE your certificates!
You do not need to complete your video courses to move on to the scheduled instructor-led courses; however, you might find them very helpful.
5. To register for the instructor-led courses go to www.ashtabulamhrs.org and find the “EVENTS & TRAINING” tab.
From the drop-down menu click on “CDCA TRAINING ACADEMY”. Each course will be listed separately. Under the title and description of each course, select “REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS” and enter your information.
6. Once you have successfully registered for all of the classes you are once again, ready to start LEARNING! Make sure you download and fill out your Education Grid as you attend each session. At each instructor-led training, you will be reminded of what content area the course falls under on your CDCA Preliminary Education Grid.
7. You will need to create an account on www.elicense.ohio.gov. Upload all of your certificates and your completed CDCA Preliminary Education Grid to the E-License Portal. There will be a $50.00 application fee.
8. Once you receive your license, it is only good for 13 months. After 10 months, you are required to have 30 additional hours of training to receive your RENEWABLE CDCA Certificate. Once awarded, it can be renewed every 2 years for as long as you keep it active.
For additional information or questions please contact the Ashtabula County MHRS Board at 440-992-3121 or visit the Ohio Dependency Professionals Board website at https://ocdp.ohio.gov/get-certified-licensed/treatment/cdca/01-cdca