- What This Credential Actually Is
- Facts You Can Confirm vs. Facts That Are Unpublished
- The 52 Domains Grouped Into Eight Clusters
- Core Clinical Sheet: Pharmacology, Alcoholism, Intervention
- Ethics, Law and Regulation Sheet
- Faith-Integration Sheet
- Special Populations and Crisis Sheet
- Written and Interview Domains
- Sequencing Your Review Around the Cheat Sheet
- Where the Credential Leads
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CDAAC means Christian Drug, Alcohol & Addictions Counselor, issued through the Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors (ACADC).
- The ACADC curriculum page lists 52 domains, and they are unweighted preparation topics, not an official exam blueprint.
- No official question count, timer, passing score, or fee was established in the source material, so treat any such figure as unverified.
- Education-hour figures conflict: requirements information lists 315 hours while tuition information states 155 hours, and no reconciliation exists.
What This Credential Actually Is
This cheat sheet covers one credential only: the Christian Drug, Alcohol & Addictions Counselor, abbreviated CDAAC, offered through the Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors. Several other credentials in the counseling world share a similar acronym, and their certifying bodies, fees, and exam formats are entirely different. Nothing on this page should be read as describing any of them. If you want a fuller orientation first, start with What Is CDAAC? or the shorter explainer What Does CDAAC Stand For?.
The defining feature of the CDAAC pathway is that it is a curriculum-driven credential. The issuer publishes a core curriculum of 52 numbered domains, each tied to specific books, chapters, page ranges, and numbered Life Principles from the Life Principles Bible (New King James Version, edited by Dr. Charles Stanley). The pathway requires passing the CDAAC examination. That means your preparation is less about memorizing a free-floating body of knowledge and more about mastering a defined reading list. The one-page review below is organized around that reality.
Facts You Can Confirm vs. Facts That Are Unpublished
A trustworthy cheat sheet separates what is documented from what is rumored. Here is the honest status of the key logistics, based on the ACADC curriculum page (revision dated 06/16).
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Certifying organization | Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors (ACADC) |
| Number of curriculum domains listed | 52, presented as preparation modules |
| Domain weighting or percentages | Not published; domains are unweighted preparation topics |
| Exam question count | Not established in the supplied source |
| Exam time limit | Not established in the supplied source |
| Passing score | Not established in the supplied source |
| Exam and registration fees | Not established in the supplied source |
| Education hours | Conflict: 315 hours (requirements info) vs. 155 hours (tuition info); unreconciled |
| Passing the CDAAC examination | Required for the pathway |
If a website, forum post, or classmate quotes you a precise question count, cut score, or pass rate for this credential, ask for the primary source. The pages on CDAAC passing score, CDAAC certification cost, and CDAAC pass rate explain what can and cannot be said responsibly about each.
The 52 Domains Grouped Into Eight Clusters
Fifty-two domains are too many to hold in your head as a flat list. Grouping them makes the curriculum scannable. The clusters below are a study aid, not an official categorization. For the full individual listing, see CDAAC Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 52 Content Areas.
| Cluster | Domains |
|---|---|
| Core addiction clinical | 1 Introduction to Drug, Alcohol and Addiction Counseling; 2 Alcoholism; 3 Basic Pharmacology; 4 Addiction Intervention; 10 Co-Occurring Disorders; 18 Non-Substance Addictions |
| Counseling skills and theory | 7 Counseling Theories and Practice; 9 Group Skills; 24 Communication Skills; 49 Conflict Resolution |
| Ethics, law and regulation | 13 God & Government; 17 Law, Ethics, and Morality; 26 Operating Recovery Programs; 40 Regulations governing the practice of Substance Abuse Counseling; 43 12 Core Functions, Tap 21 and DSM-IV |
| Emotional and relational healing | 5 Breaking the Power of Shame; 8 Anger Management; 16 Codependency; 19 Rejection and the Wounded Heart; 33 Inferiority and Self-worth; 34 Overcoming Attachment Disorders; 27 Bonding, Relationships and Intimacy |
| Family and marriage | 6 Family Systems; 28 Premarital Counseling; 29 Divorce & Separation; 31 Parenting; 35 Marriage & Family Counseling; 36 The Art of Submission |
| Special populations and crisis | 11 Counseling Seniors; 12 Domestic Violence; 14 Mental Health & Psychiatric Counseling; 15 Counseling with Prisoners & Parolees; 20 Crisis, Trauma and PTSD Counseling; 25 Suicide Intervention; 32 Gender Differences; 37 Mid-Life Crises; 38 HIV / AIDS and Sexually Transmitted and Communicable Diseases; 39 Multicultural Counseling; 41 Alternative Lifestyles |
| Spiritual formation and discernment | 21 Aptitude & Spiritual Gift Inventory; 22 12 Step / 8 Beattitude Therapy; 23 Discerning Spiritual Conditions & Spiritual Intervention; 42 Intimacy with God; 44 The Art of Surrender; 45 Intimacy with God & Practicing His Presence; 47 Dangerous Belief Systems & Practices; 48 Living in the Sufficiency of God |
| Professional perspective and written work | 30 Financial Stewardship; 46 Significant Issues for the field of Addiction Counseling; 50 and 51 Avoiding the Therapeutic Pitfalls of the Modern Clinician I and II; 52 Professional and Spiritual Growth |
Core Clinical Sheet: Pharmacology, Alcoholism, Intervention
The clinical heart of the curriculum rests heavily on Robert R. Perkinson's Chemical Dependency Counseling (4th edition), which appears in a large share of the domains. Learning where Perkinson is assigned tells you where the clinical content lives.
Domain 3: Basic Pharmacology
This domain pairs the introduction and Chapters 1 through 3 of Robert M. Julien's A Primer of Drug Action with Appendix 55 (pages 651-693) of Perkinson.
- Know the framing of the Julien primer: actions, uses, and side effects of psychoactive drugs.
- Be able to discuss how different drug classes affect the body and behavior in plain, non-technical language, since the source is explicitly a concise, non-technical guide.
- Appendix 55 is also referenced in Domain 14, so pharmacology and psychiatric counseling overlap.
Domain 2: Alcoholism
Sources include June Hunt's Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Breaking Free and Staying Free (Chapter 4, page 41 of Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook), Dick B.'s The Good Book and The Big Book (Preface and Chapters 1 through 3), Life Principle 7, and Perkinson pages 19-21.
- Expect the curriculum to connect alcoholism counseling with the historical roots of Alcoholics Anonymous as presented by Dick B.
- Carry both the clinical definition material from Perkinson and the biblical-counseling framing from Hunt.
Domain 4: Addiction Intervention
The reading is compact: Life Principle 15 and Perkinson pages 72-78. Because the source footprint is small, know those pages thoroughly rather than reaching for outside intervention models you cannot attribute.
Domain 10: Co-Occurring Disorders
This is one of the larger assigned passages: Perkinson Chapter 11, pages 157-195, plus Life Principle 9. Treat it as a substantial block rather than a quick topic, and connect it forward to Domain 14 on mental health and psychiatric counseling.
For a deeper treatment of how these clinical domains are tested and how to pace them, see the CDAAC Study Guide.
Ethics, Law and Regulation Sheet
Candidates often underestimate this cluster because it feels dry next to the counseling-skills material. It is also the cluster where a precise source list helps most.
- Domain 17, Law, Ethics, and Morality: anchored by the Association of Christian Alcohol & Drug Counselors Code of Conduct, Life Principle 14, Chapter 6 of Gary Collins's Christian Counseling (3rd edition), and Perkinson Chapter 16 plus Appendix 67 (page 807). Read the ACADC Code of Conduct itself, not just a summary of it.
- Domain 40, Regulations governing the practice of Substance Abuse Counseling: references California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 9, Division 4, Chapter 8 (counselor certification regulations, referenced through Breining) and HIPAA health information protection regulations.
- Domain 26, Operating Recovery Programs: uses the same California regulations source alongside Life Principle 4.
- Domain 43, 12 Core Functions, Tap 21 and DSM-IV: draws on Perkinson pages 67-78 and Chapter 3 (pages 31-51), Addiction Severity Index (ASI) administration, TAP 21 competencies for clinical supervisors, and CSAC core function references.
- Domain 13, God & Government: uses Charles Colson's God & Government (pages 313-318), David Barton's Original Intent (pages 13-20), Life Principles 11 and 16, and ACLJ resources on current court decisions and litigation.
Faith-Integration Sheet
What separates this credential from a secular addiction counselor certificate is the faith-integration layer. A large portion of the 52 domains asks you to know specific Christian counseling resources and to reason from them. Memorize the anchor texts:
- Life Principles Bible: nearly every domain cites a numbered Life Principle. Domain 1 uses Life Principle 1, Domain 2 uses 7, Domain 4 uses 15, Domain 9 uses 28, Domain 17 uses 14, and so on. Learn the number-to-domain mapping.
- June Hunt, Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook: the single most-cited secondary source, covering topics such as guilt, anger, rejection, self-worth, parenting, suicide prevention, divorce, and financial freedom.
- Neil T. Anderson: Christ Centered Therapy (Domains 7 and 14), The Bondage Breaker (Domain 23), and The Steps to Freedom in Christ (Domain 47).
- Domain 22, 12 Step / 8 Beattitude Therapy: Dick B., The Good Book and The Big Book, Chapter 5, pages 131-175, plus Perkinson Chapter 9, pages 133-140.
- Domain 23, Discerning Spiritual Conditions & Spiritual Intervention: Bob DeWaay's material on discerning of spirits and an essay topic on guidelines for spiritual discernment, presented as issuer curriculum.
Key Takeaway
Build a one-page index card for each major author (Hunt, Perkinson, Anderson, Collins, Stanley) listing which domains cite them. When you see a topic, you can immediately recall which author's framework the curriculum expects.
Special Populations and Crisis Sheet
This cluster is the broadest and the easiest place to lose points through vague recall. Each domain has a short, specific source list, so match topic to source.
Domains 20 and 25: Crisis, Trauma, PTSD and Suicide Intervention
Domain 20 cites pages 387-408 of Caring for People God's Way (Clinton, Hart, Ohlschlager), Collins chapters 38 and 39, Perkinson appendices 61 and 62, and Life Principle 12. Domain 25 cites Hunt's suicide prevention chapter (pages 395-405), pages 331-360 of Caring for People God's Way, and Life Principle 20.
- Know that the same Clinton/Hart/Ohlschlager volume supports both domains.
- Be ready to reason about safety and intervention steps in a counseling scenario, not merely define terms.
Domains 11, 12, 15 and 39
Seniors (Collins chapter 17, Perkinson pages 186-187), domestic violence (Hunt's chapter on assault on a woman's worth), prisoners and parolees (Lennie Spitale's Prison Ministry, pages 3-12), and multicultural counseling (a study of Romans plus Collins chapter 7). These are short, so shallow familiarity is a real risk. Review the actual passages.
Domain 38: HIV / AIDS and Sexually Transmitted and Communicable Diseases
Anchored in CDC informational resources and Life Principle 5. Because the source is a public-health reference, expect factual, current-information framing rather than purely devotional content.
Written and Interview Domains
Not every domain is a pure reading domain. Several are built around assignments that shape how you should prepare:
- Domain 46, Significant Issues for the field of Addiction Counseling: an interview with a recovery professional about current moral, social, or legal issues, plus a written report.
- Domain 50: Richard Ganz's PsychoBabble with a written theme paper on The Failure of Modern Psychology.
- Domain 51: Deceptive Diagnosis with a written theme paper on When Sin is Called Sickness.
- Domain 52: the Psychology and the Church DVD and an essay on whether the Bible and psychology mix.
- Domain 21: completion of a spiritual gifts inventory alongside David Hocking's Spiritual Gifts.
These domains reflect the issuer's particular perspective on modern psychology. Understand the argument each assigned text makes so you can discuss it accurately, while remembering these are the issuer's views and not contemporary clinical consensus.
Sequencing Your Review Around the Cheat Sheet
Because the domains are unweighted, there is no official basis for spending more time on one over another, so sequence by dependency and source density instead. A simple arrangement that follows the clusters above:
Core clinical foundation
- Domains 1, 2, 3 and 4 with Perkinson and Julien open side by side.
- Note which Life Principles attach to each.
Ethics, regulation and clinical frameworks
- Domains 17, 40, 26 and 43, reading the ACADC Code of Conduct directly.
- Then Domains 10 and 14, since co-occurring and psychiatric topics build on pharmacology.
Crisis, trauma and special populations
- Domains 20 and 25 first, then 11, 12, 15, 38 and 39.
Faith integration and relational domains
- Domains 22 and 23, then family and marriage domains, then the spiritual-formation domains.
That ordering is one reasonable plan, not an official one. Adjust it to your background, and see How Hard Is the CDAAC Exam? for guidance on diagnosing which clusters are likely to be your weak spots. When you are ready to test recall, take a few sets on the CDAAC practice test and sort misses by cluster.
Where the Credential Leads
The practical value of the credential depends on your setting. The faith-integrated curriculum is a natural fit for church-based recovery ministries, Christian treatment programs, faith-based residential recovery homes, prison and re-entry ministries, and pastoral counseling roles. For specifics, see CDAAC Jobs, and for the compensation picture see the CDAAC Salary Guide, which treats earnings qualitatively rather than quoting unsupported figures. If you are weighing cost against benefit, Is the CDAAC Certification Worth It? walks through the decision, and CDAAC Requirements covers eligibility and the education-hour question in more detail.
One practical point: because the education-hour figures in public information conflict (315 hours versus 155 hours), confirm your required hours directly with ACADC before you plan your timeline or budget. Likewise, confirm testing windows and scheduling on the CDAAC exam dates page and with the issuer rather than relying on third-party summaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
CDAAC stands for Christian Drug, Alcohol & Addictions Counselor, a credential associated with the Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors (ACADC). It is distinct from other credentials that happen to use a similar acronym.
No. The 52 domains are the issuer's linked preparation-curriculum modules and are unweighted preparation topics. They are not an exhaustive official exam blueprint, and no domain percentages, item count, or timing have been published in the source material.
Public information conflicts: requirements information lists 315 hours, while tuition information states 155 hours. No reconciliation is asserted, so confirm the current requirement directly with ACADC before planning.
No. The CDAAC examination pathway is separate, and CSAC entrance-inventory rules should not be applied to it. CSAC core functions appear only as a reference topic within Domain 43.
Use it as a map from topic to assigned source. For each domain, know the anchor book, the page range where given, and the matching Life Principle. Then confirm details against the ACADC core curriculum page, and consult the CDAAC certification overview for the bigger picture.