Advancing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Counselor Education and Development (ASCEND) Training
| Date: | January 14, 2026 |
| From: | Health Plan of San Joaquin/Mountain Valley Health Plan (“Health Plan”) |
| To: | Health Plan |
| Type: | Informational/Educational |
| Subject: | Medi-Cal Enrollment Requirement for Eligible Enhanced Care Management (ECM), Community Supports (CS), and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Providers |
| Business: | Medi-Cal Managed Care |
New Online Training Launches January 12, 2026, to Support SUD Counselors:
On January 12, 2026, Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), in partnership with the University of California San Diego Division of Extended Studies, will launch the Advancing substance use disorder (SUD) Counselor Education and Development (ASCEND) Program, a free, self-paced, 80-hour online training for substance use disorder counselors.
- The program was developed with the University of California San Diego Division of Extended Studies and the Assembly Bill (AB) 2473 (Alcohol or Other Drug (AOD) Counselor Educational Requirements) Stakeholder Advisory Group as part of DHCS’ ongoing efforts to strengthen the SUD workforce.
- The training is designed to be completed on your own schedule and features expert instruction from experienced professionals.
- The curriculum covers 12 core competencies required for counselor certification.
- The ASCEND Program is approved by the California Association of DUI Treatment Programs to count toward a SUD Certified Counselor credential, please visit the website: https://cadtpcounselors.org/education-directory/listing/uc-san-diego-extended-studies-ascend-program/
For more information and to view a video about the ASCEND Program, please visit: https://youtu.be/N0rLU0Gd4fo?si=o3bcQwIlTNjXVqxs
Registration is open on the University of California San Diego Division of Extended Studies website at: https://extendedstudies.ucsd.edu/educational-programs/advancing-substance-use-disorder-counselor-education-and-development
If you have any further questions, please contact your Provider Services Representative, or call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-936-PLAN (7526). You may also visit https://www.hpsj.com/alerts/ for online access to the documents shared. The most recent information about Health Plan and our services is always available on our website www.hpsj-mvhp.org
