MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – A new law is in place to make addiction recovery more affordable and safe for both providers and clients.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed H.847 into law Wednesday.
It creates a pathway for peer support and recovery counselors to get certified through the Department of Professional Regulation.
That certification would allow clients to file behavioral complaints against counselors, who would then investigated for wrongdoing.
It also provides clients reimbursement from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance.
“The certification pathway will provide more structure and certainly reimbursement will help with the growth and support of these two professions,” Vt. Deputy Secretary of State Lauren Hibbert said.
Certified counselors will need to follow a set of rules that will be set in September. Counselors can apply for certification at a later date but it’s not required.