About Us
Setting the Standard Restoring Lives
At the Living Vines Certification Board (LVCB), we believe that every person seeking help for addiction deserves qualified, competent, and compassionate care. But for too long in Nigeria, the path to quality addiction support has been uneven — professionals committed to helping others often lacked recognition, standards, or a clear professional roadmap.
We saw that gap every day in our work with young people and communities. Through the Living Vines Mental Health Foundation, we engaged with secondary school students, parents, and educators. We saw curiosity turn into experimentation, vulnerability escalate into dependency, and families desperate for support collide with a system that wasn’t structured to help consistently. The pain of untreated substance use was real, and it was growing.
That reality sparked some questions:
What would it look like if professionals could be held to high global standards, and supported to meet them?
What if every person entering treatment could trust that the person helping them was not only trained but certified?
And just like that, the Living Vines Certification Board was born.
Our Mission & Vision
Mission
To establish and maintain the highest standards of professional certification for addiction and mental health counselors in Nigeria, ensuring that every person seeking help receives care from qualified, ethical, and competent professionals.
Vision
A Nigeria where every person struggling with addiction has access to certified, world-class mental health and addiction support, and where professional excellence is the standard, not the exception.
Our Core Values
Integrity
We uphold the highest ethical standards in all our work, maintaining transparency and accountability.
Excellence
We set and maintain rigorous standards that reflect global best practices in addiction and mental health care.
Compassion
We recognize the humanity and dignity of every person seeking help, and support those on the path to recovery.
Collaboration
We work together with professionals, organizations, and communities to strengthen the addiction care ecosystem.
Four Certification Pathways
We offer four distinct certification pathways, each designed to recognize different roles and levels of expertise in addiction and mental health care:
CADC Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor
The Builder - For frontline addiction counselors
CPRS - Certified Peer Recovery Specialist
The Beacon - For those with lived experience
CPS - Certified Prevention Specialist
The Gardener - For prevention professionals
CCS - Certified Clinical Specialist
The Mentor - For experienced supervisors
Our Community Impact
Since our inception, the Living Vines Certification Board has been committed to transforming the addiction care landscape in Nigeria. Through our certification programs, we have:
Aims to certifiy hundreds of addiction and mental health professionals across Nigeria
Established professional standards that align with international best practices
Provided pathways for peer recovery specialists and prevention professionals
Supported continuous professional development through CE requirements
Earned recognition as a member of the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC)
Every certification we award represents a professional ready to transform lives.
Every person in treatment represents hope for recovery.
Ready to Join Our Mission?
Whether you’re looking to earn a certification, verify a professional’s credentials, or learn more about our programs, we’re here to support you on this journey.