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(Disclaimer) Information changes rapidly and I am a working student earning a Masters Degree mid career.) I cannot keep up with every change. I am basing my information (as of this writing March-2010) from the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), The American Counseling Association (ACA), and the California Counseling Association (CCA). Please read this as a general guideline for the new California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) Always check with your own State Boards. Most likely your school with have a wealth of updated and reliable information.
Your State Requirements
licensed Mental Health Professionals are most often found in hospitals, government agencies, military, and in private practice. They can also earn additional income by earning a PhD and supervising counselors, conducting workshops, accepting private clients, research and publishing, and teaching on the college level. This career can also lead to becoming a Director of a non -profit organizations especially if you have a business undergraduate degree and/or business experience. Licensed Counselors also are trained and equipped to work as Mediators and Life Coaches (Depending on training and experience).
LCSW. Licensed Clinical Social Worker LPCC, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor MFT, Marriage and Family Therapist PN, Psychiatric Nurse, Nurse with Psychiatric experience and training. Prescription Privileges in all 50 States. Ability to work Independently and offer Psychotherapy. Psychotherapist, (Technically reserved for folks that hold licensure at the PhD level (Psychologists) but many Mental Health Counselors also use the term. Psychodramatist: Specialized training combining acting and psychology techniques. Check here for more information: http://www.asgpp.org/html/about_us.html Cinematherapist: Utilizes film to help hard to reach clients and patients. If I've left anyone out please let me know. From: info@caccl.orgTo: staceymccall@live.com "Stacey, The California Board of Behavioral Sciences, which currently regulates MFTs and LCSWs and will regulate LPCCs, considers the new LPCC license to be on par with the MFT and LCSW licenses in California. The license will allow LPCCs to practice independently in California. They will be qualified to bill insurance and to work in hospitals, but since it is a new license in California, it may take time for employers and insurance companies to recognize this. Social workers and counselors have a different emphasis. Counselors focus on counseling, whereas social workers may do some counseling, but their emphasis is on arranging for social services. Some hospital job descriptions may require a degree in social work for jobs in discharge planning, for instance. So, once you have the license, it will be up to you to find the best fit for you." Dean Porter. If you are interested in becoming qualified to work in the helping fields I would highly recommend staying off of the chat boards. Unfortunately, I checked a few out and became disheartened for a while. This is why I emailed Dean Porter and shared his email. There's a lot of animosity going on between some licensed professionals: LCSW, MFTs, and newly licensed Professional Clinical Counselors. Each of these careers fall under the "helping fields" and we should work together to help people that depend on us. It's just like Dean Porter previously pointed out they are all seen as equal but have a slightly different emphasis. Hospitals often hire LCSW (Oldest and most traditionally well-known group of dedicated professionals) who work with patients being discharged. Their role is then to help the patient find programs and resources such as a LPCC or rehab. Albeit, they are equipped to offer counseling. If you are deciding which degree you want to earn take everything into account: Emphasis, school, location, graduation requirements. Research jobs through Indeed.com/Your city. Research the jobs that you'd like to prepared for and check clues for preferences. Research schools Online and On campus. See which school fits your needs the best and which programs they offer. When it comes down to it licenses and professional training means that a client can trust your qualifications and training. It also means that a client has resources if he or she needs to report misconduct. However, in the end, most clients just want someone that he or she can trust, relate to, and will listen and share helpful guidance. Most clients really do not care if you are a psychologist, psychiatric nurse, social worker or licensed professional counselor. This is something that we should remember. I viewed some frustrated licensed professionals trying to decide on whether to switch their license from an LPCC to an LCSW or the other way around. I highly recommend never doing this. It will add a year or more to your becoming qualified to do anything and your supervised hours, practicums and residencies, may not transfer. If you are considering switching licenses it makes much more sense to go into your Doctorates for Social Work, Counseling, Counseling Psychology, or Health Psychology (or a related field. In fact, the following are great schools that I know of that works well for adults. Update: Arizona State University: New Doctorates program - Doctor of Behavioral Health. This is for licensed counseling professionals. They have an online alternative but still requires a lot of on-campus visits. 1: Walden University. Mental Health Counselor CACREP accredited. All Master level classes lead into the PhD Counselor Supervision and Education. *Hybrid. 2: Fielding University =Hybrid. Media Psychology and Clinical Psychology APA approved. Re-certification option for students that earned a psychology PhD non- clinical. APA approved. 3: Palo Alto University has a 4 year (on campus) PhD in Clinical Psychology and they are in consortium with Standford. APA approved. Masters online. 4: Capella University. 100% Online. 5: Saybrook University works well if you can afford the time and expense to travel to San Francisco, CA every 4 months. I spent one amazing semester at Saybrook and this experience was the inspiration for this entire site. I made life long connections with two well respected Professors (You'll see references to them throughout this site) and 2 life long friends. The before-mentioned schools require traveling once or twice a year at most. Much more manageable for my life. *Hybrid means that class work can be done online. However, practicums and residencies (in person) are required. Walden and Capella are Hybrid at the Masters and PhD level. *Distributed means that it's not technically an online school. Usually weekly or monthly on campus sessions are required, on campus seminars, and practicums. Fielding University is Distributed. Chances are high that the new "Medical Psychologists" will soon gain prescription privileges for "mind" meds. This is causing talk of the chances between some counselors and social workers. I honestly do not believe that prescription privileges will make its way down to licensed professional counselors or social workers. I do believe that this will be preserved for Clinical Psychologists that graduated from an APA approved school. Keep this in mind if prescription privileges are your goal.
California was the last State to finally recognize the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor AKA: Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor. Actually, each State has it's own professional name. For example, Florida refers to a LPC as Licensed Mental Health Counselor. From here on out I will refer to all Licensed Professional Counselors as LPC or LPCC. The Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) is responsible for consumer protection through the regulation of Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT); Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW); Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEP); MFT Interns; and Associate Clinical Social Workers (ASW) in the State of California. It is one of the boards within the California Department of Consumer Affairs.http://www.bbs.ca.gov/ California was the last state to sign this bill into law, which was heavily fought against by the Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and Licensed Social Workers (LSW) boards. The (LPCC) appears to offer a broader and more well-rounded area of expertise. This is why I chose the (LPCC) route over the MFT program. I wanted to be able to offer help in more areas than just marriage and family therapy especially if the marriage and family is non- traditional. Albeit, all Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Psychiatric nurses, LPCs, and Psychologists are all professionals within the helping fields. While gathering information from online positions all over the country each licensed professional whether a LSW, LPC, MFT, or a Clinical Psychologist they are all employed fairly equally. If any one has an edge I'd say that it probably would be the Registered Psychiatric Nurse with an MSN. All are able to work Independently, provide psychotherapy, and bill insurance and work in hospitals including VA Hospitals. Psychologists normally earn 10% more money over licensed professionals because they have put in many more hours in school and residency. However, it may even out when you consider their time lost (actually earning money and savings and higher student loan repayment plans.) Alternatively, many administrations would rather hire two licensed professionals to work under a Psychologists instead of paying two Psychologists salaries. In other words, you may have more job opportunities and less college loans to pay back if you become an LPC, LSW, Psychiatric Nurse or an MFT. Boards of Interest for Licensed Professional Counselors. The following Web sites provide information related to professional counseling http://www.nbcc.org/Default.aspx The American Counseling Association (ACA): http://www.counseling.org/ The American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA) http://www.amhca.org (home page) http://www.amhca.org/why/ ("Why use a mental health counselor?") http://www.amhca.org/chapters/ (listing of state chapters) http://www.counseling.org/Counselors/LicensureAndCert/TP/StateRequirements/CT2.aspx http://www.cacounseling.org http://www.bbs.ca.gov/ http://www.camhca.org/
California Counseling Association
http://www.internationalcounselor.org/ BLS Healthcare Provider Course: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3011975 or AHA.org. Part of the course is online and then the clinical part can be done at your neighborhood American Heart Association. The National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) http://www.nbcc.org/certifications/ncc/NCE.aspx The National Certified Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE). http://www.nbcc.org/stateLicensure/exams/NCMHCE.aspx An Ethics in Counseling exam is currently being written for the LPCC. Additional Information Re: Exams. http://vtprofessionals.org/opr1/allied/forms/MH_NCMHCE_Additional_Info_For_Exam.pdf Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)Before 2012 Summary of REQUIREMENTS for those, who do not qualify for grandparenting or reciprocity, and begin graduate study BEFORE AUGUST 1, 2012 and complete that study on or before December 31, 2018: Applications accepted after January 1, 2012. Education: A 48-semester-unit master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited or approved institution, which is counseling or psychotherapy in content, includes 6 semester units of supervised practicum or fieldwork study, and contains at least 3 semester units, or four and one half quarter units, of coursework in 7 the following 9 core content areas, all of which must be completed before licensure. (A) Counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques (includes counseling theories, selection of counseling interventions, orientation to wellness and prevention, etc.) (B) Human growth and development across the lifespan (includes psychopathology, normal and abnormal behavior, developmental crises) (C) Career development theories and techniques (D) Group counseling theories and techniques (E) Assessment, appraisal and testing (F) Multicultural counseling theories and techniques (G) Principles of diagnosis, treatment planning and prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior (H) Research and evaluation (I) Professional orientation, ethics and law in counseling Click here to see a definition of each core content area. In addition to the course requirements described above, a minimum of 12 semester units of advanced coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues, special populations, application of counseling constructs, assessment and treatment planning, clinical interventions, therapeutic relationships, psychopathology or other clinical topics. In addition to, or as part of the graduate degree, instruction in each of the following content areas must be completed prior to licensure: Note: With the exception of the course in psychopharmacology, which is a graduate credit course, these are continuing education courses. See Providers of Coursework on this website for available courses. (1) Minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in alcoholism and other chemical substance dependency (2) Minimum of 10 contact hours of instruction in human sexuality (3) Two-semester unit or three quarter-unit survey course in psychopharmacology (4) Minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in spousal or partner abuse (5) Minimum of seven contact hours of instruction in child abuse assessment & reporting (6) Minimum of 18 contact hours of instruction in California law and professional ethics, if not included in required core content area (7) Minimum of 10 contact hours of instruction in aging and long-term care (8) Minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in crisis/trauma counseling Supervision: A minimum of 3,000 post-degree hours of supervised experience, by a LPC, LMFT, LCSW, licensed psychologist or licensed psychiatrist, over a period of not less than two years, including not less than 1,750 hours of direct counseling with individuals or groups in a clinical mental health counseling setting and 150 hours in a hospital or community mental health setting. Examination: Passing score on examinations approved by the board, likely the NCE and the NCMHCE and a CA jurisprudence and ethics exam. Click here to see entire section 4999.32 in the bill, regarding education for those who begin graduate study before 2012 and complete that study on before 2018.(http://www.caccl.org/licensure-requirements/before-2012) Click here to see Core Content (LPCC) for California.
The following hot link takes you straight to the descriptions of my classes from Walden U. Also find more information on CACREP.
Mental Health Classes Walden
Test Prep for the 3 LPCC exams. Both National and California.
national-health-service-corps-nhsc-loan-repayment-program Licensed Professional Counselors must: * have a master’s degree or higher degree with a major study in counseling from a school accredited by a U.S. Department of Education nationally recognized regional or State institutional accrediting agency, AND * have at least 2 years of post-graduate supervised counseling experience, AND * be certified as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) or a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) by the National Board for Certified Counselors, AND * have a current, full, permanent, unencumbered health professional license (or if applicable, a current, unencumbered certificate or registration) to practice independently and unsupervised as an LPC in the State in which they intend to practice to fulfill their NHSC LRP service obligation, OR * if such licensure is not available in the State of intended practice, have a current, full, permanent, unencumbered health professional license (or if applicable, a current, unencumbered certificate or registration) to practice independently and unsupervised as an LPC in a State. School and Career LPCCs are not eligible.
From what I have read the following are forms of experience that make landing a position easier. Employee Counseling experience such as former HR professionals. (EAP) Military knowledge (They hire a lot of counselors) Prisons/Juvenile/Courtroom Advocates Experience working with psychiatric patients. Most of the job descriptions that I have read required intervention and prevention programs in Domestic violence experience. The emphasis is normally on kids or adults depending on the services offered by the employer. A great place to start (and where I started) is by volunteering at a domestic violence center. The women at Haven Women's Center in Modesto, CA Rock! CASA is another great program that is National. Court Appointed Special Advocates. Having command of psychiatric and pharmacology terminology including medication language is required in the majority of job requirements. Possessing a diploma in Medical Transcription is a great way to get this information. I earned a diploma through the U.S. Career Institute. It's a great introduction and offers a flexible (and well paying) work schedule while you earn your Masters and complete your practicum hours. It makes pharmacology classes a breeze. Working as a Life coach in mental health is also an option. You would be qualified for this after completing required courses in mental health. Specialization variety is as limitless as Ice-cream flavors. Common specialties include but are not limited to: Forensic Military Mental Health Marriage and Family GLBT&Q Creativity and Drama (Cinematherapy) Trauma & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Mediation and Peaceful Resolution Advocacy Juvenile or Court Representatives. Court Mediator Mediators any kind Employment and Career Counselors School Counselors Perhaps working with the EEOC. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Pastoral counseling (I believe that Pastors have a distinct counseling title. Para-Counseling (Most likely only in your own practice) Media- Counseling (New and upcoming market) Hypnotherapy counseling Grief Work counseling Dream work counseling Teaching on campus and online: Counseling courses and Human Relations courses. The specialization courses may be limited depending on which school that you attend or by your employer however, you can specialize in almost anything (that is legal) especially in your own practice. In your own practice and possibly workshops you are an (LIPCC). Licensed IIndependent Professional Clinical Counselor. For example WaldenU.edu offers a specialty in Forensics in which I am incredibly interested. Another passion obviously creativity which I can indulge in more in my (future) private practice. Did you know that Licensed Professional Counselors can accept most Insurance plans? Yes, they can! I've heard that many Doctors and Insurance companies recommend counselors over psychologists to keep costs obtainable for the client. CACREP Make sure that your counseling school is CACREP approved. http://www.cacrep.org/template/index.cfm CACREP is to Counselors What the APA (American Psychological Association) is to Psychology Students. A bit more about CACREP: “The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is the primary accrediting body designed specifically for counseling programs. Similar recognized bodies are the American Psychological Association (APA) for psychologists, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) for family counselors. and the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) for rehabilitation counselors. Graduating from an appropriately accredited program assures employers and students that both the university's standards and the reputation of the associated national organization are fully supportive of the quality of the graduates educational experience.” Excerpted from The Emerging Professional Counselor: Student Dreams to Professional Realities copyright ©1994,by the American Counseling AssociationAuthors: Richard J. Hazler and Jeffrey A. Kottler Copyright © 1998, American Counseling Association http://www.counseling.org/Students/GraduatePrograms/TP/Home/CT2.aspx (Retrieved February 19,2010) If you are considering online education the only CACREP schools that I am aware of include: Waldenu.edu and Capella.edu Even these are not completely online. They are actually hybrid. By hybrid, I mean that your coursework can be done online however there is travel involved for face-to-face residencies, practicum hours and then of course, the 1,000 to 3,000 supervised hours split between pre and post degree. (depending on your State requirements.) This must be completed before a counselor can sit for licensure. Check out: Waldenu.edu for a wealth of information and important links. http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Masters/M.S.-in-Mental-Health-Counseling.htm A great adviser is Carol Archbold: Carol.Archbold@waldenu.edu/ This was a lovely note that she recently sent: "Hello Stacey, The new Licensure Requirements will be different from the MFT. I do not know how and when, licensure rules fluctuate, like licenses for nurses, etc., they can change over time. (Still there are many, many Licensed professional Counselors, Nurses, etc.) We have many, many Students in California in this program for Licensure. The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision is the natural next step for you if you would like to teach and supervise Counselors. In a few years, only those with this specific PhD will be eligible to teach Counselors at the University level!!!! If you are nervous about getting started, etc. that’s natural, and our best Students are our nervous Students. Remember these 2 things: Be a producer, not a perfectionist. (Only God is perfect, and we don’t need to be! It is counterproductive!) You may be nervous in the beginning, but by the end of the second week you will be loving it! Have a wonderful weekend!" Carol ArchboldEnrollment AdvisorSchool of PsychologyWalden University Toll-Free Phone (866) 492-5336 ext.*2827Direct Phone (602) 343-2827Email: carol.archbold@waldenu.eduFax: (602) 343-2898 Feel free to contact Carol she is wonderful. Licensed Professional Counselors, MFT's and Social Workers are regulated by The Board of Behavioral Sciences. The (BBS) is not expected to publish the rules and regulations for the LPCs until the end of 2010. In the mean time I assume that the LPCC will have to follow similar requirements as the MFT. The following are links displaying requirements for the MFT. I will replace it with the LPC once it is up and running. Good luck, Stacey
I am not sure if this if for psychologists only or for all health care professionals. The National Register of Health Service Providers (NRHSPP) is a non-profit organization that enables mobility. If you are more interested in a psychology career check the following link: Psychology Boards for Students and Professionals. ACA: American Counseling Association PUBLICATIONS COUNSELORS STUDENTS RESOURCES PRESS ROOM PUBLIC POLICY CAREER CENTER CONFERENCE Special Announcement California Becomes 50th State to License Professional CounselorsThe counseling profession achieved a historic goal late last night with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signing into law California Senate Bill 788, establishing licensure of professional clinical counselors in the state. Counselors are now licensed as master's degreed mental health professionals in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The first state to enact counselor licensure was Virginia, in 1976. Nationwide, there are more than 110,000 licensed professional counselors working in the full range of treatment settings to assist clients with behavioral disorders and developmental issues. Licensed professional counselors are recognized as independent mental health service providers by the vast majority of private insurance companies, as well as under state and federal public health programs. As in most states, large areas in California are experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals. ACA President Lynn Linde applauded California's enactment of the licensure bill. "This is a momentous occasion. This means that professional counseling is now recognized in all areas of the country and, more importantly, that protections for the consumers will now exist everywhere. Licensure for counselors significantly expands the availability of mental health services, which is crucial to helping meet the need for services." "Today is a victory for so many counselors who have been advocating for licensure in California," said Richard Yep, ACA Executive Director. "This legislation will serve to regulate the profession of counseling and that is good for the profession and for consumers of mental heath services. Governor Schwarzenegger's signing of this bill caps an effort that began more than thirty years ago." ACA congratulates the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure (CCCL) for its success in leading the licensure effort in the state. ACA has long sought to gain licensure of counselors in all U.S. jurisdictions, and has provided both financial support and technical assistance to CCCL in support of California's effort. Dean Porter, President of the CCCL, is pleased that this bill has been approved by California's legislature and signed into law. "After working for almost eight years, CCCL, a coalition of nine California counseling organizations, is proud that California will become the 50th state to license professional counselors. This victory would not have been possible without the dedicated counselors throughout California and the state and national organizations, particularly ACA and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), that support professional counseling. Legislators from both sides of the aisle have the gratitude of counselors and their clients, who will now have increased access to professional services and the protection that regulation assures." Information on implementation of the bill will be available on CCCL's website www.caccl.org and questions on the California law can be addressed to info@caccl.org. American Counseling Association About us | Contact us5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304 | 800.347.6647 | 800.473.2329 (fax)Copyright 2009, American Counseling Association, All Rights Reserved.
California Coalition for Counselor Licensure (info@caccl.org)Sent: Thu 2/25/10 10:45 AMTo: Stacey McCall (staceymccall@live.com) Stacey, I checked with Walden U and they do have the testing course needed for licensure. It is COUN 6315. Also, they do have the 9 quarter credits of practicum/internship. They are COUN 6771, 6682A and 6682B. So, that satisfied the concerns that I expressed in my earlier email message to you. Dean Porter info@caccl.org
Stacey, If you receive your master's degree from Walden's 60 semester hour CACREP accredited program in Mental Health Counseling, you will taking the program that will meet the education requirements for Florida. If you take and pass the NCMHCE, you will not have to take it again for licensure in Florida. If you obtain the required post master's supervised experience under a licensed LMFT, LMHC, LCSW or licensed Psychologist in another state, we will accept the supervision. Florida requires 100 weeks and 1500 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy hours post master's.
Cindy Phelps-DilmoreRegulatory Specialist IIDepartment of Health - Board of Mental Health Counseling(850) 245-4444 Ext. 3458Fax: (850) 412-2706www.doh.state.fl.us/mqaCindy_Phelps@doh.state.fl.us Cinematherapy
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