LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS
Summary of the Proposed Requirements for Licensure as a Professional Clinical Counselor in California (LPCC)
For more detail of the bill language see Highlights of the Counselor Licensure Bill or SB 788, links under What’s New on the Home Page. Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) http://www.caccl.org/
Summary of REQUIREMENTS during GRANDPARENTING PERIOD: January 1, 2011 – June 30, 2011.
Applicants will submit their qualifications to the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) during this six-month period. If there are deficiencies, the applicant will have 12 months from the date of notification from the BBS to complete requirements.
Education: A master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited institution, which is counseling or psychotherapy in content, includes 6 semester units of supervised practicum, and contains at least 3 semester units, or four and one half quarter units, of coursework in the following 9 core content areas.
Degrees issued Jan 1, 1996 and after shall include a minimum of 48 semester units and 7 of the 9 core content areas, all of which must be completed before licensure.
Degrees issued prior to Jan 1, 1996 shall include a minimum of 30 semester units and include 6 of the 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
In addition to, or as part of the graduate degree, instruction in each the following content areas must be completed prior to licensure:
(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: Two years full-time or the equivalent, post-degree counseling experience, that includes 1,700 hours of experience in a clinical setting supervised by a licensed professional counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed psychologist, a licensed physician and surgeon specializing in psychiatry, or a master’s level counselor or therapist who is certified by a national certifying or registering organization, including, but not limited to, the National Board for Certified Counselors or the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.
Examination: Passing score on the following three exams:
The National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination CRCE)
The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE)
A California jurisprudence and ethics examination
Currently licensed MFTs and LCSWs in the State of California must meet all of the above coursework requirements and meet the following examination requirement.
The BBS and the Office of Professional Examination Services shall jointly develop an examination on the differences, if any differences exist, between the following:
The practice of professional clinical counseling and the marriage and family therapy professions.
The practice of professional counseling and the clinical social work professions.
If the BBS, in consultation with the Office of Professional Examination Services, determines that an exam is necessary pursuant to this section, the applicant shall pass the examination as a condition of licensure.
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, 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
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:
(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.
Summary of REQUIREMENTS for those who begin graduate study AFTER AUGUST 1, 2012.
Education: A 60-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, and contains at least 3 semester units, or four and one half units, of coursework in 10 of the following 13 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, including California law and professional ethics
(J) Psychopharmacology (includes biological bases of behavior)
(K) Addictions counseling (includes substance abuse, co-occurring disorders)
(L) Crisis/Trauma Counseling (includes multidisciplinary responses to crises, emergencies or disasters).
(M) Advanced counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques
In addition to the course requirements described above, fifteen semester units of advanced coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues or special populations.
Instruction must include:
(1) Human sexuality and the study of the physiological, psychological and social cultural variables associated with sexual behavior, gender identity and psychosexual dysfunction
(2) Spousal or partner abuse assessment, intervention strategies and same-gender abuse dynamics
(3) Child abuse assessment and reporting
(4) Aging and long-term care, including biological, social, cognitive and psychological aspects of aging
Instruction must include methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice environments and integrate an understanding of various cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.
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.
Summary of REQUIREMENTS for those who, at the time of application, have held for at least two years, a valid license as a professional clinical counselor, or other counseling license, which allows the applicant to independently provide clinical mental health services in another jurisdiction of the United States. Applications accepted after January 1, 2011.
Following are requirements for those who apply before December 31, 2013. Those who apply after January 1, 2014 must meet additional core content requirements that take effect in 2012.
Education that is substantially equivalent to California’s requirement for LPCCs: 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, and contains at least 3 semester units of coursework in 7 the following 9 core content areas, all of which must be completed before licensure. Licensed counselors from other states may remediate deficiencies at the board’s discretion.
(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
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:
(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 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 that is substantially equivalent to that required in California plus 250 hours of supervised clinical experience in direct counseling within California, while registered as an intern with the board. California’s requirement for LPCCs: 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.
DESCRIPTIONS of the CORE CONTENT AREAS:
Graduate study must include coursework in the following core content areas. The first eight areas are set by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the ninth area is required for licensure.
A. CACREP core content areas:
1. PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY (Professional orientation, ethics, and law in counseling) – studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning:
History and philosophy of the counseling profession, including significant factors and events; b. professional roles, functions, and relationships with other human service providers; c. technological competence and computer literacy; d. professional organizations, primarily ACA, its divisions, branches, and affiliates, including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current emphases; e. professional credentialing, including certification, licensure, and accreditation practices and standards, and the effects of public policy on these issues; f. public and private policy processes, including the role of the professional counselor in advocating on behalf of the profession; g. advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success for clients; and h. ethical standards of ACA and related entities, and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling.
2. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY (Multicultural counseling theories and techniques) – studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society related to such factors as culture, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical characteristics, education, family values, religious and spiritual values, socioeconomic status and unique characteristics of individuals, couples, families, ethnic groups, and communities including all of the following:
multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics and concerns between and within diverse groups nationally and internationally; b. attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences, including specific experiential learning activities; c. individual, couple, family, group, and community strategies for working with diverse populations and ethnic groups; d. counselors’ roles in social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution, cultural self-awareness, the nature of biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination, and other culturally supported behaviors that are detrimental to the growth of the human spirit, mind, or body; e. theories of multicultural counseling, theories of identity development, and multicultural competencies; and f. ethical and legal considerations.
3. HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT (Human growth and development across the lifespan, including normal and abnormal behavior) – studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, including all of the following:
theories of individual and family development and transitions across the life-span; b. theories of learning and personality development; c. human behavior including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, exceptional behavior, addictive behavior, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior; d. strategies for facilitating optimum development over the life-span; and e. ethical and legal considerations.
4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT (Career development theories and techniques) – studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following:
career development theories and decision-making models; b. career, avocational, educational, occupational and labor market information resources, visual and print media, computer-based career information systems, and other electronic career information systems; c. career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation; d. interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors including the role of diversity and gender in career development; e. career and educational planning, placement, follow-up, and evaluation; f. assessment instruments and techniques that are relevant to career planning and decision making; g. technology-based career development applications and strategies, including computer-assisted career guidance and information systems and appropriate world-wide web sites; h. career counseling processes, techniques, and resources, including those applicable to specific populations.
5. HELPING RELATIONSHIPS (Counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques) – studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes, including all of the following:
counselor and consultant characteristics and behaviors that influence helping processes including age, gender, and ethnic differences, verbal and nonverbal behaviors and personal characteristics, orientations, and skills; b. an understanding of essential interviewing and counseling skills so that the student is able to develop a therapeutic relationship, establish appropriate counseling goals, design intervention strategies, evaluate client outcome, and successfully terminate the counselor-client relationship. Studies will also facilitate student self-awareness so that the counselor-client relationship is therapeutic and the counselor maintains appropriate professional boundaries; c. counseling theories that provide the student with a consistent model(s) to conceptualize client presentation and select appropriate counseling interventions. Student experiences should include an examination of the historical development of counseling theories, an exploration of affective, behavioral, and cognitive theories, and an opportunity to apply the theoretical material to case studies. Students will also be exposed to models of counseling that are consistent with current professional research and practice in the field so that they can begin to develop a personal model of counseling; d. a systems perspective that provides an understanding of family and other systems theories and major models of family and related interventions. Students will be exposed to a rationale for selecting family and other systems theories as appropriate modalities for family assessment and counseling; e. a general framework for understanding and practicing consultation. Student experiences should include an examination of the historical development of consultation, an exploration of the stages of consultation and the major models of consultation, and an opportunity to apply the theoretical material to case presentations. Students will begin to develop a personal model of consultation; f. integration of technological strategies and applications within counseling and consultation processes; and g. ethical and legal considerations.
6. GROUP WORK (Group counseling theories and techniques) – studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, and other group approaches, including all of the following:
principles of group dynamics, including group process components, developmental stage theories, group members’ roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of group work; b. group leadership styles and approaches, including characteristics of various types of group leaders and leadership styles; c. theories of group counseling, including commonalties, distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent research and literature; d. group counseling methods, including group counselor orientations and behaviors, appropriate selection criteria and methods, and methods of evaluation of effectiveness; e. approaches used for other types of group work, including task groups, psychoeducational groups, and therapy groups; f. professional preparation standards for group leaders; and g. ethical and legal considerations.
7. ASSESSMENT (Assessment, appraisal, and testing of individuals) – studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation, including all of the following:
historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment; b. basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, environmental assessment, performance assessment, individual and group test and inventory methods, behavioral observations, and computer-managed and computer-assisted methods; c. statistical concepts, including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations; d. reliability (i.e., theory of measurement error, models of reliability, and the use of reliability information); e. validity (i.e., evidence of validity, types of validity, and the relationship between reliability and validity; f. age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, disability, culture, spirituality, and other factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals, groups, and specific populations; g. strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling; h. an understanding of general principles and methods of case conceptualization, assessment, and/or diagnoses of mental and emotional status; and i. ethical and legal considerations.
8. RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION (Research and evaluation) – studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following:
a. the importance of research and opportunities and difficulties in conducting research in the counseling profession, b. research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, and outcome-based research; c. use of technology and statistical methods in conducting research and program evaluation, assuming basic computer literacy; d. principles, models, and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and use of findings to effect program modifications; e. use of research to improve counseling effectiveness; and f. ethical and legal considerations.
PRINCIPLES OF THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS, including differential diagnosis, and the use of current diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, as published by the American Psychiatric Association, impact of co-occurring substance use disorders on medical and psychological disorders, established diagnostic criteria for mental and/or emotional disorders and the treatment modalities and placement criteria within the continuum of care.