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Major Changes Proposed for
Licensed Professional Counselors Act (LPC Act)
March 24, 2009
Dear LPCANC members and Colleagues:
We have something very exciting to tell you!
In late 2007, LPCANC began a process which has culminated
in today’s very important news.
Follow this link to read LPCANC’s
“AN ACT AMENDING THE LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS”,
(H746), sponsored by Rep. Verla Insko and filed
in the NC House of Representatives today.
LPCANC has worked diligently with our lobbyist Ashley
Perkinson and the North Carolina Board of Licensed
Professional Counselors (NCBLPC) to determine and
prioritize changes considered necessary to Article
24 of North Carolina General Statutes (“The
LPC Act”).
Since it was ratified in 1993 and enacted in 1994,
Article 24, Chapter 90 of the NC General Statute,
also known as the Licensed Professional Counselors
Act (LPC Act), has not been amended. It is now time.
Here are some highlights of major changes involved
in the legislation:
1. Creation of a tiered license and establish criteria
for Licensed Professional Counselor Associates. In
response to Mental Health reform, and more specifically,
the sunset of the H codes, an alternative route to
licensure within the public mental health system is
needed. Over thirteen states currently have a similar
tiered system, where clinicians are licensed as “associate
counselors” upon graduation and completion of
the required exam, and full or “clinical”
licensure is achieved only after appropriate hours
of supervised post-graduate experience.
2. Clarification and strengthening of the class credits
and experience required for licensure. The proposed
amendments increase the number of required class credits
for licensed professional counselor associates. The
number of credit hours required for associate licensure
will increase from 48 semester hours (72 quarter credit
hours) to 60 semester hours or 90 quarter credit hours
by 2013. The number of required supervised professional
practice hours will also increase from 2,000 to 3,000.
3. Establish criteria for Licensed Professional Counselor
Supervisor. The proposed amendments clarify and strengthen
the standards for supervisors deemed qualified by
the NCBLPC to oversee and facilitate the necessary
development and preparation of entry-level counselors
for full, independent practice. The LPCS license would
require that supervisors have training in clinical
supervision and a minimum number of years and hours
of experience.
4. Revision of those exempt from licensure. Since
the implementation of mental health system reform
at the State and local level and the development of
privatized services, exemption for persons performing
counseling solely as an employee of an area facility
is no longer needed. Also, “qualified professionals”
have been removed from this bill because clinical
counseling duties should not be within the scope of
practice for individuals not professionally licensed.
5. Protection of the public. § 90-340 has been
revised substantially to allow greater oversight of
the profession by the Board and greater protection
of the public.
6. Provide for an increase in fees for licensure and
renewal for the NCBLPC. To support the increased need
for administrative support created by the current
popularity of the LPC credential, this proposed amendment
allows the Board the flexibility to increase fees
beyond the current level of $100 for initial or renewal
application and $150 for late renewal, with caps on
fees for initial or renewal application at $300 and
the fee for late renewal licensure at $150.
Key LPCANC points:
1. Please call your State House Representative to
ask them to support H746. If you do not know who represents
you, go to www.ncleg.net and click on “Representation”.
Ask them to vote “YES” for H746.
2. Please contribute to the LPCANC Advocacy fund.
Legislation and advocacy are not only very time consuming
but are big financial undertakings. Click here to
contribute today!
3. Encourage every LPC, LPC applicant, counseling
graduate or counseling graduate student you know to
join LPCANC. Membership dues help finance our advocacy
and legislative efforts. Without membership, LPCANC’s
advocacy has “no voice”.
4. Stay tuned for upcoming news on the progress of
H746. We promise to keep you posted.
Respectfully yours,
Suzanne L. Walker, MS, LPC
Chair Public Policy & Professional Issues
LPCANC Past President 2006
A Keith Mobley, PhD, LPC, ACS
Public Policy & Professional Issues Committee
member
LPCANC Past President 2008
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