LPCANC Wins Approval for Key Changes to the LPC ACT!

Suzanne L. Walker, MS, LPC ,Public Policy & Professional Issues Chair, Past President

The original LPC law was ratified on July 24, 1993 as Article 24, Chapter 90, General Statutes of the State of North Carolina and became effective July 1, 1994. Fourteen years and over four thousand NC LPC licenses later, LPCANC began preliminary planning in early 2008 to enact legislation in 2009. In the current climate of budget cuts and constraints, many bills never made it through their first committee hearing or were stalled somewhere along the way. LPCANC was extraordinarily privileged to have the sage support of bill sponsors, Rep. Verla Insko and Sen. Martin Nesbitt. Due to their support and the relentless efforts of LPCANC lobbyist Ashley Perkinson (with my assistance as LPCANC Public Policy and Professional Issues Chair), H746, also known as “Amend the LPC Act” became SESSION LAW 2009-367 at 9:38 a.m. on July 27, 2009.

H746 sets the foundation for significant improvements in the LPC profession. Just to name a few –

• Board eligible LPC’s (BE-LPC) will be replaced with LPC-A. A “LPC-A” is a LPC –Associate - a “full license under supervision”.
• A new distinction for LPC supervisors - a licensure attribute known as the LPC-S (supervisor). It is not a separate license but a category that eligible LPC supervisors may attain thus avoiding the continued application needed to be a supervisor for LPC-A.
• Increased licensure requirements in accord with 2009 CACREP standards - These changes help raise educational requirements for North Carolina LPCs to national counseling standards. The increased credit hour and experience requirements while substantial, improve the LPC’s credibility and value.

Editors Note: For more details, check in with Ashley Perkinson and Suzanne Walker at our annual LPCANC conference.