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Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors

in California

LPCCs

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Presented by The California Association for

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors2015

Website: <calpcc.org>

Email: <info@calpcc.org>

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Each state now licenses four mental health professions:

• Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs)(also named LPCCs, LCPCs, LCMHCs)

– Over 126,000 nationwide (Over 1,200 in CA)

• Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists (LMFTs)– Almost 58,000 nationwide (Over 37,000 in CA)

• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs)– Over 225,000 nationwide (Almost 22,000 in CA)

• Licensed Psychologists– Over 154,000 nationwide (Almost 18,000 in CA)

American Counseling Association: 2013 Statistics on Mental Health Professions

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It has taken many years for these mental health professions to be licensed in every state:

– LPCs: 34 years (1976 - 2009)

– LMFTs: 46 years (1963 - 2009)

– LCSWs: 47 years (1945 – 1992)

– Psychologists: 32 years (1945 – 1977)

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Why was California the last state to license Professional Counselors?

• LPC was unknown in California

• Californians were satisfied with the situation:– Licensed Psychologists, LMFTs and LCSWs– Credentialed School Counselors– Unregulated Career & Rehab Counselors, Art

Therapists & Dance/Movement Therapists and others

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What got the effort going in California?

• LPCs from other states could not get licensed in California

– Only those who focused their degrees on marriage and family could become LMFTs

• Restraint of trade for experienced LPCs from other states

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Why does California need another mental health license?

• To augment California’s mental health workforce with qualified professionals

• To protect California consumers of mental health services by regulating professional counselors

• To allow California to benefit from federal initiatives such as:– The Veterans Benefits and Health Care Act– The DoD’s TRICARE program – Medicare When this federal legislation is finally passed, California will be ready with

licensed practitioners

• To allow qualified counselors to volunteer for Disaster Mental Health teams needed by the Red Cross during and following disasters in California

• To provide access to clinically trained counselors for Californians experiencing job loss

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How long did it take to get the LPCC in California?

• Preparation:– 2002 - 2004: Twelve California professional associations

incorporated as the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure, raised funds, drafted bill language, worked with stakeholders, regulators, engaged lobbyists

• Three bills over five years in the state legislature:– 2005: AB 894– 2007: AB 1486– 2009: SB 788 was signed by Governor

• The bill became law January 2010

LPCC Milestones

• February 2012: The first LPCC licenses were issued • February 2014: DHCS announced that LPCCs are

qualified providers of Medi-Cal specialty mental health services

2015:• 1,215 LPCCs are licensed; 948 PCCIs are registered• 58 CA universities have BBS-approved programs for the

LPCC• About half of CA’s 63 counties have updated their job

descriptions to include PCCIs and LPCCs• Most private insurance companies are reimbursing

LPCCs9

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What do LPCCs do?

• Make up a large percentage of the mental health workforce in the U.S.

• Are employed in mental health centers, agencies, and organizations across the country

• Work with individuals, families, and groups• Treat mental, behavioral and emotional problems and

disorders• Are covered by managed care organizations and health

plans• Work with active duty military personnel and their

families, as well as veterans (DoD’s TRICARE, VA)

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Scope of Practice for CA LPCCs includes:

Application of counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques to improve mental health

Identification and remediation of cognitive, mental, and emotional issues, including personal growth, adjustment to disability, and crisis intervention

Empowering individuals to deal adequately with life situations, reduce stress, experience growth, change behavior, and make well-informed decisions

B & P Code 4999.20

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What does the Scope not include?for CA LPCCs

The assessment or treatment of couples or families, or the supervision of MFT interns, unless the LPCC has:

– 6 semester-units (or 9 quarter-units) focused on MFT or

– A named specialization in MFT and

– 500 hours supervised experience working with couples, families or children and

– 6 hours of CEUs in MFT in each renewal cycle

There is no restriction for LPCCs or PCCIs to treat children

B & P Code 4999.20

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What does the Scope not include? for CA LPCCs

• Projective techniques in the assessment of personality

• Individually administered IQ tests

• Neuropsychological testing

• Utilization of a battery of 3 or more tests to determine presence of psychosis, dementia, amnesia, cognitive impairment or criminal behavior

B & P Code 4999.20

Equivalency to mental health licenses at the master’s level

•California LPCCs are considered to be on par with LMFTs and LCSWs by the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

•The requirements for the California LPCC are on par or exceed the requirements for LPCs in other states.

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Comparison of Scopes

LPCC from B & P Code 4999

Empowers individuals to deal adequately with life situations, reduce stress, experience growth, change behavior and make well-informed, rational decisions

LMFT from B & P Code 4980

Enables individuals to mature and grow within marriage and family. Examines interpersonal relationships to achieve more adequate, satisfying and productive marrriage and family adjustments

LCSW from B & P Code 4996

Directed at helping people achieve more adequate, satisfying and productive social adjustments. Provides or arranges for social services, helps communities to organize, improves social or health services.

Applies a variety of counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques to identify and remediate cognitive, mental and emotional issues, for the purposes of improving mental health

Applies marriage and family therapy principles and methods, including psychotherapeutic techniques, to serve individuals, couples and groups

Includes counseling and applied psychotherapy of a non-medical nature with individuals, families and groups

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LPCC Requirementsfor those who began their degrees prior to 2012

• A qualifying master’s or doctoral degree that includes:

– 48 semester-units (or 72 quarter-units) in counseling or psychotherapy from an accredited or approved university that includes 9 core areas, 12 units of advanced coursework and 6 semester-units of supervised practicum.

• 3,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience

• Passage of a CA Law & Ethics Exam and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam

B & P Code 4999.32

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LPCC Core Content Areasfor those who began their degrees prior to 2012

Counseling & psychotherapy

Human Growth & Development

Career Development

Group Counseling AssessmentMulticultural Counseling

Diagnostic ProcessResearch & Evaluation

Professional Orientation

(Law & Ethics)

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Additional requirementsfor those who began their degrees prior to 2012

• In addition, or as part of the degree:• Psychopharmacology (2-semester or 3-quarter unit graduate or

undergraduate college course)

• The following topics may be taken as college courses or as continuing education courses offered by Approved Providers:

– Chemical substance abuse (15 hours)– Human sexuality (10 hours)– Spousal/partner abuse (15 hours)– Child abuse (7 hours)– Aging & long-term care (10 hours)– Crisis/trauma counseling (15 hours)– California law and ethics (18 hours)

For those beginning degrees in 2012 and after: Addictions, Crisis/Trauma and Psychopharmacology become required core areas in the degree.

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LPCC 2012 Education requirementsfor those beginning graduate study in 2012

• A qualifying degree with 60 semester-units• Instruction must:

– Include methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice environments

– Integrate an understanding of various cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position

– Cover 13 Core Areas, including 3 semester-units (4.5

quarter-units) of advanced counseling and psychotherapeutic theories & techniques

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2012 LPCC Core Content Areas

Counseling & psychotherapy

Human Growth & Development

Career Development

Group Counseling

Assessment Multicultural Counseling

Diagnostic Process

Research and Evaluation

Professional Orientation

(Law & Ethics)Psychopharma-cology

Addictions Counseling

Crisis or Trauma Counseling

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Requirements for LPCs licensed in another state

• A valid counseling license, held for at least two years preceding application, to practice independently in another jurisdiction – Those, who have not been licensed for two years in another

jurisdiction, will be required to earn 250 supervised hours, as a registered PCC intern in CA.

• Substantially equivalent education & supervision– Out-of-state applicants must take additional coursework in CA-specific

content, including: methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice environments and an understanding of various cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position

• Passage of exams required by the Board

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Regulating Agency

• The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), which currently regulates MFTs, LCSWs and LEPs <www.bbs.ca.gov>

• Board currently includes 13 members: 2 MFTs, 2 LCSWs, 1 LPCC, 1 LEP and 7 public members

Disaster Mental Health

• January 29, 2015: CALPCC becomes an Associate Organization of the CA Disaster Mental Health Coalition

• March 6 & 7, 2015: CALPCC Conference in San Diego – 56 students, interns and professionals enrolled in Red Cross

Training, Psychological First Aid: Helping Others in Time of Stress

– 30 LPCCs enrolled in Disaster Mental Health Fundamentals

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For Additional Information

Visit the CALPCC website

Website: <calpcc.org>

Email: <info@calpcc.org>

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