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Must complete all requirements before license can be issued. (G.S. 90-336)
Must begin the process for licensure at this level unless an active application was on file at the Board’s office PRIOR to October 1, 2009.
This is an independent license with restrictions (Rule .0701-.0702)
- An LPCA shall only provide counseling while under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor with an approved supervision contract
- Must receive approval of supervision contract prior to rendering counseling services
- One contract required per supervisor
- Notification must be given within 2 weeks of termination of or a change in supervision contract
- Final Report to be filed at conclusion of supervision
- If not receiving supervision, it shall be the responsibility of the Licensed Professional Counselor Associate to report such to the Board
License number ends in A – Example: 9801A
- I. General Information
- II. Credentials
- III. Legal & Ethics History
- IV. Education
- V. References
- VI. Graduate Counseling Experience
- IX. Graduate Courses
- X. Standards of Practice
- XI. Photo and Application Validation
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- Must be documented by an official transcript from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
- Master’s Degree hour requirements:
- If enrolled prior to July 1, 2009 applicants will need 48 Semester Hours or 72 Quarter Hours
- If enrolled prior to July 1, 2013 but after June 30, 2009 applicants will need 54 Semester Hours or 81 Quarter Hours
- If enrolled after June 30, 2013 applicants will need 60 Semester Hours or 90 Quarter Hours
- Graduate course work in 9 areas of study – 3 semester hours or 5 quarter hours per course area of study
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Orientation to the Counseling Profession
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Counseling Theories &Techniques
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Research
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Appraisal
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Career, Vocational, Lifestyle Development
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Group Work
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Human Growth & Development
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Practicum/Internship **
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Social & Cultural Foundations
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- Professional Orientation and Identity to the Counseling Profession shall provide an understanding of all aspects of functioning as a professional counselor, including a history of the counseling profession, various roles contemporary counselors have in our society, membership in professional counseling associations, self-care strategies appropriate to the counselor role, ethical conduct, standards of preparation, credentialing processes, and counseling supervision models, practices, and processes. This coursework shall increase knowledge of the evolution of the counseling profession and the role it has played in setting standards, advocating for a professional identity, and promoting licensure and accreditation for the profession. In addition, the coursework will highlight the importance of social justice and advocacy. Finally, this course will include the counselors’ roles and responsibilities as members of an interdisciplinary emergency management response team during a local, regional, or national crisis, disaster or other trauma-causing event.
- Research shall include studies that provide a broad understanding of the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession. Included in this coursework shall be study of research methodology, statistical methods, the use of research to inform evidence-based practice; and ethical and culturally relevant strategies for interpreting and reporting the results of research and/or program evaluation studies. In addition, the coursework will provide principles, models, and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and the use of findings to effect program modification.
- Career, Vocational, Lifestyle Development shall include studies that provide a broad understanding of career development theories and decision-making models as well as career and educational planning, placement, follow-up, and evaluation. The coursework will provide career, vocational, educational, occupational and labor market information resources. The coursework will enhance student awareness of career information systems; assessment instruments and techniques, and career counseling processes, techniques, and resources, including those applicable to specific populations in a global economy. The coursework will prepare students for career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation. The coursework will increase the knowledge of the interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors, including the role of multicultural issues in career development.
- Human Growth & Development shall provide a broad understanding of human behavior, including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior. Coursework shall contribute to the knowledge of theories of individual and family development and transitions across the life span; theories of learning and personality development, including current understandings about neurobiological behavior; theories and models of individual, cultural, couple, family, and community resilience; theories and etiology of addictions and addictive behaviors, including strategies for prevention, intervention, and treatment; and theories for facilitating optimal development and wellness over the life span. In addition, the coursework will highlight the effects of crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on persons of all ages. Finally, the coursework will include a general framework for understanding exceptional abilities and strategies for differentiated interventions.
- Social & Cultural Foundations in counseling shall provide an understanding of theories of multicultural counseling, identity development, and social justice while examining multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics and concerns within and among diverse groups nationally and internationally. In addition, the coursework will emphasize the counselors’ roles in developing cultural self-awareness; promoting cultural social justice; advocating and promoting conflict resolution; appreciating other culturally supported behaviors that promote optimal wellness and growth of the human spirit, mind, or body; and eliminating biases, prejudices, and processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination. This coursework shall include study of attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences, including specific experiential learning activities designed to foster students’ understanding of self and culturally diverse clients.
- Counseling Theories & Techniques shall include the study of basic counseling theories and shall provide a general knowledge of theories, their principles, and techniques for application in counseling relationships. In addition, this coursework shall provide a broad understanding of philosophic bases of counseling processes, an orientation to wellness and prevention as desired counseling goals, essential interviewing and counseling skills, and consultation theories and their application in various professional settings. The course will also provide a systems perspective that provides an understanding of family and other systems theories and major models of family and related interventions. Finally, this coursework will include crisis intervention and suicide prevention models, including the use of psychological first aid strategies.
- Appraisal shall include studies that provide a broad understanding of historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment as well as basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques. This coursework develops a knowledge of statistical concepts, an understanding of validity and reliability; social and cultural factors related to the assessment and evaluation; and ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment, evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling.
- Group Work shall include studies that provide a broad understanding of group development, dynamics, methods, and counseling theories. This coursework shall help students understand group leadership styles, basic and advanced group skills, and other aspects of group counseling and group consultation.
- Must cover at least a combined total of 17 hours of graduate counseling supervision
- Must be verified by a University Faculty member on forms provided by the Board
- Must consist of a combined minimum of 300 hours of supervised graduate counseling experience at a rate of not less than one hour of clinical supervision per 40 hours of graduate counseling experience
- At least 60 percent of this counseling experience shall be direct graduate counseling experience
- Does not count toward post-graduate, supervised professional counseling experience
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- National Counselor Exam (NCE) – provided by the National Board for Certified Counselors
- National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) – provided by the National Board for Certified Counselors
- Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam (CRC) – provided by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification
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- Must be provided to clients prior to rendering counseling services
- A signed copy must be retained in client records
- Must include all items listed in Rule .0204 – Instructions and requirements can be found under the Professional Disclosure Statement Section of the Board website.
*LPCA Clinical Supervision
- 2000 hours must be direct counseling
- No hours applied from Masters Level Practicum/Internship
- 24 month post-graduate work experience no longer required
- Not less than 8 hours per week but no more than 40 hours per week.
- 100 hours clinical supervision
- 75 hours required to be individual
- Must have a minimum of 1 hour clinical supervision for every 40 hours of professional practice
- Supervision shall be based on direct (live) observation, co-therapy, audio and video recordings, and live supervision
- At least three-quarters of the hours of clinical supervision shall be individual practice
- 1 hour per 40 hours of supervised professional practice
- Face-to-face, clinical supervision means supervision that is live, interactive, and visual
- May be video – synchronous (real time) and involves verbal and visual interaction during the supervision
- Face-to-face, scheduled supervision
- May not to exceed 12 supervisees per group
- For a period of not less than one and one half hours of clinical supervision with qualified clinical supervisor
Direct Counseling Experience (Rule .0205)
- Consists of live contact with individuals, groups, and families through counseling as defined in G.S. 90-330(a)(3)a thru b:
- a. Counseling. – Assisting individuals, groups, and families through the counseling relationship by evaluating and treating mental disorders and other conditions through the use of a combination of clinical mental health and human development principles, methods, diagnostic procedures, treatment plans, and other psychotherapeutic techniques, to develop an understanding of personal problems, to define goals, and to plan action reflecting the client's interests, abilities, aptitudes, and mental health needs as these are related to personal-social-emotional concerns, educational progress, and occupations and careers.
- b. Appraisal Activities. – Administering and interpreting tests for assessment of personal characteristics.
Qualified Clinical Supervisor (Rule .0209)
- LPC who has an active and unrestricted license; and
- The equivalent of three semester graduate credits in clinical supervision from a regionally accredited institution or 45 contact hours of continuing education in clinical supervision; and
- A minimum of five years of post-graduate counseling experience, with a minimum of two years post licensure experience.
- OR other equivalently licensed and experienced qualified mental health professional who has
o At least a master�s degree as defined in G.S. 90-336(b)(1);
o An active and unrestricted license;
- The equivalent of three semester graduate credits in clinical supervision from a regionally accredited institution or 45 contact hours of continuing education in clinical supervision; and
- A minimum of five years of post-graduate counseling experience, with a minimum of two years post licensure experience.
- Mental Health Professionals approved by the Board (Rule .0213).
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT),
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) with a master's degree in social work from a school of social work accredited by the Council of Social Work Education,
- Licensed Psychologists,
- Licensed Medical Doctors with a Medical Board certification in psychiatry, – Nurse Practitioners approved to practice in North Carolina and certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an advanced practice nurse practitioner and certified in psychiatric nursing,
- Clinical Nurse Specialists certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Psychiatric Nurse Association as an Advanced Practice Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).
Special Notes Regarding Pre-Approved Supervisors: (Rule .0209)
- All supervision arrangements for which a Verification of Arrangement for Clinical Supervision were approved by the Board prior to October 1, 2009 shall be honored by the Board.
- All qualified clinical supervisors who received Board approval to provide clinical supervision for any applicant prior to October 1, 2009 have until the following deadlines to complete to educational requirements listed:
- December 31, 2010 to acquire the equivalent of one semester graduate credit in clinical supervision from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as documented by an official transcript or 15 contact hours of continuing education in clinical supervision;
- December 31, 2011 to acquire the equivalent of two semester graduate credit in clinical supervision from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as documented by an official transcript or 30 contact hours of continuing education in clinical supervision;
- December 31, 2012 to acquire the equivalent of three semester graduate credit in clinical supervision from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as documented by an official transcript or 45 contact hours of continuing education in clinical supervision.
Must use form provided by Board
- Name of the qualified clinical supervisor.
- Contact information for the qualified clinical supervisor.
- The modality of supervision to be provided, such as direct (live) observation, co-therapy, audio and video recordings, and live supervision.
- The frequency of supervision.
- The location of the proposed supervision.
- A separate supervision contract form shall be filed for each separate work setting and each supervisor must be approved.
Quarterly Reporting Form
- Use form provided by Board
- Q1 (Jan 1 – March 31) – report must be submitted by April 30
- Q2 (April 1 – June 30) – report must be submitted by July 31
- Q3 (July 1 – Sept 30) – report must be submitted by October 31
- Q4 (Oct 1 – Dec 31) – report must be submitted by January 31
Final Supervision Report Form
- Filed by supervisor directly to the Board
- Use form provided by Board (Final Supervision Report)
- General information
- Supervision description
- Supervision summary
- Professional assessment
- Reference
- Verification of modality and frequency of supervision
- SUPERVISION MUST CONTINUE UNTIL APPLICANT RECEIVES FULL LICENSURE
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