What is this bill all about?
AB 1486 is a bill that will license Professional Counselors with requirements that are on par with California MFTs and LCSWs and with Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in 49 states.
Which counselors will it cover?
The license is meant to cover the general practice of counseling. It is not meant to cover specialties, which are certified by national organizations, much like other professions, such as medicine. It will cover Professional Counselors who provide psychotherapy, as determined by the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS).
Which counselors will be exempt from this bill?
Counselors who work in exempt settings (government agencies, non-profit agencies and educational institutions) and counselors who do not practice psychotherapy. Also exempt are members of the clergy, physicians and attorneys.
Who is behind this bill?
The sponsor of the bill is the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure (CCCL). The coalition is comprised of 10 California professional counseling associations, as well as LPCs from other states and counselor educators. There is support from other California organizations, such as the California Psychiatric Association and the Board of Behavioral Sciences, and national organizations, including the American Counseling Association (ACA), the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and the American Association of State Counseling Boards (AASCB). The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) is neutral on the bill.
Who is against this bill?
CCCL has been working in good faith to address the concerns outlined by the California Psychological Association. Many amendments have been taken in the hope that CPA would move to a neutral position on the bill, but their position continues to be “Oppose unless amend”.
The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT) – California Chapter continues to oppose and is telling its members that the LPC license would diminish the status of the MFT license and might even edge MFTs out of their licensed status in the future. This has never been the intent in California and, in fact, this has not happened in the 47 states where both disciplines are licensed.
Where is the bill now?
The bill must be approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 4th and then it must be approved by a majority of the Senators in a floor vote. Since the bill has been amended in the Senate, it must go back to the Assembly floor for concurrence before it is signed by the Governor. All of this will take place over the next several months. If the bill completes all of these steps successfully, it will go into effect January 1, 2009.
How do other states handle the licensing of counselors and MFTs?
Forty-nine states license Professional Counselors, most commonly called LPCs. California is now the only state, which does not license counselors. Forty-eight states license MFTs. Montana and West Virginia do not.
What about certificates? Will they be accepted for grandfathering?
The Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) has said that it will not accept any certificates for grandfathering. Counselors will need to meet requirements for education, supervision and examination. Counselors with certificates may have already met these requirements, but they will have to submit documentation of each area to the BBS.
What are the requirements for grandfathering?
The BBS requires that those to be grandfathered meet requirements that are equivalent to the professions that are already licensed in California. Counselors will need to meet minimum requirements in three areas.
- Education
Counselors must hold a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling, or psychotherapy, have completed 48 units, the required core courses and predegree practicum, but they may take courses post-degree, as long as their degree had a minimum number of the required courses. There is a sliding scale of the number of courses that must be within the degree, depending on when the degree was granted. Additional coursework or training is also required. For details see Requirements on this website.
- Examination
The National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination (CRCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) will be required for grandfathering, as well as a California jurisprudence and ethics exam.
- Supervision
Counselors will have to present documentation of 1,500 hours of direct client contact post-degree supervision to be grandfathered.
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) will be grandfathered, if they have all of the required core courses for the LPC.
What is the timeline for grandfathering?
If the bill passes in 2008, the BBS plans to accept applications between January 1, 2010 and June 30, 2010. Then all documentation must be submitted within 12 months of the board’s evaluation of the application.
Can counselors take an examination for grandfathering now?
The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) has said that it would administer the NCE and the NCMHCE for licensing purposes during the grandfathering period. Otherwise, counselors would need to apply for certification by NBCC to take the NCE or to the Commission on Rehabilitation Counseling Certification (CRCC) to take the CRCE. The NCMHCE is only administered for licensure.
Are counselors able to practice in the meantime?
Those who are not exempt from licensure need to contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences www.bbs.ca.gov to see if they qualify for the MFT license.
What can counselors do to help?
Counselors can be very instrumental in the passage of CCCL’s sponsored legislation and broad based support is needed in order to be successful. Counselors can visit the CCCL website www.caccl.org and under How to Support, sign up to be in the database in order to be part of the Advocacy Network, and download a form with which to make a contribution toward the expenses of sponsoring this legislation.
The above information is based on the best information that CCCL has as of July 2008. Requirements and dates can change as the bill goes through the process.
