California Coalition for Counselor Licensure

(d) Professional counselors shall refer clients to other licensed mental health professionals when they identify issues beyond their own scope of education, training, and experience.

Exemptions:
4999.22. (a) Nothing in this article shall prevent qualified persons from doing work of a psychosocial nature consistent with the standards and ethics of their respective professions. However, they shall not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words “licensed professional counselor”, and shall not state that they are licensed to practice professional counseling, unless they are otherwise licensed to provide counseling services.

(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to constrict, limit, or withdraw provisions of the Medical Practice Act, the Social Work Licensing Law, the Nursing Practice Act, the Psychology Licensing Law, or Marriage and Family Therapy licensing laws.

(c) This chapter shall not apply to any priest, rabbi, or minister of the gospel of any religious denomination who performs counseling services as part of his or her pastoral or professional duties, or to any person who is admitted to practice law in the state, or who is licensed to practice medicine, who provides counseling services as part of his or her professional practice.

(d) This chapter shall not apply to an employee of a governmental entity or of a school, college, or university, or of an institution both nonprofit and charitable, if his or her practice is performed solely under the supervision of the entity, school, or organization by which he or she is employed, and if he or she performs those functions as part of the position for which he or she is employed.

(e) All persons registered as professional counselor interns or licensed under this chapter shall not be exempt from this chapter or the jurisdiction of the board.

Educational Requirements:
4999.32:

(a) This section shall apply to applicants for licensure or registration who began graduate study before August 1, 2012 and complete that study on or before December 31, 2018.
(b) To qualify for a license, applicants shall possess a master’s or doctoral degree, that is counseling or psychotherapy in content and that meets the requirements of this section, obtained from an accredited or approved institution as defined in Section 4999.12. For purposes of this subdivision, a degree is “counseling or psychotherapy in content” if it contains the supervised practicum or field study experience described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), and, except as provided in subdivision (d), the coursework in the core content areas listed in subparagraphs (A) through (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c).
(c) The degree described in subdivision (b) shall contain not less than 48 graduate semester units or 72 graduate quarter units of instruction, which shall include all of the following:
- (1) The equivalent of at least three semester units or four and one-half quarter units of graduate study in each of the following core content areas:
  - (A) Counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques, including the counseling process in a multicultural society, an orientation to wellness and prevention, counseling theories to assist in selection of appropriate counseling interventions, models of counseling consistent with current professional research and practice, development of a personal model of counseling, and multidisciplinary responses to crises, emergencies and disasters.
  - (B) Human growth & development across the lifespan, including normal and abnormal behavior, an understanding of developmental crises, disability, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior.
  - (C) Career development theories and techniques, including career development decision-making models, interrelationships among and between work, family and other life roles and factors including the role of multicultural issues in career development.
  - (D) Group counseling theories and techniques, including principles of group dynamics, group process components, group developmental stage theories, therapeutic factors of group work, group leadership styles and approaches, pertinent research and literature, group counseling methods, and evaluation of effectiveness.
  - (E) Assessment, appraisal, and testing of individuals, including basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques, norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, statistic concepts, social and cultural factors related to assessment and evaluation of individuals and groups, and ethical strategies for selecting, administering and interpreting assessment instruments and techniques in counseling.
  - (F) Mulitcultural counseling theories and techniques, including counselors' roles in developing cultural self-awareness, identity development, promoting cultural social justice, individual and community strategies for working with and advocating for diverse populations, and counselors' roles in eliminating biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination.
  - (G) Principles of diagnosis, treatment planning, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior, including the use of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders."
  - (H) Research and evaluation, including studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, the use of research to inform evidence-based practice, the importance of research in advancing the profession of counseling, research methods, and statistical methods used in conducting research, needs assessment and program evaluation.
  - (I) Professional orientation, ethics and law in counseling, including professional ethical standards and legal considerations, licensing law and licensing process, regulatory laws that delineate the profession's scope of practice, counselor/client privilege, confidentiality, the client dangerous to self or others, treatment of minors with or without parental consent, relationship between practitioner's sense of self and human values, functions and relationships with other human service providers, strategies for collaboration, and advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity and success for clients.
- (2) A minimum of 12 semester units or 18 quarter units of advanced coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues or special populations.
- (3) Not less than six semester or nine quarter units of supervised practicum or field study experience, or the equivalent, in a clinical setting that provides experience, including the following:
  - (A) Applied psychotherapeutic techniques.
  - (B) Assessment.
  - (C) Diagnosis.
  - (D) Prognosis.
  - (E) Treatment.
  - (F) Issues of development, adjustment, and maladjustment.
  - (G) Health and wellness promotion.
  - (H) Other recognized counseling interventions.
  - (I) A minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face supervised clinical experience counseling individuals, families or groups.
(d)
- (1) An applicant whose degree is deficient in no more than two of the required areas of study listed in subparagraphs (A) to (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) may satisfy the requirements by successfully completing postmaster’s or postdoctoral degree coursework at an accredited or approved institution, as defined in Section 4999.12.
- (2) Coursework taken to meet deficiencies in the required areas of study listed in subparagraphs (A) to (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) shall be the equivalent of three semester or four and one half quarter units of study.
- (3) The board shall make the final determination as to whether a degree meets all requirements, including, but not limited to, course requirements, regardless of accreditation.
(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.

(Refer to 4999.33 and 4999.39 to see the increased requirements for those who begin graduate study on or after August 1, 2012.)

Additional coursework:
4999.38

(a) All applicants who began graduate study before August 1, 2012, shall complete the following coursework or training prior to registration as an intern:
- (1) Instruction in alcoholism and other chemical substance dependency as specified by regulation. When coursework in a master’s or doctoral degree program is acquired to satisfy this requirement, it shall be considered as part of the 48 semester unit or 72 quarter unit requirement in subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32. This paragraph applies to those individuals who began graduate study on or after January 1, 1986.
- (2) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality as specified in Section 25, and any regulations promulgated thereunder. When coursework in a master’s or doctoral degree program is acquired to satisfy this requirement, it shall be considered as part of the 48 semester unit or 72 quarter unit requirement in subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32.
- (3) A two semester unit or three quarter unit survey course in psychopharmacology. This paragraph applies to individuals who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2001.
- (4) Coursework in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, and same gender abuse dynamics. This subdivision shall apply to individuals who began graduate study on or after January 1, 1995. Applicants who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2004, shall complete a minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework to satisfy this requirement.
- (5) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting as specified in Section 28 and any regulations adopted thereunder.
- (6) Coursework in California law and professional ethics for professional counselors.
- (7) A minimum of 10 contact hours of coursework in aging and long-term care, which may include, but is not limited to, the biological, social, and psychological aspects of aging. This paragraph shall apply to individuals who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2004.
(b) Coursework taken in fulfillment of other educational requirements for licensure as a professional counselor, or in a separate course of study, may, at the discretion of the board, fulfill the requirements of subdivision (a).

Supervision: Completion of a minimum of 3,000 post-degree hours of supervised clinical mental health experience related to the practice of professional counseling, performed over a period of not less than two years (104 weeks) under the supervision of an approved supervisor. (See 4999.42, 4999.44, 4999.45, 4999.46, 4999.47, 4999.48 for details.)

Examination: Successful passage of licensure examinations adopted by the licensure board. The National Counselor Examination (NCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) are recommended. A supplemental exam on California law and ethics will be required.

Grandparenting
4999.54. Not withstanding Section 4999.50, the board may issue a license to any person who submits an application for a license between January 1, 2010 and June 30, 2010, provided that all documentation is submitted within 12 months of the board’s evaluation of the application, and provided that he or she meets one of the following sets of criteria:

(a) He or she meets all of the following requirements:
- (1) Has a master’s or doctoral degree from a school, college, or university as specified in Section 4999.32, that is counseling or psychotherapy in content. If the person’s degree does not include all the graduate coursework in all nine subject areas, as required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32, a person shall provide documentation that he or she has completed the required coursework prior to licensure, pursuant to this chapter. A qualifying degree must include the supervised practicum or field study as required in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32.
  - (A) A counselor educator, whose degree contains at least seven of the nine required subject areas, will be given credit for coursework not contained in the degree, if documentation is provided that the counselor educator has taught the equivalent of the required subject area in a graduate program in counseling or a related area.
  - (B) Degrees issued prior to 1996 shall include a minimum of 30 semester units or 45 quarter units, and at least five of the nine required core areas specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32. The total number of units shall be no less than 48 semester units or 72 quarter units.
  - (C) Degrees issued in 1996 and after shall include a minimum of 48 semester units or 72 quarter units, and at least seven of the nine core areas specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32.
- (2) Additional coursework, as required by Section 4989.38.
- (3) Has at least two years, full time or the equivalent, post-degree counseling experience, that includes at least 1,700 hours of supervised experience in a clinical setting supervised by a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed psychologist, a licensed physician and surgeon specializing in psychiatry, or a master’s level counselor or therapist who is certified by a national certifying or registering organization, including, but not limited to the National Board for Certified Counselors or the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.
- (4) Has a passing score on the following examinations:
  - (A) The National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination
  - (B) The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination.
  - (C) A California jurisprudence and ethics examination, when developed by the board.
(b) Is currently licensed as a marriage and family therapist in the State of California and meets the coursework requirements described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
(c) Is currently licensed as a clinical social worker in the State of California and meets the coursework requirements described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).

One-year renewal for grandparented counselors
4999.56.

(a) A license issued under subdivision (a) of Section 4999.54 shall be valid for six years from the issuance date of the initial license provided that the license is annually renewed during that period pursuant to Section 4999.101. After this six-year period, it shall be canceled unless the licensee does both of the following within the next renewal period:
- (1) Obtains a licensure renewal as provided in Section 4999.101.
- (2) Passes the examinations required for licensure on or after July 1, 2010, as set forth in Section 4999.52, or documents that he or she has already passed those examinations.
(b) Upon failure to meet the requirements set forth in this section, a license issued pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4999.54 shall be canceled and the person shall be required to meet the requirements listed in 4999.50 to obtain a new license.
(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2017, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted stature, that is enacted before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends that date.

Renewal
4999.76.

(a)
- (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) and subdivision (c), the board shall not renew any license pursuant to this chapter unless the applicant certifies to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, that he or she has completed not less than 36 hours of approved continuing education in or relevant to the field of professional counseling in the preceding two years, as determined by the board.
- (2) Except as provided in subdivision (c), the board shall not renew a license issued pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4999.54 unless the applicant certifies to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, that he or she has completed not less than 18 hours of approved continuing education in or relevant to the field of professional counseling in the preceding year, as determined by the board. This paragraph shall become inoperative on January 1, 2017.
(b) The board shall have the right to audit the records of any applicant to verify the completion of the continuing education requirement. Applicants shall maintain records of completed continuing education coursework for a minimum of two years and shall make these records available to the board for auditing purposes upon request.

(See 4999.76 for additional language pertaining to renewal)

Violations
4999.86. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

Core Course Descriptions:
Graduate study must include coursework in the following areas. The first eight content areas are set by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and all nine areas are suggested by the American Association for State Counseling Boards (AASCB) and are required in AB 1486:

A. CACREP areas:

1. PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY (Professional orientation, ethics, and law in counseling) - studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning:
- a. History and philosophy of the counseling profession, including significant factors and events;
- b. professional roles, functions, and relationships with other human service providers;
- c. technological competence and computer literacy;
- d. professional organizations, primarily ACA, its divisions, branches, and affiliates, including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current emphases;
- e. professional credentialing, including certification, licensure, and accreditation practices and standards, and the effects of public policy on these issues;
- f. public and private policy processes, including the role of the professional counselor in advocating on behalf of the profession;
- g. advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success for clients; and h. ethical standards of ACA and related entities, and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling.
2. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY (Multicultural counseling theories and techniques) - studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society related to such factors as culture, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical characteristics, education, family values, religious and spiritual values, socioeconomic status and unique characteristics of individuals, couples, families, ethnic groups, and communities including all of the following:
- a. multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics and concerns between and within diverse groups nationally and internationally;
- b. attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences, including specific experiential learning activities;
- c. individual, couple, family, group, and community strategies for working with diverse populations and ethnic groups;
- d. counselors’ roles in social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution, cultural self-awareness, the nature of biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination, and other culturally supported behaviors that are detrimental to the growth of the human spirit, mind, or body;
- e. theories of multicultural counseling, theories of identity development, and multicultural competencies; and
- f. ethical and legal considerations.
3. HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT (Human growth and development across the lifespan, including normal and abnormal behavior) - studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, including all of the following:
- a. theories of individual and family development and transitions across the life-span;
- b. theories of learning and personality development;
- c. human behavior including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, exceptional behavior, addictive behavior, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior;
- d. strategies for facilitating optimum development over the life-span; and
- e. ethical and legal considerations.
4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT (Career development theories and techniques) - studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following:
- a. career development theories and decision-making models;
- b. career, avocational, educational, occupational and labor market information resources, visual and print media, computer-based career information systems, and other electronic career information systems;
- c. career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation;
- d. interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors including the role of diversity and gender in career development;
- e. career and educational planning, placement, follow-up, and evaluation;
- f. assessment instruments and techniques that are relevant to career planning and decision making;
- g. technology-based career development applications and strategies, including computer-assisted career guidance and information systems and appropriate world-wide web sites;
- h. career counseling processes, techniques, and resources, including those applicable to specific populations.
5. HELPING RELATIONSHIPS (Counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques) - studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes, including all of the following:
- a. counselor and consultant characteristics and behaviors that influence helping processes including age, gender, and ethnic differences, verbal and nonverbal behaviors and personal characteristics, orientations, and skills;
- b. an understanding of essential interviewing and counseling skills so that the student is able to develop a therapeutic relationship, establish appropriate counseling goals, design intervention strategies, evaluate client outcome, and successfully terminate the counselor-client relationship. Studies will also facilitate student self-awareness so that the counselor-client relationship is therapeutic and the counselor maintains appropriate professional boundaries;
- c. counseling theories that provide the student with a consistent model(s) to conceptualize client presentation and select appropriate counseling interventions. Student experiences should include an examination of the historical development of counseling theories, an exploration of affective, behavioral, and cognitive theories, and an opportunity to apply the theoretical material to case studies. Students will also be exposed to models of counseling that are consistent with current professional research and practice in the field so that they can begin to develop a personal model of counseling;
- d. a systems perspective that provides an understanding of family and other systems theories and major models of family and related interventions. Students will be exposed to a rationale for selecting family and other systems theories as appropriate modalities for family assessment and counseling;
- e. a general framework for understanding and practicing consultation. Student experiences should include an examination of the historical development of consultation, an exploration of the stages of consultation and the major models of consultation, and an opportunity to apply the theoretical material to case presentations. Students will begin to develop a personal model of consultation;
- f. integration of technological strategies and applications within counseling and consultation processes; and
- g. ethical and legal considerations.
6. GROUP WORK (Group counseling theories and techniques) - studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, and other group approaches, including all of the following:
- a. principles of group dynamics, including group process components, developmental stage theories, group members’ roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of group work;
- b. group leadership styles and approaches, including characteristics of various types of group leaders and leadership styles;
- c. theories of group counseling, including commonalties, distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent research and literature;
- d. group counseling methods, including group counselor orientations and behaviors, appropriate selection criteria and methods, and methods of evaluation of effectiveness;
- e. approaches used for other types of group work, including task groups, psychoeducational groups, and therapy groups;
- f. professional preparation standards for group leaders; and
- g. ethical and legal considerations.
7. ASSESSMENT (Assessment, appraisal, and testing of individuals) - studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation, including all of the following:
- a. historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment;
- b. basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, environmental assessment, performance assessment, individual and group test and inventory methods, behavioral observations, and computer-managed and computer-assisted methods;
- c. statistical concepts, including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations;
- d. reliability (i.e., theory of measurement error, models of reliability, and the use of reliability information);
- e. validity (i.e., evidence of validity, types of validity, and the relationship between reliability and validity;
- f. age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, disability, culture, spirituality, and other factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals, groups, and specific populations;
- g. strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling;
- h. an understanding of general principles and methods of case conceptualization, assessment, and/or diagnoses of mental and emotional status; and
- i. ethical and legal considerations.
8. RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION (Research and evaluation) - studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following:
- a. the importance of research and opportunities and difficulties in conducting research in the counseling profession,
- b. research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, and outcome-based research;
- c. use of technology and statistical methods in conducting research and program evaluation, assuming basic computer literacy;
- d. principles, models, and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and use of findings to effect program modifications;
- e. use of research to improve counseling effectiveness; and
- f. ethical and legal considerations.

B. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY (Principles of diagnosis, treatment planning, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior, including use of the American Psychiatric Association’s “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.”) - Emotional and mental disorders experienced by persons of all ages; characteristics of disorders; common nosologies of emotional and mental disorders utilized within the U.S. health care system; diagnosis and treatment according to the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as published by the American Psychiatric Association; preferred treatment approaches for disorders based on research; common medications used by psychiatrists to treat disorders; working with other health care and mental health care professionals in treating individuals with emotional and mental disorders.

C. ADDITIONAL COURSE WORK: Examples of appropriate additional course work would be marriage and family counseling, addictive disorders, treating children and adolescents, play therapy, sexual diversity, geriatric counseling, supervision, etc.

LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS