1. Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy BBHT bbht@state.mn.us

2. Agenda What is the Board? LPC Requirements History of LPCC in Minnesota BBHT’s Current Activity Regarding LPCC LPCC Application Requirements Q & A

3. What is the Board? Mission Statement The mission of the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy is to protect the public through effective licensure and enforcement of the statutes and rules governing its licensees to ensure a standard of competent and ethical practice.

4. How Does the Board Accomplish its Mission? Consists of 13 volunteer board members, 3 full-time staff members and 1 part-time intermittent student worker Regulatory Functions  Licensure (professional counselors and alcohol & drug counselors)  Continuing Education  Enforcement of laws through due process

5. How is the Board different than the Minnesota Counseling Association (MnCA)? Not to be confused with the Board, the MnCA is the Minnesota branch of the ACA to provide leadership & service to its member counseling professionals & their constituents. MnCA serves as a professional advocate for its members. MnCA may be able to help its members with matters outside of the Board’s regulatory functions: Employment Wage inquiries Liability Insurance Advocate with 3 rd party insurers Peer consultation during the Board’s complaint & disciplinary process Offer CE conferences & workshops Serve as a legislative voice at state & federal levels to advocate for counseling services for persons of all ages & circumstances

6. What is Licensure? Licensure = Responsibility Like a driver’s license, holders are responsible for knowing and following the laws that apply to their license. Read the law carefully. Ignorance of the law does not excuse a licensee from the requirements of the law. Licensure = Property Right Cannot be taken away without due process of law

7. Definition of Professional Counseling Minn. Stat. sec. 148B.50, subd. 4 states: Licensed Professional Counseling. "Licensed professional counseling" means the application of counseling, human development, and mental health research, principles, and procedures to maintain and enhance the mental health, development, personal and interpersonal effectiveness, and adjustment to work and life of individuals and families.

8. Scope of Practice for LPC Minn. Stat. sec. 148B.50, subd. 5 states: Scope of practice. (a)The scope of practice of a licensed professional counselor includes, but is not limited to: (1) the implementation of professional counseling treatment interventions including evaluation, treatment planning, assessment, and referral; (2) direct counseling services to individuals, groups, and families; (3) counseling strategies that effectively respond to multicultural populations; (4) knowledge of relevant laws and ethics impacting practice; (5) crisis intervention; (6) consultation; and (7) program evaluation and applied research. Continued…

9. … Scope of Practice for LPC … Continued (b) For the purposes of paragraph (a), clause (1), "professional counseling treatment interventions" means the application of cognitive, affective, behavioral, systemic, and community counseling strategies which include principles of human development, wellness, and pathology. Counselors provide mental health services for clients whose symptoms significantly interfere with daily functioning and would most likely not improve in a reasonable time period without intervention. (c) Licensed professional counseling does not include activities or services undertaken by persons listed in section 148B.592, or the performance of any act that licensed professional counselors are not educated and trained to perform.148B.592

10. LPC Licensing Requirements Graduate degree in counseling or a related field from an institution that is accredited; 48 semester credits; 700 supervised educational field experience hours; academic coursework in 10 specified subject areas; Successful completion of the NCE or NCMHCE 2,000 supervised practice hours that are acceptable to the Board (pre- or post-licensure).

11. Why the LPCC is Needed The LPC existed as the newest mental health license in Minnesota and its requirements fall short of the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) requirements for mental health professionals, particularly in the area of supervision; The DHS oversees Minnesota’s medical assistance reimbursement program and defines who is reimbursable; One mission of the Board is to increase access to care in access-stretched areas - impossible to do when providers cannot be reimbursed.

12. The LPCC passed into law in June, 2007! It became effective on August 1, 2007

13. What did not pass: Portion of the bill that would have included the LPCC in DHS’ statutes as a “mental health professional.” Without this designation LPCCs cannot be reimbursed for services to medical assistance clients. Why didn’t it pass? It was a matter of timing. All state agencies had passed their budget bills in the fall of 2006, including DHS. Risk of veto caused authors to pull out this portion of the bill.

14. BBHT’s Current Activity Regarding the LPCC: Working with DHS to continue to pursue inclusion of the LPCC as a recognized mental health professional in DHS’ law as soon as possible – expected during the current 2008 Legislative session. What the Board expects: The Bill to pass. DHS has expressed its confidence in the LPCC publicly in its task force report and privately to Board members and staff.

15. LPCC Scope of Practice LPCCs scope of practice includes all services provided by mental health professionals as defined by the statutes of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (Minn. Stat. sec. 245.462, subd 18 and sec. 245.4871, subd. 27). Note: If the scope changes in DHS’ law it will not require a change to BBHT’s law (via the lengthy legislative process). BBHT’s statute points to DHS’ law for the full description of the scope of practice.

16. Methods for Applying for the LPCC: LPCC General Application Method (Minn. Stat. sec. 148B.5301, subd. 1 & 2) *Intended for general applicants LPCC Conversion Application Method (Minn. Stat. sec. 148B.5301, subd. 3) *Intended for LPCs with an active license status at the time of application for the LPCC

17. LPCC General Application Method: Requirements of LPC must be met; 24 semester credits in 6 specified clinical coursework subjects, from any graduate work completed at an appropriate program; Successful completion of the NCMHCE or the NCE & ECCP examination(s); 4,000 supervised professional practice hours completed pre-licensure.

18. LPC to LPCC Conversion Application Method: Available through 8/1/2011; Requires active LPC licensure in MN; 24 clinical coursework credits with 6 specified subjects included, from any appropriate graduate coursework completed; and 4,000 hours of supervised professional practice pre-licensure.

19. Six Clinical Subjects: 1.Diagnostic assessment for child or adult mental disorders; normative development; and psychopathology, including developmental psychopathology; 2.Clinical treatment planning, with measurable goals; 3.Clinical intervention methods informed by research evidence and community standards of practice; Cont…

20. Clinical Subjects, continued… 4.Evaluation methodologies regarding the effectiveness of interventions; 5.Professional ethics applied to clinical practice; and 6.Cultural diversity. CSPP program has been approved for the 10 content areas required for the LPC. Therefore, applicants need not identify where their program meets the requirements. CSPP is currently preparing to submit proposals as to how many of the 24 credits are met in the program. The proposal will be completed this spring.

21. LPCLPCC 48 grad. Credits 700 hr. field experience- practicum NCE or NCMHCE 2000 hrs. of supervised experience by an approved supervisor Accumulation up to 60 credits 4 yr. time frame 48 grad credits 700 hr. field experience- practicum NCMHCE or NCE & ECCP 4000 hrs. of supervised experience by approved supervisor 24 credits in 6 areas

22. NATIONAL EXAMS LPC = pass the NATIONAL COUNSELING EXAM (NCE) (scores are accepted over a lifetime) LPCC = pass the NATIONAL CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING EXAM (NCMHCE) OR pass the NCE and the EXAM for CLINICAL COUNSELING PRACTICE (ECCP) All exams given by the National Board of Clinical Counselors (NBCC)

23. National Exams LPC Pass the NCE LPCC Pass the NCMHCE Or Pass the NCE & the ECCP