Ala. Admin. Code r. 255-X-3-.01

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 255-X-3-.01 - Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

(1) General. All applicants must meet the qualifications specified in Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-7(l) through (6).

(2) Education.

(a) Prior to January 1, 2024, a master's degree in counseling is defined as a conferred/awarded master's degree in counseling, consisting of a minimum of forty-eight (48) graduate semester hours or seventy-two (72) graduate quarter hours at a regionally accredited college or university (e.g., Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). The master's degree must contain and encompass the academic areas specified in paragraph 2(b). Beginning January 1, 2024, a master's degree in counseling is defined as a conferred/ awarded master's degree in counseling from a CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs), a CORE (Commission on Rehabilitation and Education) accredited program, or a content equivalent, regionally accredited program, (e.g., Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), consisting of a minimum of sixty (60) graduate semester hours, or ninety (90) graduate quarter hours. The master's degree must contain and encompass the academic areas specified below in paragraph 2(b).

(b) All applicants shall have a master's degree from a CACREP, CORE or a content equivalent, regionally accredited program in the hours specified above in paragraph 2(a). Content equivalent is minimally defined as graduate course work in each of the following academic areas (acceptable area content must be based on focal content (primary) rather than ancillary (secondary) emphasis in the courses used to meet each area requirement:

1. Counseling Theory: Includes studies of theories, principles and techniques of clinical mental health counseling and their application to professional counseling settings and treatment of mental health and emotional disorders.

2. Human Growth and Development: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels; normal and abnormal human behavior; psychopathology; personality theory; life-span theory; and learning theory within cultural context.

3. Social and Multicultural Foundations: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of societal changes and trends; human roles; societal subgroups; social and mores and interaction patterns; multicultural and pluralistic trends; differing lifestyles; and major societal concerns including trauma crisis, stress, person abuse, substance abuse, discrimination and methods for alleviating these concerns.

4. The Helping Relationship: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of philosophic bases of helping processes; counseling theories and their clinical applications; basic and advanced helping skills; consultation theories and their applications; client and helper self-understanding and self-development; facilitation of client or consultee change diagnostic process including differential diagnosis; etiology, nomenclature, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.

5. Group Dynamics, Processing and Counseling: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of group development, dynamics, and counseling theories; group leadership styles; basic and advanced group counseling methods and skills; and other group approaches.

6. Lifestyle and Career Development: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of career development theories; occupational and educational information sources and systems; career and leisure counseling, guidance, and education; lifestyle and career decisionmaking; career development program planning, resources, and effectiveness evaluation.

7. Appraisal of Individuals: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of group and individual educational and psychometric theories and approaches to appraisal and assessment; data and information gathering methods; validity and reliability; psychometric statistics; factors influencing appraisals; and use of appraisal results in diagnostic and helping processes. Additionally, the specific ability to administer and interpret tests and inventories to assess abilities, behaviors, interests, and identify career options is necessary.

8. Research and Evaluation: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of types of research and their application and use in clinical mental health counseling practices; basic statistics; research-report development; research implementation; program evaluation; needs assessment; publication of research information; and ethical and legal considerations.

9. Professional Orientation: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of clinical mental health counseling roles and functions; professional goals and objectives; professional organizations and associations; professional history and trends; ethical and legal standards of clinical mental health counseling; clinical mental health counselor preparation standards; professional licensure and credentialing; and legislation and government policy relevant to clinical mental health counseling.

10. Practicum: Provides for the development of individual and group counseling skills under supervision. The practicum must be taken through a regionally accredited institution, for a total of one hundred (100) clock hours. A minimum of forty (40) clock hours must be direct service work with clients. At least 80% of the direct service work with clients in the practicum must be in counseling sessions with clients. Assessment activities with clients may not account for more than 20% of the direct services in the practicum. A minimum of one (1) clock hour per week must be of individual supervision by program faculty, and a minimum of one and one-half (1 1/2) clock hours per week must be group supervision.

11. Internship: Provides an opportunity for the student to perform all the activities that a regularly employed staff member in the setting would be expected to perform. The internship must be a minimum of six hundred (600) clock hours, to include: a minimum of two hundred and forty (240) hours of direct service work with clients. At least 80% of the direct service work with clients in the internship must be in counseling sessions with clients. Assessment activities with clients may not account for more than 20% of the direct services in the internship. A minimum of (1) clock hour per week must be of individual supervision by program-by-program faculty, and a minimum of one and one-half (1 1/2 clock hours per week must be group supervision.

(3) Experience.

(a) The experience requirements for applicants are set out in Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-7(5), and in Section 255-X-3-.02 of the rules and regulations of the board. All educational requirements for licensure must be completed prior to accruing post-master's supervised experience and/or post master's academic work used to substitute for post-master's supervised experience. No accrual of required supervised experience shall occur until the Associate Licensed Counselor license has been issued.

(b) Applicants must have three thousand (3000) hours of supervised experience in professional counseling with Board approved supervision.

1. Three thousand (3000) hours of required supervised experience in professional counseling acceptable to the Board must include the following minimum requirements:

(i) Two thousand, two hundred and fifty (2,250) hours will be direct counseling service with individuals, couples, families, or groups;

(ii) Seven hundred and fifty (750) hours will be indirect counseling services to include, but not limited to, documentation, consultation, referral development, etc.

2. An applicant may subtract one thousand hours of the required professional experience for every 15 graduate semester hours of 22.5 quarter hours obtained beyond the master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university, provided that such hours are clearly related to the field of professional counseling, are focused on increasing knowledge and use of skills in the private practice of counseling in one or more of the following areas: counseling theory and practice, human growth and development, social and multicultural foundations, helping relationships, group dynamics, lifestyle and career development, appraisal of individuals, research and evaluation, or professional orientation, and are acceptable to the Board.

However, in no case may the applicant have less than one thousand hours of the required professional experience. Formal graduate course work utilized as continuing education for licensure renewal cannot also be utilized as a substitute for supervised experience required to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Formal graduate course work used as a substitution for supervised experience to become a Licensed Professional Counselor cannot also be utilized as continuing education for licensure renewal.

If a reduction of supervised experience hours is granted, the 1,000 hours of client hours subtracted from the required professional experience will be applied as follows: 750 hours will be applied to the direct counseling service requirement, and 250 hours will be applied to the indirect counseling service requirement.

3. An applicant who is able to subtract one thousand hours of the required professional experience must have two thousand hours of supervised professional experience.

4. Two thousand hours of the required supervised professional experience must include the following minimum requirements:

(i) Fifteen hundred (1,500) hours will be direct counseling service with individuals, couples, families or groups;

(ii) Five hundred (500) hours will be indirect counseling services to include, but not limited to, documentation, consultation, referral development, etc.

5. An applicant who is able to subtract two thousand hours of the required professional experience must have one thousand hours of supervised professional experience.

6. One thousand hours of the required supervised professional experience must include the following minimum requirements:

(i) Seven hundred and fifty (750) hours will be direct counseling service with individuals, couples, families or groups;

(ii) Two hundred and fifty (250) hours will be indirect counseling services to include, but not limited to, documentation, consultation, referral development, etc.

(4) Examination. All applicants not falling within the provisions of Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-23, must demonstrate professional competence in counseling by passing an examination as provided in Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-7(6).

(5) Character and Professional Integrity. All applicants shall furnish the requisite number of references and endorsements required by the application form adopted by the Board pursuant to Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-7.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 255-X-3-.01

Filed September 30, 1982. Amended: Filed February 5, 1988. Amended: Filed March 30, 1993. Amended: Filed January 16, 1996; effective February 20, 1996. Amended: Filed November 26, 1996; effective December 31, 1996. Amended: Filed September 22, 1997; effective October 27, 1997. Amended: Filed August 12, 1998; effective September 16, 1998. Amended: Filed March 1, 2000; effective April 5, 2000. Amended: Filed September 25, 2000; effective October 30, 2000. Amended: Filed May 16, 2001; effective June 20, 2001. Amended: Filed March 22, 2002; effective April 26, 2002. Amended: Filed May 30, 2003; effective July 4, 2003. Amended: Filed November 9, 2006; effective December 14, 2006. Amended: Filed August 4, 2010; effective September 8, 2010.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIV, Issue No. 10, July 29, 2016, eff. 8/28/2016.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIX, Issue No. 12, September 30, 2021, eff. 11/14/2021.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XL, Issue No. 05, February 28, 2022, eff. 4/14/2022.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XLI, Issue No. 02, November 30, 2022, eff. 1/14/2023.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XLII, Issue No. 01, October 31, 2023, eff. 12/15/2023.

Author: Alabama State Board of Examiners in Counseling

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 34-8A-5, et seq.