Ala. Admin. Code r. 255-X-7-.01

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

Section 255-X-7-.01 - Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Renewal

(1) General. All Licensed Professional Counselor licenses expire biennially and on July 31 of the renewal year. For all expired LPC licenses renewed after July 31 of a renewal year, the date of issuance shall correspond to the date of the approved renewal and the renewed licensure term shall not exceed twenty-four (24) months from the expiration date of the previous licensure term.

(2) Renewal Notice and Application. Renewal applications will be made available through the Board's website. The LPC must submit the renewal application and renewal fee to the Board office by August 1 of the renewal year.

(3) Renewal Fee. A renewal fee, approved by the Board, is required for any LPC license renewal. Checks should be payable to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling. Failure to pay the biennial renewal fee by August 1 of the renewal year shall automatically suspend the right of any LPC to practice while delinquent. Such lapsed license may be renewed upon payment of a renewal fee and lapsed license fee to be determined by the Board. Any LPC whose license has lapsed beyond six (6) years must reapply under the current regulations for Initial ALC licensure with forfeiture of all accrued supervision, and all client experience hours.

(a) The license of any person licensed as a professional counselor who has allowed their license to lapse for fifteen (15) years or less, and who has been in a profession for at least eight (8) years where counseling is a part of the daily routine of the profession including, but not limited to, service as a school principal, school vice principal, school psychometrist, or school psychologist, shall be reinstated upon the payment of a fee of five hundred dollars ($500) and evidence satisfactory to the board of the completion of forty (40) hours of relevant professional and continuing education earned in the twenty-four (24) month period prior to requesting the reinstatement. Of the forty (40) hours of continuing education required, six (6) hours must be devoted to ethical concerns for practice, assessment, supervision, or research in counseling. The forty (40) hours of continuing education must also meet the requirement for real-time participation as specified in 255-X-7-.01(4)(e). The applicant for reinstatement must also provide written documentation verifying that he/she has been in a profession for at least eight (8) years where counseling as defined in 255-X-2-.01(2)(a) is a part of the daily routine.

(4) Continuing Education. No license will be renewed unless the renewal request is accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the Board of the completion of relevant professional and continued education experience meeting the definition in section 255-X-2-.18 completed during the term of the current license.

(a) A minimum of forty (40) formal contact clock hours of relevant professional and continued education experience shall be required for renewal of LPC license. The forty (40) hours of continuing education required for licensure renewal must contain a minimum of six (6) clock hours of continuing education devoted to ethical concerns for practice, assessment, supervision, or research in counseling.

(b) All formal contact clock hours of relevant professional and continued educational experience shall meet the ABEC Continuing Education Guidelines; or shall be formal graduate academic course work, excluding thesis or dissertation credit. Academic courses taken as "audits" must be verified with an official transcript and letter from the instructor confirming attendance.

(c) The LPC is responsible for maintaining documentation to verify completion of all continuing activities listed on the renewal application. This documentation must be available for review by the Board upon request for a period of three (3) years following the renewal period in which the continuing education activities were used for licensure renewal.

(d) Of the forty (40) formal contact clock hours required for renewal of LPC, ten (10) hours may be obtained by supplying documentation of two (2) of the activities listed below:

1. Services as a presenter for a seminar, workshop, or training conference that is primarily counseling in nature

2. Publication of Peer reviewed material that is primarily counseling in nature.

3. Services on boards, commissions, and holding office in professional organizations, specifically related to counseling, and in which at least thirty (30) hours annually are devoted to such service.

(e) Real-Time Participation in Continuing Education Activities. A minimum of seventy-five percent (75%) of the continuing education activities required for any licensure renewal period must consist of real-time interactive participation in seminars, classes, workshops, presentations, training programs, or similar activities. Such real-time interactive participation must involve licensee presence in the location of the activity as it occurs or use of interactive technology by the licensee for the activity as it occurs. Self-contained or asynchronous activities (e.g., recorded presentations, reading, online study) that do not feature opportunities for dialogue and interaction for the licensee as the activity occurs do not qualify as real-time interactive participation in continuing education.

(f) Documentation of Continuing Education Activities.

All certificates of completion/verification of attendance must contain: licensee's name, name of workshop/seminar/training, name of sponsoring entity, dates of the activity, CE provider number or documentation of the provider, and number of contact hours granted.

(5) Audit of LPC Renewals. The Board will conduct a mandatory random audit of 10 percent (10%) of LPC renewal applications for the most recent renewal period. The audit is to ensure that the continuing education requirement is being met.

(a) An LPC whose renewal is selected for audit is required to send verification of his/her continuing education to the Board office within thirty (30) days of the date of the audit notice. The Board will review the records and respond to the individuals with a statement of compliance or non-compliance.

(b) Non-compliance. In the case of non-compliance with continuing education requirements, the audited LPC will have a one (1) month compliance period to meet continuing education requirements. During the one (1) month compliance period, the Boar may initiate a complaint citing the licensee with failure to meet continuing education requirements for renewal. During the one (1) month compliance period, the licensee may request an immediate hearing before the board concerning the continuing education requirements in question. Failure to meet continuing education requirements within the one (1) month compliance period may result in formal disciplinary action by the Board.

(c) LPCs audited for licensure renewal will be subject to random audit selections in subsequent renewal periods. Successful selection for audit review will not remove an LPC from audit review in any subsequent renewal period.

(6) Lapsed License. A lapsed LPC license cannot be used as the basis for applications for advanced licensure or LPC-S certification. Applicants who seek to renew a lapsed LPC license must pay the published renewal fee and lapsed license fee. The period of licensure renewal shall not extend beyond the next July 31. The renewal application must be accompanied by documentation acceptable to the Board of continuing education activities of no less than forty (40) contact clock hours accrued within the twenty (24) months immediately preceding the request for renewal. The forty (40) hours of continuing education must contain a minimum of six (6) clock hours of continuing education devoted to ethical concerns for practice, assessment, supervision, or research in counseling. Continuing education documentation associated with the renewal of a lapsed license must be submitted to the Board for review but will not be subject to the audit procedure. Any LPC license that has lapsed beyond six years is considered to be expired and the applicant must reapply under the current regulations for ALC licensure with forfeiture of all accrued supervision and all client experience hours.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 255-X-7-.01

Filed September 30, 1982. Amended: Filed November 26, 1996; effective December 31, 1996. Amended: Filed March 1, 2000; effective April 5, 2000. Amended: Filed May 16, 2001; effective June 20, 2001. Amended: Filed September 28, 2009; effective November 2, 2009. New Rule: Filed August 4, 2010; effective September 8, 2010. Repealed: Filed August 27, 2010; effective October 1, 2010. Amended: Filed September 25, 2012; effective October 30, 2012.

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

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

Author: Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling

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