Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024
Section 27-1-6 - Qualifications of New Applicants6.1. Education: The education requirements for the licensure of applicants are set forth in W. Va. Code §30-31-8. To meet those requirements, an applicant shall have one of the following degrees: 6.1.a. A master's or doctoral degree from an institution with a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the Council for the Accreditation for Education Preparation (CAEP), the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), or a comparable accrediting body. Acceptable graduate degrees include a specialization in clinical mental health counseling, marriage and family counseling, pastoral counseling, rehabilitation counseling, school counseling, and substance abuse or addictions counseling.6.1.b. Applicants shall complete a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours or ninety (90) quarter hours of graduate course work inclusive of a master's or doctoral degree in counseling with a minimum of three (3) semester hours in each of the following areas or their equivalent, as determined by the Board:(1) Counseling theories: includes a study of basic theories and principles of counseling and philosophic basis of the helping relationship;(2) Counseling techniques: includes individual counseling practices, methods, facilitative skills, and the application of these skills;(3) Human growth and development: includes the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, following psychological, sociological and physiological approaches. It includes human behavior (normal and abnormal), personality theory, learning theory, dynamics of stress, and medical/functional implications of disability;(4) Social and cultural foundations: includes studies of social change, ethnic groups, subcultures, mores, urban and rural societies, population patterns, use of leisure time, work, and differing life patterns;(5) Individual appraisal: includes individual differences, methods of data gathering and interpretation, individual and group testing, and case study;(6) Professional responsibilities: includes goals and objectives of professional counseling organizations, codes of ethics, legal considerations, standards of preparation, certification and licensing, advocacy, confidentiality, and the role identity of counselors;(7) Principles of etiology, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior;(8) Addictions counseling: includes the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of addictive disorders;(9) Group dynamics, processes, counseling and consulting: includes theories, practices, methods, dynamics, facilitative skills, and supervised practice;(10) Lifestyle and career development: includes vocational-choice theory, the relationship between career choice and life-style, occupational and educational information, career decision-making processes, career development exploration and placement techniques;(11) Marriage, couples, and/or family counseling/therapy;(12) Research and evaluation: includes statistics, research design, research proposals and evaluation;(13) Supervised practicum: includes the provision of counseling to bona fide clients and groups seeking services from counselors under the direction of a graduate faculty member who is a licensed professional counselor or related mental health professional, and includes critiquing of counseling either observed or recorded on audio or video tape; and(14) Supervised internship: includes actual on-the-job counseling experience under the tutelage of an on-site supervisor who is a licensed professional counselor or related mental health professional;6.1.c. The applicant shall have sufficient semester credit hour courses in any of the following counseling related elective subjects to equal the semester credit hour course requirements as outlined in 6.1.b. subdivision of this rule (4) Biological basis of behavior;(5) Counseling special populations, including forensic populations, sex offenders, children and adolescents, adults, elderly, gender specific populations, seriously mentally ill individuals, and individuals affected by domestic violence, dual diagnosis, co-morbidity or co-occurring disorders;(6) Rehabilitation counseling;(7) Counseling interventions; or(8) Additional or advanced courses in any required curriculum category listed in paragraphs 6.1.b.1 through 14; and of this rule.6.1.d. The Credentialing Committee, composed of the two (2) counselor educators and other Board staff, shall review all matters regarding education requirements. The Credentialing Committee may make a final determination regarding the sufficiency of the applicant's education or may refer the matter to the entire Board for determination. Any determination made by the Committee or Board may be appealed in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 27-6-5 of the Board's rules. 6.2 Supervised counseling experience: The applicant shall have a minimum of 3000 hoursof supervised counseling experience, after earning a master's degree in counseling as determined by the Board; or have earned a doctoral degree in counseling as determined by the Board and have a minimum of 1500 hours of supervised counseling experience after earning the degree. At least fifty percent (50%) of the supervised counseling experience shall be in the direct provision of counseling services to clients.6.2.a. The applicant may receive up to 600 hours credit towards the 3000 hour minimum requirement under this subsection for the work completed in his or her internship from his or her master's program. The credentialing committee shall determine the number of hours that may be granted. There are no credit hours granted for the doctoral supervision hour requirement.6.2.b. The applicant shall remain under professional supervision satisfactory to the Board, and may not be called a licensed professional counselor, or in anyway be represented as a licensed professional counselor, until the applicant is duly licensed by the Board.6.2.c. The professional supervisor shall determine the applicant's activities and the amount of supervision required. A minimum of one (1) hour of direct individual supervision is required for every twenty (20) hours of practice. When the professional supervisor is not a full-time employee of the same firm or agency as the applicant, this supervision shall occur at least twice in each calendar month, while maintaining the minimum hourly requirement. The supervisor shall be reasonably available to the applicant for telephone consultation. An approved professional supervisor may not supervise more than four (4) individual applicants. Supervision can be conducted in-person or via any secured, encrypted telecommunication modality.6.2.d. The professional supervisor shall be pre-approved by the Board and shall provide post-graduate degree supervision for applicants provided he or she is a Licensed Professional Counselor, or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. At a minimum, the professional supervisor shall have been licensed at the highest level for a period of two (2) years and shall have had five (5) years counseling experience. The professional supervisor shall document to the Board that he or she has a current license and has completed Board approved training in counseling supervision that includes content and experiences relevant to the professional and clinical supervision of counselors. The professional supervisor shall provide the Board with a statement detailing his or her counseling philosophy, supervision experience and counseling experience. The professional supervisor shall demonstrate a stable employment history, and skills necessary to address all core areas of practice as outlined in subdivision 6.1.b of this rule and the ACA Code of Ethics.6.2.e. The applicant shall provide the Board with verification of completion of supervised counseling experience on forms provided by the Board.6.3. Standardized certification examination in counseling: The applicant shall provide the Board with verification that he or she has attained a successful score on a certification examination in counseling approved by the Board. The successful score is valid for five (5) years from the date of examination.