WHO ARE LPCCS?
The First Professional Clinical Counselors Became Licensed in California in 2012
Scope of Practice: Business and Professions Code 4999.20
Application of counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques to improve mental health
Identification and remediation of cognitive, mental, and emotional issues, including personal growth, adjustment to disability, and crisis intervention
Empowering individuals to deal adequately with life situations, reduce stress, experience growth, change behavior, and make well-informed decisionsWhat do LPCCs Do?
More than 144,000 licensed professional counselors in 50 states:
- Provide mental health care to millions of Americans
- Make up a large percentage of the workforce employed in mental health centers, agencies and organizations
- Are reimbursed by managed care organizations and health plans
- Receive training to work with individuals, families and groups
How are LPCCs Qualified?
Professional clinical counselor education and training standards for licensure are on par with marriage and family therapists and clinical social workers, the other two master’s level mental health providers in the state
Requirements for LPCCs include:
- Possession of a 60-unit master’s or doctorate degree in counseling or psychotherapy from an accredited or “approved” institution of higher education, that includes 13 required core areas of study
- Completion of a minimum of 3,000 hours of post-degree supervised clinical experience, performed over two years prior to licensure, and continuing education hours for license renewal
- Passage of the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) and the LPCC California Law & Ethics Examination
- Adherence to the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics and recognized standards of practice, as regulated by California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences
