PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING- CERTIFICATION, ACCREDITATION, LICENSING, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

1. PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING- CERTIFICATION, ACCREDITATION, LICENSING, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

2. NATIONAL VOLUNTARY CERTIFICATION • The process whereby an agency, usually national, certify that an INDIVIDUAL has met certain standards established by the agency • Standards are typically more stringent than those for licensing • Certification only confers prestige, not the right to practice

3. Counseling certification agencies • NBCC- National Board for Certified Counselors • NBCC certified member is called an NCC- National Certified Counselor • Requires master’s, NCE, 2 yrs.experience • Specialty NBCC certifications in mental health, school, and addictions counseling • Web site: http://www.nbcc.org

4. Counseling certifications cont. • CRCC- Council on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification • Web site: http://www.crccertification.org

5. ACCREDITATION • Recognition of a PROGRAM OF STUDY as having met certain requirements. • NCATE- National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (ASU has) • CACREP- Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs • CORE- Council on Rehabilitation Education

6. ACCREDITATION CONT. • CACREP • An affiliate of ACA • Specific to counseling • Accredits individual programs- not entire departments. • Career, college, community, gerontological, marriage, mental health, school, student affairs • Web site: http://www.counseling.org/cacrep/ • In Maryland, only Univ. of MD, College Park, Loyola University, Baltimore, and soon to be Hopkins (school counseling)

7. LICENSING • The legal right to practice a profession • Granted by states • Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Board of Professional Counselors: http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/bopc/ • Oversees licensing in Maryland

8. Counseling licensing- required for private practice (and by some agencies) • Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor • http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/bopc/html/gradprofessional.html • LPC- Licensed Professional Counselor • Masters degree in counseling (at least 48 credit hours) • NCE- National Counselor Exam • 3000 hours supervised experience under certified supervisor (subtract 1000 hrs. for 15 sem. hrs with minimum 1000)

9. SCHOOL COUNSELING CERTIFICATION • Regulated by State Department of Education • Requires Master’s (A) in counseling from approved program (automatic if CACREP) and 2 yrs teaching experience (some states) • Some states there is pay raise if NBCC certified • Preliminary certification if LPC • Provisional certification if enrolled in program

10. PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS • AMERICAN COUNSELING ASSOCIATION (ACA)- 1992 • Formerly AACD-(1985) American Association for Counseling & Development • Formerly APGA (1952)- American Personnel and Guidance Association

11. ACA-AMERICAN COUNSELING ASSOCIATION • Web site: http://www.counseling.org • 17 divisions (e.g., ASCA, AMHCA, CSJ, AMCD) • Journal of Counseling and Development • Counseling Today • Discounted student rates

12. MARYLAND ASSOCIATION FOR COUNSELING AND DEVELOPMENT (MACD) • Web site: http://www.mdcounseling.org/mc/page.do;jsessionid=72D90CFB7EBBBB6B29807CFEA3027257.mc0?sitePageId=77855 • Newsletter • Conference: November 11, 2011 • Discounted student rates