Licenses: Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA)
Licensure Board:Washington State Department of Health
http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/ProfessionsNewReneworUpdate/MentalHealthCounselor
Questions regarding licensing, renewals and complaints:
Fees:
LMHC: Application $95; Initial License $80; UW Online Access Fee $16; Active License Renewal $125; Late Renewal Penalty $65; Expired License
Re-issuance $65
Renewal is due every year on the practitioner's birthday.
LMHCA: Application $35; Renewal $25; Late Renewal Penalty $25; Expired License Re-issuance $40
Associate licenses are valid for one year and must be renewed every year on the date of issuance.
Requirements LMHC: Licensees must satisfy CEU requirements and pay renewal fee to maintain license.
Initial Qualifications: Applicants must meet education, supervision/experience, background check requirements, submit an application, and pay the fees. Applications may be submitted online or via mail. License will be issued upon approval of license application, applicant successfully passing an approved exam.
Education: Applicants must have a master's or doctoral degree in mental health counseling or a master's or doctoral degree in a behavioral science *field relating to mental health counseling from any college or university accredited by an accreditation body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or United States Department of Education. **A person who is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) or a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) is considered to have met the education requirements.
*Fields relating to mental health counseling include: counseling, psychology, social work, nursing, education, pastoral counseling, rehabilitation counseling, or social sciences.
Behavioral science field must have a core of study relating to counseling theory and counseling philosophy. It must have either a counseling practicum, or a counseling internship, or both, in the core of study. Exclusive use of an internship or practicum used for qualification must have incorporated supervised direct client contact. This core of study must include seven content areas from the entire list in subsections (1) through (17) of this section, five of which must be from content areas in subsections (1) through (8) of this subsection:
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Assessment/diagnosis
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Ethics/law
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Counseling individuals
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Counseling groups
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Counseling couples and families
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Developmental psychology (may be child adolescent, adult or life span).
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Psychopathology/abnormal psychology
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Research and evaluation
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Career development counseling
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Multicultural concerns
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Substance/chemical abuse
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Physiological psychology
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Organizational psychology
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Mental health consultation
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Developmentally disabled persons
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Abusive relationships
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Chronically mentally ill
Practical Experience, Amount: Minimum of 36 months of full-time counseling or 3,000 hours of supervised postgraduate experience under the supervision of an approved licensed mental health counselor or equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner in an approved setting; of which at least 1,200 hours must be direct counseling with individuals, couples, groups or families; and 100 hours must be in immediate supervision (meeting with an approved supervisor and no more than two licensing consultants) with an approved licensed mental health counselor or equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner.
*Applicants who graduated from a CACREP accredited program will be credited with 50 hours of postgraduate supervision and 500 hours of postgraduate experience. Additionally, 300 hours will be credited to applicants who practiced as a certified chemical dependency professional for three years in the previous ten years.
Practical Experience, Qualifications: Approved settings include facilities, agencies or private practice where an applicant works with individuals, families, couples or groups under the supervision of an approved supervisor.
Supervision: Supervision is not required upon issuance of LMHC license; however, supervision requirements must be met for license eligibility.
Supervision, qualifications: A qualified licensed mental health counselor or equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner (licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychologist, licensed physician practicing as a psychiatrist, or licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner) who has been licensed without restrictions for at least (2) years.
Exam: Applicants must pass either of the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) exams, National Counselor Exam (NCE), or National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam (NCMHCE). Applicants must register to take the exam directly through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). After passing the exam, applicants must have their exam scores sent directly to the department by NBCC.
Ongoing Qualifications: Failure to renew shall invalidate the license or associate license and all privileges granted by the license.
Continuing Education: Applicants must complete (36) hours of continuing education, 6 of which is in professional law and ethics. Applicants must attest that they have met this requirement on the application. Additionally, (6) hours of suicide prevention and intervention training must be completed at least once every (6) years.
Requirements LMHCA: LMHC Associates must apply and be approved; meet all requirements, and may not provide independent mental health counseling, for a fee, monetary or otherwise. ***Associates are not considered to provide independent counseling if under supervision.
Initial Qualifications: LMHCA applicants must submit a declaration that they are working toward full licensure. Must meet all of licensing requirements and may only renew associate license (6) times, unless a waiver is allowed by the licensing department.
Education: LMHCA applicants must meet the same education requirements as LMHC license applicants.
Practical Experience, Amount: Applicants for licensed mental health counselor associate are not required to have supervised postgraduate experience prior to becoming an associate.
Practical Experience, Qualifications: N/A
Supervision: Associates must work under the supervision of an approved supervisor. Associates shall provide each client or patient, during the first professional contact, with a disclosure form according to RCW 18.225.100, disclosing that he or she is an associate under the supervision of an approved supervisor.
Supervision, Qualifications: An approved supervisor must meet the same qualifications as an approved supervisor for an LMHC.
Exam: An applicant is not required to pass an exam to apply for an associate license.
Ongoing Qualifications: LMHCA licensees must renew associate licenses annually, per the original issuance date. If an associate license has lapsed, the person shall submit an updated declaration, that the person is working toward full licensure.
CEUs: LMHCA licensees must complete (18) hours of continuing education in the preceding year of license renewal, of which (6) hours should be of suicide prevention and intervention training. Beginning with the second renewal, at least (6) of the continuing education hours in the preceding two years must be in professional ethics.