Alexandria, Va., June 11, 2007 - The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) is pleased to announce that on Sunday, June 3, 2007, legislation to license mental health counselors was passed by the Nevada Senate and Assembly. The passage of the legislation, based on S.B. 543 and originally introduced by Senator Joe Heck (R-Henderson), ends almost a decade of struggle for counselor licensure in Nevada. The legislation is expected to be signed into law by Governor Jim Gibbons (R) the week of June 11, 2007.
AMHCA worked closely with its coalition partners, the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) to enact counselor licensure legislation in Nevada. California is now the only remaining state that does not license mental health counselors.
Requirements to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) include a master's degree in mental health counseling or community counseling from a program approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), 2 years/3,000 hours of post-master's degree supervised experience, and passage, within the first two years, of the National Counselor Exam (NCE) administered by NBCC. Following this two year period, passage of the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam (NCMHCE) will be required for licensure as an LCPC.
According to the legislation, the practice of clinical professional counseling means the treatment, assessment and counseling or equivalent activities, to a person or group of persons to achieve mental, emotional, physical and social development and adjustment. The term, as defined by legislation, includes counseling interventions to prevent, diagnose and treat emotional or behavioral disorders which interfere with mental health.
Upon hearing the news of the passage of the legislation, AMHCA President Gail Mears, PsyD, LCMHC, NCC, said, "AMHCA commends its members in Nevada, especially Louise Sutherland, and the bill's authors, Senators Joe Heck (R-Henderson) and Maggie Carlton (D-Clark) and Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie (D-Reno) for their efforts in working to see the ultimate enactment of this important legislation. Our hearty congratulations and thanks go out to those who made licensure of mental health counselors a reality."