Alexandria, Va., June 14, 2007 - On Thursday, June 14th Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons signed into law Nevada Assembly Bill 424, establishing licensure of clinical professional counselors in that state. Nevada is now the 49th state to have enacted counselor licensure legislation. The Nevada legislature approved AB 424 on June 3rd. California is the only state in the union which still does not have a counseling licensure law, although the California Assembly recently approved counselor licensure legislation. There are more than 100,000 licensed professional counselors across the country.
Nevada's enactment of the legislation comes after several unsuccessful attempts by counselors to push licensure over the previous decade, and a swift, if somewhat bumpy, ride through this year's session of the Nevada legislature. The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) worked closely with the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) in support of the Nevada licensure effort.
Upon hearing that Governor Gibbons had signed the legislation into law, 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. The enactment of this legislation will help to address Nevada's dire shortage of mental health professionals."
Under Nevada's licensure law, requirements to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) will 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), or "an acceptable degree as determined by the Board which includes the completion of a practicum and internship in mental health counseling."
- 2 years/3,000 hours of post-master's degree supervised experience, and successful completion of a national counselor examination administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors. Examinations include The National Counselor Examination (NCE) and The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE). The NCE may be used during the first two years of the law's enactment with evidence satisfactory to the Board of at least 3 years of work experience in mental health counseling.
The legislation defines the practice of "clinical professional counseling" to include 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 definition also includes "counseling interventions to prevent, diagnose and treat mental, emotional or behavioral disorders and associated distresses which interfere with mental health." Requiring licensure of counselors protects the public by ensuring that practitioners meet a minimum level of professional standards and that they keep their professional credentials current through continuing education.
AMHCA congratulates Nevada counselors involved in the licensure effort, and the bill's authors, Senator Joe Heck (R-Henderson), Senator Maggie Carlton (D-Clark) and Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie (D-Reno) on this important legislation. Our thanks also go out to all the AMHCA members in Nevada who responded to our alerts and contacted their legislators in support of AB 424.