Alexandria, VA, November 5, 2008 - Legislation passed in Washington State and signed into law in March 2008 will beef up standards for individuals who currently fall under the category of "registered counselor." An article on the new law appeared in the October 31, 2008, edition of Mental Health Weekly, and featured comments by Adrian Magnuson-Whyte, Executive Director of the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA) and Beth Powell, AMHCA's Director of Public Policy and Professional Issues.
The goal of the legislation is to tighten up the present system, which allows people with a wide range of education and background to practice counseling with little oversight over what they do and whom they serve. Currently, applicants for the "registered counselor" credential must pay a $40 fee, undergo a criminal background check and take an AIDS awareness class. In the future, the "registered counselor" credential will be abolished and by mid July 2010, the credential will be replaced with more stringent requirements. Final rules are expected to be released in early 2009.
According to comments by Magnuson-Whyte in Mental Health Weekly, "if you're offering yourself as a person who can help another person work through an issue and work through life challenges, there should be a theory behind what you're doing." Beth Powell, AMHCA's Director of Public Policy and Professional Issues, also referenced AMHCA's Standards of Clinical Practice which promote a 60 hour master's degree and 3,000 post-master's supervised experience, as well as other clinical requirements. Powell further states, "This type of standard protects the public by giving consumers the assurance that these professionals have high education and training standards."