Alabama Administrative Code
Title 255 - ALABAMA BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN COUNSELING
Chapter 255-X-3 - QUALIFICATIONS FOR LPC AND ALC; SUPERVISING COUNSELOR; EXCEPTIONS FOR SUPERVISION BY SUPERVISING COUNSELOR; SUPERVISING ASSOCIATE
Section 255-X-3-.01 - Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Universal Citation: AL Admin Code R 255-X-3-.01
Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 5, February 29, 2024
(1) General. All applicants must meet the qualifications specified in Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-7(l) through (6).
(2) Education.
(a) Prior to January 1, 2024, a master's
degree in counseling is defined as a conferred/awarded master's degree in
counseling, consisting of a minimum of forty-eight (48) graduate semester hours
or seventy-two (72) graduate quarter hours at a regionally accredited college
or university (e.g., Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). The
master's degree must contain and encompass the academic areas specified in
paragraph 2(b). Beginning January 1, 2024, a master's degree in counseling is
defined as a conferred/ awarded master's degree in counseling from a CACREP
(Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs), a
CORE (Commission on Rehabilitation and Education) accredited program, or a
content equivalent, regionally accredited program, (e.g., Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools), consisting of a minimum of sixty (60) graduate
semester hours, or ninety (90) graduate quarter hours. The master's degree must
contain and encompass the academic areas specified below in paragraph
2(b).
(b) All applicants shall have
a master's degree from a CACREP, CORE or a content equivalent, regionally
accredited program in the hours specified above in paragraph 2(a). Content
equivalent is minimally defined as graduate course work in each of the
following academic areas (acceptable area content must be based on focal
content (primary) rather than ancillary (secondary) emphasis in the courses
used to meet each area requirement:
1.
Counseling Theory: Includes studies of theories, principles and techniques of
clinical mental health counseling and their application to professional
counseling settings and treatment of mental health and emotional
disorders.
2. Human Growth and
Development: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of the nature
and needs of individuals at all developmental levels; normal and abnormal human
behavior; psychopathology; personality theory; life-span theory; and learning
theory within cultural context.
3.
Social and Multicultural Foundations: Includes studies that provide a broad
understanding of societal changes and trends; human roles; societal subgroups;
social and mores and interaction patterns; multicultural and pluralistic
trends; differing lifestyles; and major societal concerns including trauma
crisis, stress, person abuse, substance abuse, discrimination and methods for
alleviating these concerns.
4. The
Helping Relationship: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of
philosophic bases of helping processes; counseling theories and their clinical
applications; basic and advanced helping skills; consultation theories and
their applications; client and helper self-understanding and self-development;
facilitation of client or consultee change diagnostic process including
differential diagnosis; etiology, nomenclature, treatment, referral, and
prevention of mental and emotional disorders.
5. Group Dynamics, Processing and Counseling:
Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of group development,
dynamics, and counseling theories; group leadership styles; basic and advanced
group counseling methods and skills; and other group approaches.
6. Lifestyle and Career Development: Includes
studies that provide a broad understanding of career development theories;
occupational and educational information sources and systems; career and
leisure counseling, guidance, and education; lifestyle and career
decisionmaking; career development program planning, resources, and
effectiveness evaluation.
7.
Appraisal of Individuals: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding
of group and individual educational and psychometric theories and approaches to
appraisal and assessment; data and information gathering methods; validity and
reliability; psychometric statistics; factors influencing appraisals; and use
of appraisal results in diagnostic and helping processes. Additionally, the
specific ability to administer and interpret tests and inventories to assess
abilities, behaviors, interests, and identify career options is
necessary.
8. Research and
Evaluation: Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of types of
research and their application and use in clinical mental health counseling
practices; basic statistics; research-report development; research
implementation; program evaluation; needs assessment; publication of research
information; and ethical and legal considerations.
9. Professional Orientation: Includes studies
that provide a broad understanding of clinical mental health counseling roles
and functions; professional goals and objectives; professional organizations
and associations; professional history and trends; ethical and legal standards
of clinical mental health counseling; clinical mental health counselor
preparation standards; professional licensure and credentialing; and
legislation and government policy relevant to clinical mental health
counseling.
10. Practicum: Provides
for the development of individual and group counseling skills under
supervision. The practicum must be taken through a regionally accredited
institution, for a total of one hundred (100) clock hours. A minimum of forty
(40) clock hours must be direct service work with clients. At least 80% of the
direct service work with clients in the practicum must be in counseling
sessions with clients. Assessment activities with clients may not account for
more than 20% of the direct services in the practicum. A minimum of one (1)
clock hour per week must be of individual supervision by program faculty, and a
minimum of one and one-half (1 1/2) clock hours per week must be group
supervision.
11. Internship:
Provides an opportunity for the student to perform all the activities that a
regularly employed staff member in the setting would be expected to perform.
The internship must be a minimum of six hundred (600) clock hours, to include:
a minimum of two hundred and forty (240) hours of direct service work with
clients. At least 80% of the direct service work with clients in the internship
must be in counseling sessions with clients. Assessment activities with clients
may not account for more than 20% of the direct services in the internship. A
minimum of (1) clock hour per week must be of individual supervision by
program-by-program faculty, and a minimum of one and one-half (1 ½ clock
hours per week must be group supervision.
(3) Experience.
(a) The experience requirements for
applicants are set out in Code of Ala. 1975, §
34-8A-7(5), and
in Section
255-X-3-.02 of the rules and
regulations of the board. All educational requirements for licensure must be
completed prior to accruing post-master's supervised experience and/or post
master's academic work used to substitute for post-master's supervised
experience. No accrual of required supervised experience shall occur until the
Associate Licensed Counselor license has been issued.
(b) Applicants must have three thousand
(3000) hours of supervised experience in professional counseling with Board
approved supervision.
1. Three thousand (3000)
hours of required supervised experience in professional counseling acceptable
to the Board must include the following minimum requirements:
(i) Two thousand, two hundred and fifty
(2,250) hours will be direct counseling service with individuals, couples,
families, or groups;
(ii) Seven
hundred and fifty (750) hours will be indirect counseling services to include,
but not limited to, documentation, consultation, referral development,
etc.
2. An applicant may
subtract one thousand hours of the required professional experience for every
15 graduate semester hours of 22.5 quarter hours obtained beyond the master's
degree from a regionally accredited college or university, provided that such
hours are clearly related to the field of professional counseling, are focused
on increasing knowledge and use of skills in the private practice of counseling
in one or more of the following areas: counseling theory and practice, human
growth and development, social and multicultural foundations, helping
relationships, group dynamics, lifestyle and career development, appraisal of
individuals, research and evaluation, or professional orientation, and are
acceptable to the Board.
However, in no case may the applicant have less than one thousand hours of the required professional experience. Formal graduate course work utilized as continuing education for licensure renewal cannot also be utilized as a substitute for supervised experience required to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Formal graduate course work used as a substitution for supervised experience to become a Licensed Professional Counselor cannot also be utilized as continuing education for licensure renewal.
If a reduction of supervised experience hours is granted, the 1,000 hours of client hours subtracted from the required professional experience will be applied as follows: 750 hours will be applied to the direct counseling service requirement, and 250 hours will be applied to the indirect counseling service requirement.
3. An applicant who is able to subtract one
thousand hours of the required professional experience must have two thousand
hours of supervised professional experience.
4. Two thousand hours of the required
supervised professional experience must include the following minimum
requirements:
(i) Fifteen hundred (1,500)
hours will be direct counseling service with individuals, couples, families or
groups;
(ii) Five hundred (500)
hours will be indirect counseling services to include, but not limited to,
documentation, consultation, referral development, etc.
5. An applicant who is able to subtract two
thousand hours of the required professional experience must have one thousand
hours of supervised professional experience.
6. One thousand hours of the required
supervised professional experience must include the following minimum
requirements:
(i) Seven hundred and fifty
(750) hours will be direct counseling service with individuals, couples,
families or groups;
(ii) Two
hundred and fifty (250) hours will be indirect counseling services to include,
but not limited to, documentation, consultation, referral development,
etc.
(4) Examination. All applicants not falling within the provisions of Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-23, must demonstrate professional competence in counseling by passing an examination as provided in Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-7(6).
(5) Character and Professional Integrity. All applicants shall furnish the requisite number of references and endorsements required by the application form adopted by the Board pursuant to Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-7.
Author: Alabama State Board of Examiners in Counseling
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 34-8A-5, et seq.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Alabama may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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