Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 38, September 20, 2024
A. An applicant for
licensure as an associate or professional counselor shall have a master's or
higher degree with a major emphasis in counseling from:
1. A program accredited by CACREP or CORE
that consists of at least 60 semester or 90 quarter credit hours, including a
supervised counseling practicum as prescribed under subsection (E);
2. An educational program previously approved
by the Board under A.R.S. §
32-3253(A)(14)
that consists of at least 60 semester or 90
quarter credit hours, including a supervised counseling practicum as prescribed
under subsection (E); or
3. A
program from a regionally accredited college or university that consists of at
least 60 semester or 90 quarter credit hours, meets the requirements specified
in subsections (C) and (D), and includes a supervised counseling practicum as
prescribed under subsection (E).
B. To assist the Board to evaluate a program
under subsection (A)(3), an applicant who obtained a degree from a program
under subsection (A)(3) shall attach the following to the application required
under
R4-6-301:
1. Published college or university course
descriptions for the year and semester enrolled for each course submitted to
meet curriculum requirements,
2.
Verification, using a form approved by the Board, of completing the supervised
counseling practicum required under subsection (E); and
3. Other documentation requested by the
Board.
C. The Board shall
accept for licensure the curriculum from a program not accredited by CACREP or
CORE if the curriculum includes at least 60 semester or 90 quarter credit hours
in counseling-related coursework, of which at least three semester or 4 quarter
credit hours are in each of the following eight core content areas:
1. Professional orientation and ethical
practice: Studies that provide a broad understanding of professional counseling
ethics and legal standards, including but not limited to:
a. Professional roles, functions, and
relationships;
b. Professional
credentialing;
c. Ethical standards
of professional organizations; and
d. Application of ethical and legal
considerations in counseling;
2. Social and cultural diversity: Studies
that provide a broad understanding of the cultural context of relationships,
issues, and trends in a multicultural society, including but not limited to:
a. Theories of multicultural counseling,
and
b. Multicultural competencies
and strategies;
3. Human
growth and development: Studies that provide a broad understanding of the
nature and needs of individuals at all developmental stages, including but not
limited to:
a. Theories of individual and
family development across the life-span, and
b. Theories of personality
development;
4. Career
development: Studies that provide a broad understanding of career development
and related life factors, including but not limited to:
a. Career development theories, and
b. Career decision processes;
5. Helping relationship: Studies
that provide a broad understanding of counseling processes, including but not
limited to:
a. Counseling theories and
models,
b. Essential interviewing
and counseling skills, and
c.
Therapeutic processes;
6.
Group work: Studies that provide a broad understanding of group development,
dynamics, counseling theories, counseling methods and skills, and other group
work approaches, including but not limited to:
a. Principles of group dynamics,
b. Group leadership styles and approaches,
and
c. Theories and methods of
group counseling;
7.
Assessment: Studies that provide a broad understanding of individual and group
approaches to assessment and evaluation, including but not limited to:
a. Diagnostic process including differential
diagnosis and use of diagnostic classification systems such as the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification
of Diseases,
b. Use of assessment
for diagnostic and intervention planning purposes, and
c. Basic concepts of standardized and
non-standardized testing; and
8. Research and program evaluation: Studies
that provide a broad understanding of recognized research methods and design
and basic statistical analysis, including but not limited to:
a. Qualitative and quantitative research
methods, and
b. Statistical methods
used in conducting research and program evaluation.
D. In evaluating the curriculum
required under subsection (C), the Board shall assess whether a core content
area is embedded or contained in more than one course. The applicant shall
provide information the Board requires to determine whether a core content area
is embedded in multiple courses. The Board shall not accept a core content area
embedded in more than two courses unless the courses are succession courses.
The Board shall allow subject matter in a course to qualify in only one core
content area.
E. The Board shall
accept a supervised counseling practicum that is part of a master's or higher
degree program if the supervised counseling practicum meets the following
standards:
1. Consists of at least 700 clock
hours in a professional counseling setting,
2. Includes at least 240 hours of direct
client contact,
3. Provides an
opportunity for the supervisee to perform all activities associated with
employment as a professional counselor,
4. Oversight of the counseling practicum is
provided by a faculty member, and
5. Onsite supervision is provided by an
individual approved by the college or university.
F. The Board shall require that an applicant
for professional counselor licensure who received a master's or higher degree
before July 1, 1989, from a program that did not include a supervised
counseling practicum complete three years of post-master's or higher degree
work experience in counseling under direct supervision. One year of a
doctoral-clinical internship may be substituted for one year of supervised work
experience.
G. The Board shall
accept for licensure only courses that the applicant completed with a passing
grade.
H. The Board shall deem an
applicant to meet the curriculum requirements for professional counselor
licensure if the applicant:
1. Holds an active
and in good standing associate counselor license issued by the Board;
and
2. Met the curriculum
requirements with a master's degree in a behavioral health field from a
regionally accredited university when the associate counselor license was
issued.
