Legislative Update:
Winter 2007 Legislative Report
Sarah Kremer

2007 marks the sixth year that the Northern California Art Therapy Association has been working with the California Coalition for Counseling Licensure (CCCL) to bring this licensing option to California. This year, we are coordinating our efforts with the Southern California Art Therapy Association (SoCalATA) and we are optimistic that this is the year it passes!

The current bill is posted online at www.caccl.org, along with other helpful information. For basic questions about what this licensing bill means, click on the FAQ link. Here are the highlights of the most recent version:

“The requirements for licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC) are comparable to those of Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) in California and with Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in 48 states. The scope of practice is founded on the premise that Licensed Professional Counselors must first meet the requirements for the general practice of professional counseling and then they may develop a specialty that is narrowly focused, requiring advanced knowledge in a particular area. It is not intended that the State would regulate counseling specialties.”

Requirements are subject to change as the bill goes through the legislative process, but the current version lists the Educational Qualifications for licensure as a professional counselor to include all of the following (this is an abbreviated list; for more complete listings, go to <www.caccl.org>):

(1) A master’s or doctoral degree in counseling, or a closely related degree.

(2) Not less than 48 graduate semester units or 72 graduate quarter units of instruction.

(3) The units include all of the following:

• Counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques
• Human growth and development across the lifespan
• Career development theories and techniques
• Group counseling theories and techniques
• Assessment, appraisal and testing of individuals
• Multicultural counseling theories and techniques
• Principles of diagnosis, treatment planning, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior
• Research and evaluation
• Professional orientation, ethics, and law in counseling.

(4) Supervised practicum or fieldwork experience in a clinical or counseling setting and a minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face supervised experience counseling individuals, families or groups.

Supervision: This area will include completing a minimum of 3,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience in the practice of professional counseling under the supervision of an approved supervisor.

Examination: Successfully passing a licensure examination adopted by the licensure board such as the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE); they are both recommended. This means there will likely be two exams required for licensure, which would allow a higher tier to practice in another state. The BC exam will no have any weight, but it will be noticed.

Grandparenting: All specialty degrees named in the bill have been removed BUT all individuals who can prove they took the appropriate nine core courses and meet other criteria will more than likely be grandparented in. There are of course, no guarantees. With passage of this bill this legislative season, the opening window to apply for grandparenting would likely be October 2007 through March 2008. Once a letter of deficiencies (what’s needed to supplement coursework) is sent to applicants, they will have one year to complete these areas.

What This Means For You: The 48 unit degree may be a problem for many art therapists; now is the time to look at your transcripts and assess the units and coursework, as well as post-graduate supervised hours. Most art therapists who apply will likely need to take supplemental classes in career development and ethics and the law areas to qualify for grandparenting. Take the NCE now and start preparing to take the NCMHCE.

What To Do To Support the Effort NOW:

1. Register on the CCCL database to receive regular updates and be part of their Advocacy Network (go to www.caccl.org and click on “How You Can Help”).
2. Commit to writing your legislator with letters of support, beginning around mid-March; templates of letters will be made available. Look up your senator and assembly member online at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html.
3. Participate in the CCCL’s Advocacy Day in Sacramento tentatively set for March 19^th. Contact me directly (at sarah.kremer@gmail.com) if you are interested.
4. Contribute money to the CCCL’s efforts. The majority of money is spent on the lobbying firm and database. The majority of effort happens because of volunteer time by CCCL Board Members, including Wendy Vernon, our representative. What you don’t see behind the scenes include meetings with the BBS for recommendations ensuring their approval; meetings with other mental health professional organizations to align requirements and gain support (the CCCL now has support from California Psychiatric Association, Mental Health Planning Council, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists); and meetings with all coalitions’ representatives, balancing the needs for a wide variety of professions. To donate, you can write a check to our Legislative Affairs Fund (payable to L.A.F.) and mail to NorCATA’s address, or you can contribute directly to the CCCL (see more info at www.caccl.org).

Please contact me (sarah.kremer@gmail.com) if you have further questions or if you would like to help with these efforts!