New Mexico Register / Volume XXXIV, Issue 1 / January 18, 2023

 

 

This is an amendment to 16.27.4 NMAC, Sections 4, 6, 9, 11 and 12, effective 1/18/2023.

 

16.27.4.2               SCOPE:  All individuals applying for licensure by examination as professional clinical mental health counselors.

[16.27.4.2 NMAC - Rp, 16.27.4.2 NMAC, 11/30/2021; A, 1/18/2023]

 

16.27.4.6               OBJECTIVE:  The objective of Part 4 is to state the minimum requirements for licensure by examination as a professional clinical mental health counselor and to list the documentation required for application.

[16.27.4.6 NMAC - Rp, 16.27.4.6 NMAC, 11/30/2021; A, 1/18/2023]

 

16.27.4.9               APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE BY EXAMINATION:  AS A PROFESSIONAL CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR (LPCC) MUST POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS AND PROVIDE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION WITH THE APPLICATION:

                A.            Age requirement.  Be at least 21 years of age.

                B.            Applicant must sign a statement provided in the application indicating the applicant has read the code of ethics and agrees to be bound and governed by the code of ethics.

                C.            Education requirement.  Hold a master's or doctoral degree in counseling or a counseling-related field from an accredited institution.  Applicants who hold a degree in a related-field must complete attachment E. The board may request syllabi as needed to clarify course content.

                D.            Applicants must have a masters or doctoral degree in counseling or a counseling-related field and a total of no less than 48 graduate semester hours or 72 quarter graduate hours in the mental health clinical core curriculum as defined in 16.27.2 NMAC.  The hours must be acquired as a part of a master’s or doctoral degree, or acquired as additional graduate education to complete the required clinical core curriculum hours.

                E.            Experience requirements.

                                (1)           A minimum of two years' postgraduate professional clinical counseling experience.

                                (2)           Evidence of having participated in a total of 3,000 hours of postgraduate clinical client contact and 100 hours of appropriate face to face postgraduate supervision. Up to 1,000 clinical client contact hours may be from the applicant's internship or practicum. Credit is automatically awarded by board staff based on the number of semester or quarter hours in practicum and internship listed on official transcripts. This credit should not be included on the attachment B form used for verifying postgraduate experience.

                F.            Application fee of $75.00 as provided for in Part 17.

[16.27.4.9 NMAC - Rp, 16.27.4.9 NMAC, 11/30/2021; A, 1/18/2023]

 

16.27.4.11             DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR LICENSURE BY EXAMINATION:

                A.            A completed application as specified in 16.27.3.8 NMAC.

                B.            Proof of education and experience requirements:

                                (1)           The applicant is required to submit an official transcript in a sealed envelope from each institution contributing to the applicant's master or doctoral degree, a total of no less than 48 graduate semester hours or 72 quarter graduate hours which includes the required clinical core curriculum. Applicants who have just graduated with an appropriate degree field, and whose degrees have not yet been conferred by their university, may submit the following documentation in while awaiting official transcripts to become available:

                                                (a)           A verification letter from a university official verifying

                                                                (i)            their degree program;

                                                                (ii)           that all courses have been completed and they have earned passing grades;

                                                                (iii)         their degrees will be conferred by the university; and

                                                (b)           A receipt verifying that they have ordered their transcripts to be sent to the board office once their degree is conferred.

                                (2)           A statement from each supervisor in a sealed envelope on a form provided by the board (attachment B) verifying the applicant's supervised experience and setting forth the nature and extent of such supervision must be submitted with the application.  The statement shall verify that the applicant's performance was in accordance with adequate counseling and therapy standards of practice.  If a supervisor's statement is not available, the applicant may submit documentation explaining why the supervisor's statement is not available and sworn affidavits from other individuals verifying that supervision took place and describing the nature and the extent of the supervision.

                                (3)           Documentation of 3,000 hours of postgraduate direct clinical client contact and 100 hours of appropriate face to face postgraduate supervision.

                                (4)           Attachment E, listing only specific graduate coursework.  The board may request syllabi as needed to clarify course content.

                                (5)           If submitting hours obtained in another jurisdiction, documentation of the applicant's licensure, registration or certification status must be submitted on attachment form A which must be sent directly to the board by the jurisdiction in which the applicant is licensed, certified or registered.

[16.27.4.11 NMAC - Rp, 16.27.4.11 NMAC, 11/30/2021; A, 1/18/2023]

 

16.27.4.12             [LICENSURE BY CREDENTIALS:

                A.            A completed application as specified in 16.27.3.8 NMAC.

                B.            Verification (attachment A) that the applicant holds and has held a current independent license for two years issued by the appropriate examining board under the law of any other state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or any foreign nation.

                C.            Verification that the applicant is in good standing with no disciplinary action pending or brought against the applicant within the past two years.

                D.            Holds masters or doctoral degree in counseling or a counseling-related field from an accredited institution.

                E.            Application fee of $75.00 as provided for in Part 17.

                F.            Applicants who do not meet the licensure by reciprocity requirements must meet the current standard licensure requirements.] [RESERVED]

[16.27.4.12 NMAC - Rp, 16.27.4.12 NMAC, 11/30/2021; Repealed, 1/18/2023]