TITLE 16 OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
LICENSING
CHAPTER 27 COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS
PART 4 REQUIREMENTS
FOR LICENSURE AS A PROFESSIONAL CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR (LPCC)
16.27.4.1 ISSUING AGENCY: Regulation and
Licensing Department Counseling and Therapy Practice Board
[16.27.4.1 NMAC – Rp,
16.27.4.1 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
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]
16.27.4.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: These parts
are promulgated pursuant to the Counselor and Therapist Practice Act, Section
61-9A-1, 3, 5, 11 and 15 NMSA 1978.
[16.27.4.3 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.4.3 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
16.27.4.4 DURATION: Permanent
[16.27.4.4 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.4.4 NMAC, 11/30/2021
16.27.4.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: November 28,
2021, unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.
[16.27.4.5 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.4.5 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
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]
16.27.4.7 DEFINITIONS: [RESERVED]
16.27.4.8 SUPERVISION: No supervision is required to practice with a LPCC
independent license. The board strongly recommends that all independently
licensed counselors and therapists have an ongoing consultation or peer review
process in place.
[16.27.4.8 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.4.8 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
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]
16.27.4.10 EXAMINATION: Applicants
must demonstrate professional competency by passing the national counselor
examination (NCE) and the national clinical mental health counseling
examination (NCMHCE).
[16.27.4.10 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.4.10 NMAC, 11/30/2021]
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 [RESERVED]
[16.27.4.12 NMAC - Rp,
16.27.4.12 NMAC, 11/30/2021; Repealed, 1/18/2023]
HISTORY OF 16.27.4 NMAC:
Pre-NMAC History: The material in this part was
derived from that previously filed with the State Records Center and Archives
under:
Rule 4, Requirements for
Licensure as a Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, 3/24/1994
Rule 4, Requirements for
Licensure as a Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, 3/20/1995
History of Repealed Material:
16 NMAC 27.4, Requirements
for Licensure as a Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor - Repealed 6/15/2001.
Other History:
16.27.4 NMAC - Requirements
for Licensure as a Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LPCC), filed
6/15/2001, was repealed and replaced by 16.27.4 NMAC - Requirements for
Licensure as a Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LPCC), effective 11/30/2021.