OLERE 2024 Verified Answers
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC): Refers to an individual who provides professional counseling
services for compensation and is licensed under the Licensed Professional Counselors Act.
Board: This term denotes the state board responsible for Behavioral Health Licensure.
Counseling: Involves using mental health and developmental principles to:
- Support human development and adjustment throughout life.
- Prevent, diagnose, or treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders and distress that hinder mental
health.
- Assess and diagnose to set treatment goals.
- Plan, implement, and evaluate treatment strategies using counseling techniques.
Counseling Treatment Interventions: These are cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and systemic strategies
applied within a professional counseling relationship that consider development, wellness, and
pathology in a diverse society.
Consulting: Involves interpreting or relaying scientific information to aid individuals, groups, or
organizations in addressing current or potential issues.
Referral Activities: Include assessing information to identify issues and determine whether referral to
other specialists is necessary.
Research Activities: Comprise reporting, designing, conducting, or advising on research related to
counseling.
Specialty: A recognized subfield of counseling practice validated by a national certification organization
or the Board.
Supervisor: Someone who fulfills the requirements set by the Board and is licensed under the Licensed
Professional Counselors Act.
,Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate: An individual whose application for LPC licensure has been
accepted and is undergoing supervision as specified in the relevant statute.
Executive Director: The head of the state board of behavioral health licensure.
The Licensed Professional Counselors Act does not apply to the following professionals when acting
within their professional roles, nor can they use the title “Licensed Professional Counselor” or “LPC”:
physicians, psychologists, social workers, marital and family therapists, attorneys, rehabilitation
counselors, vocational evaluation specialists, psychiatric and mental health nurses, alcohol and drug
counselors, school administrators, teachers, and counselors, all of whom are certified by their respective
authorities. It also applies to employees of accredited higher education institutions or government
entities, as well as clergy members.
Furthermore, LPCs cannot practice any of the specified professions unless they hold the appropriate
license or accreditation from a relevant authority.
Individuals working for private nonprofit behavioral service providers that contract with the state to
deliver behavioral services are exempt from LPC licensing, as long as these services pertain to their
official responsibilities within the agency. However, unlicensed individuals must not represent
themselves using titles such as psychologist, licensed social worker, or LPC while operating under these
exemptions, which only apply in the context of their state contract and employment with the nonprofit
organization.
State agencies that contract external providers for behavioral health services must ensure that care
quality meets or exceeds the standards of internally delivered services and that qualified professionals
are employed. These agencies must also verify adequate liability insurance for the contractors to protect
public interests.
Employees of private for-profit behavioral service providers contracted with the state to assist youth
and families under the care of the Office of Juvenile Affairs as of March 14, 1997, are similarly exempt
from LPC licensing for activities related to their official duties with the contracting agency, provided they
do not use restricted professional titles while operating under these exemptions.
Duties and responsibilities of the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure:
1. Prescribe, adopt and promulgate rules to implement and enforce the provisions of the Licensed
Professional Counselors Act, including the adoption of the State Department of Health rules by
,reference;
2. Adopt and establish rules of professional conduct; and 3. Set license and examination fees as required
by the Licensed Professional Counselors Act.
The Board shall have the authority to:
Seek injunctive relief; 2. Request the district attorney to bring an action to enforce the provisions of the
Licensed Professional Counselors Act; 3. Receive fees and deposit said fees into the Licensed
Professional Counselors Revolving Fund as required by the Licensed Professional Counselors Act; 4.
Issue, renew, revoke, deny, suspend and place on probation licenses to practice professional counseling
pursuant to the provisions of the Licensed Professional Counselors Act; 5. Examine all qualified
applicants for licenses to practice professional counseling; 6. Request assistance from the State Board of
Medical Licensure and Supervision for the purposes of investigating complaints and possible violations
of the Licensed Professional Counselors Act; 7. Accept grants and gifts from various foundations and
institutions; and 8. Make such expenditures and employ such personnel as the Executive Director may
deem necessary for the administration of the Licensed Professional Counselors Act.
Applications for a license to practice as a licensed professional counselor shall be made to the State
Board of Behavioral Health Licensure in writing. Such applications shall be on a form and in a manner
prescribed by the Board. The application shall be accompanied by
the fee required by the Licensed Professional Counselors Act, which shall be retained by the Board and
not returned to the applicant.
Each applicant for a license to practice as a licensed professional counselor shall:
1. Be possessed of good moral character; 2. Pass an examination based on standards promulgated by
the Board pursuant to the Licensed Professional Counselors Act; 3. Be at least twenty-one (21) years of
age; 4. Not have engaged in, nor be engaged in, any practice or conduct which would be grounds for
denying, revoking or suspending a license pursuant to this title; and 5. Otherwise comply with the rules
promulgated by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the Licensed Professional Counselors Act.
In addition to the qualifications specified by the provisions of subsection B of this section, an applicant
for a license to practice as a licensed professional counselor shall have:
1. Successfully completed at least sixty (60) graduate semester hours (ninety (90) graduate quarter
hours) of counseling-related course work. These sixty (60) hours shall include at least a master's degree
in a counseling field. All courses and degrees shall be earned from a regionally accredited college or
university. The Board shall define what course work qualifies as "counseling-related" and what
degrees/majors qualify as a "counseling field"; and 2. Three (3) years of supervised full-time experience
in professional counseling subject to the supervision of a licensed professional counselor pursuant to
conditions established by the Board. One (1) or two (2) years of experience may be gained at the rate of
one (1) year for each thirty (30) graduate semester hours earned beyond the master's degree, provided
that such hours are clearly related to the field of counseling and are acceptable to the Board. The
applicant shall have no less than one (1) year of supervised full-time experience in counseling.
Applicants with degrees from schools outside the United States may qualify with Board approval by
providing the Board with an acceptable comprehensive evaluation of the degree performed by
, a foreign credential evaluation service that is acceptable to the Board, and any other requirement the
Board deems necessary.
Examinations
Examinations shall be held at such times, at such place and in such manner as the State Board of
Behavioral Health Licensure directs. An examination shall be held at least annually. The Board shall
determine the acceptable grade on examinations. The examination shall cover such technical,
professional and practical subjects as relate to the practice of professional counseling.
if an applicant fails to pass the examinations
the applicant may reapply
The Board shall
preserve answers to any examination, and the applicant's performance on each section, as part of the
records of the Board for a period of two (2) years following the date of the examination.
An applicant who meets the requirements for licensure pursuant to the provisions of the Licensed
Professional Counselors Act,
has paid the required license fees and has otherwise complied with the provisions of the Licensed
Professional Counselors Act shall be licensed by the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure.
Act
Licensed Professional Counselors Act
APA
Administrative Procedure Act
Applicant
a person who has made a formal application with the Board
Approved LCP Supervisor
an individual who meets the qualifications to become an approved supervisor and is approved by the
Board
Board
the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure
Complainant
Any person who files a Request for Inquiry against a LPC, Candidate, or a person who delivers licensed
professional counseling services without a license
Complainant Committee
