On June 3rd, the Nevada legislature approved legislation, AB 424, to establish licensure of clinical professional counselors.  The legislation is expected to be formally signed into law by Governor Jim Gibbons the week of June 11, which will make Nevada the 49th state to recognize the profession.  Enactment of the legislation comes after several unsuccessful attempts by counselors in the state over the previous decade, and a swift, if somewhat bumpy, ride through this year’s session of the Nevada legislature.  ACA worked closely with the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) in support of the Nevada licensure effort. 

"This is the most exciting news for the profession of counseling in Nevada, a giant leap forward," said ACA President Marie Wakefield, who has lived in Nevada for over 30 years and been active in counseling for over 20 years.  President Wakefield testified in support of the licensure bill in the Nevada Senate on behalf of the three national organizations at the beginning of the bill's journey through the legislative process.  "Nevada's high suicide rate and the well documented need for early access to services for our youth show the necessity of a stronger mental health care system.  Now all mental health professionals in our state will have the opportunity to come together to expand resources that the citizens of Nevada deserve."

Under the Nevada legislation, AB 424, requirements to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) will include:

• a master’s degree in mental health counseling or community counseling from a program approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), or "an acceptable degree as determined by the Board which includes the completion of a practicum and internship in mental health counseling";
• 2 years/3,000 hours of post-master’s degree supervised experience, and
• successful completion of a national counselor examination administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors.  Examinations include:
• The National Counselor Examination (NCE)
  (This examination may be used during the first two years of the law’s enactment with evidence satisfactory to the Board of at least 3 years of work experience in mental health counseling.)
• The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE)

The legislation defines the practice of “clinical professional counseling” to include treatment, assessment and counseling or equivalent activities, to a person or group of persons to achieve mental, emotional, physical and social development and adjustment.  The definition also includes “counseling interventions to prevent, diagnose and treat mental, emotional or behavioral disorders and associated distresses which interfere with mental health.” 

Unfortunately, the law will specifically exclude from counselors’ scope of practice “the use of psychological, neuropsychological, or clinical tests designed to identify or classify abnormal or pathological human behavior”, and the use of individually-administered intelligence tests, academic achievement tests, or neuropsychological tests.  Compromises on this and other provisions of the bill were needed to keep the legislation moving forward.  Licensing will be conducted by a joint board overseeing both professional counselors and marriage and family therapists.

ACA congratulates Nevada counselors involved in the licensure effort, and the bill’s authors, Senator Joe Heck (R-Henderson), Senator Maggie Carlton (D-Clark) and Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie (D-Reno) on this important legislation.  Our thanks also go out to all the ACA members in Nevada who responded to our alerts and contacted their legislators in support of AB 424.