Section 645.31.6. Educational qualifications for mental health counselors.

 The applicant must complete three semester credit hours, or equivalent quarter hours, of graduate level coursework in each of the content areas identified in 31.6(2); no course may be used to fulfill more than one content area. The applicant must present proof of completion of the following educational requirements for licensure as a mental health counselor:

         31.6(1) Accredited program. Applicants must present with the application an official transcript verifying completion of a master’s degree of 60 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) or a doctoral degree in counseling with emphasis in mental health counseling from a mental health counseling program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. Applicants who entered a program of study prior to July 1, 2012, must present with the application an official transcript verifying completion of a master’s degree of 45 semester hours or the equivalent; or

   31.6(2) Content-equivalent program. Applicants must present an official transcript verifying completion of a master’s degree or a doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education which is content-equivalent to a master’s degree in counseling with emphasis in mental health counseling. Graduates from non-CACREP accredited mental health counseling programs shall provide an equivalency evaluation of their educational credentials by the Center for Credentialing and Education, Inc.  (CCE), Web site  http://cce-global.org . The professional curriculum must be equivalent to that stated in these rules. Applicants shall bear the expense of the curriculum evaluation.

            a.                The degree of an applicant who entered a program of study prior to July 1, 2012, will be considered “content-equivalent” if the degree includes 45 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) and successful completion of graduate-level coursework in each of the areas in subparagraphs (1) to (12). If the applicant has taught a graduate-level course in any of the areas in subparagraphs (1) to (12) at a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, that course may be credited toward the coursework requirement.

             (1)              Counseling theories. Studies that provide an understanding of counseling theories, utilize personal and environmental data in the mental health counseling process, and investigate procedures that are appropriate to various counseling theories and specific settings.

             (2)              Supervised counseling practicum. A graduate-level clinical supervised counseling practicum in a mental health setting in which students must complete supervised practicum experiences that total a minimum of 100 clock hours over a minimum ten-week academic term. The practicum provides for the development of counseling skills under supervision. The student’s practicum includes all of the following:

             (3)              Human growth and development. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (4)              Social and cultural foundations. Studies that provide an understanding of issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (5)              Helping relationships. Studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (6)              Groups. Studies that provide an understanding of group development, dynamics, counseling theories, and group counseling methods and skills. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (7)              Career and lifestyle development. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and the interrelationships among work, family, and other life factors. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (8)              Diagnosis and assessment treatment procedures. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (9)              Research and program evaluation. Studies that provide an understanding of types of research methods, basic statistics, and ethical and legal considerations in research. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (10)             Professional orientation. Studies that provide an understanding of all aspects of professional functioning, including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards, and credentialing. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (11)             Supervised counseling internship that provides an opportunity for the trainee to perform under supervision a variety of activities that a regularly employed staff member in a setting would be expected to perform. A regularly employed staff member is defined as a person occupying the professional role to which the trainee is aspiring. The internship follows a supervised practicum experience. A three-semester-hour internship includes the following:

             (12)             Psychopathology. Studies that provide an understanding of the description, classification and diagnosis of behavior disorders and dysfunction. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

            b.                The degree of an applicant who entered a program of study on or after July 1, 2012, will be considered “content-equivalent” if the degree includes 60 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) and successful completion of graduate-level coursework in each of the areas in subparagraphs (1) to (12). If the applicant has taught a graduate-level course in any of the areas in subparagraphs (1) to (12) at a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, that course may be credited toward the coursework requirement.

             (1)              Professional orientation and ethical practice. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning:

             (2)              Social and cultural diversity. Studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural and diverse society including all of the following:

             (3)              Human growth and development. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following:

             (4)              Career development. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following:

             (5)              Helping relationships. Studies that provide an understanding of counseling processes in a multicultural society, including all of the following:

             (6)             Group work. Studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understanding of group purpose, development, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a multicultural society, including all of the following:

             (7)              Assessment. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society, including the following:

             (8)              Research and program evaluation. Studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following:

             (9)              Diagnosis and treatment planning. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (10)             Psychopathology. Studies that provide an understanding of emotional and mental disorders experienced by persons of all ages, characteristics of disorders, and common nosologies of emotional and mental disorders utilized within the U.S. health care system for diagnosis and treatment planning. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

             (11)             Practicum. A graduate-level clinical supervised counseling practicum in a mental health setting in which students must complete supervised practicum experiences that total a minimum of 100 clock hours over a minimum ten-week academic term. The practicum provides for the development of counseling skills under supervision. The student’s practicum includes all of the following:

             (12)             Internship. A graduate-level clinical supervised counseling internship in a mental health setting that requires students to complete a supervised internship of 600 clock hours that is begun after the student’s successful completion of the practicum. The internship is intended to reflect the comprehensive work experience of a professional counselor appropriate to clinical mental health counseling. The internship provides an opportunity for the student to perform, under supervision, a variety of counseling activities that a mental health counselor is expected to perform. The student’s internship includes all of the following:

         31.6(3) Foreign-trained marital and family therapists or mental health counselors. Foreign-trained marital and family therapists or mental health counselors shall:

            a.                Provide an equivalency evaluation of their educational credentials by the following: International Educational Research Foundations, Inc., Credentials Evaluation Service, P.O. Box 3665, Culver City, CA 90231-3665; telephone [phone]; Web site  www.ierf.org  or E-mail at  [e-mail] . The professional curriculum must be equivalent to that stated in these rules. A candidate shall bear the expense of the curriculum evaluation.

            b.                Provide a notarized copy of the certificate or diploma awarded to the applicant from a mental health counselor program in the country in which the applicant was educated.

            c.                Receive a final determination from the board regarding the application for licensure.

[ ARC 7673B , IAB 4/8/09, effective 4/30/09;    ARC 9547B , IAB 6/1/11, effective 7/6/11;    ARC 1758C , IAB 12/10/14, effective 1/14/15;    ARC 2845C , IAB 12/7/16, effective 1/11/17]