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148B.5301 LICENSED PROFESSIONAL CLINICAL COUNSELOR.
    Subdivision 1. General requirements. (a) To be licensed as a licensed professional clinical
counselor (LPCC), an applicant must provide satisfactory evidence to the board that the applicant:
    (1) is at least 18 years of age;
    (2) is of good moral character;
    (3) has completed a master's or doctoral degree program in counseling or a related field, as
determined by the board based on the criteria in items (i) to (x), that includes a minimum of
48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours and a supervised field experience in counseling that is
not fewer than 700 hours. The degree must be from a counseling program recognized by the
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) or from an
institution of higher education that is accredited by a regional accrediting organization recognized
by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Specific academic course content
and training must include coursework in each of the following subject areas:
    (i) helping relationship, including counseling theory and practice;
    (ii) human growth and development;
    (iii) lifestyle and career development;
    (iv) group dynamics, processes, counseling, and consulting;
    (v) assessment and appraisal;
    (vi) social and cultural foundations, including multicultural issues;
    (vii) principles of etiology, treatment planning, and prevention of mental and emotional
disorders and dysfunctional behavior;
    (viii) family counseling and therapy;
    (ix) research and evaluation; and
    (x) professional counseling orientation and ethics;
    (4) has demonstrated competence in professional counseling by passing the National Clinical
Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), administered by the National Board for
Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC) and ethical, oral, and situational examinations as prescribed by
the board. In lieu of the NCMHCE, applicants who have taken and passed the National Counselor
Examination (NCE) administered by the NBCC, or another board-approved examination, need
only take and pass the Examination of Clinical Counseling Practice (ECCP) administered by
the NBCC;
    (5) has earned graduate-level semester credits or quarter-credit equivalents in the following
clinical content areas as follows:
    (i) six credits in diagnostic assessment for child or adult mental disorders; normative
development; and psychopathology, including developmental psychopathology;
    (ii) three credits in clinical treatment planning, with measurable goals;
    (iii) six credits in clinical intervention methods informed by research evidence and
community standards of practice;
    (iv) three credits in evaluation methodologies regarding the effectiveness of interventions;
    (v) three credits in professional ethics applied to clinical practice; and
    (vi) three credits in cultural diversity; and
    (6) has demonstrated successful completion of 4,000 hours of supervised, post-master's
degree professional practice in the delivery of clinical services in the diagnosis and treatment of
child and adult mental illnesses and disorders, conducted according to subdivision 2.
    (b) If coursework in paragraph (a) was not completed as part of the degree program required
by paragraph (a), clause (3), the coursework must be taken and passed for credit, and must be
earned from a counseling program or institution that meets the requirements of paragraph (a),
clause (3).
    Subd. 2. Supervision. (a) To qualify as a LPCC, an applicant must have completed 4,000
hours of post-master's degree supervised professional practice in the delivery of clinical services
in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and disorders in both children and adults. The
supervised practice shall be conducted according to the requirements in paragraphs (b) to (e).
    (b) The supervision must have been received under a contract that defines clinical practice
and supervision from a mental health professional as defined in section 245.462, subdivision
18, clauses (1) to (6), or 245.4871, subdivision 27, clauses (1) to (6), or by a board-approved
supervisor, who has at least two years of postlicensure experience in the delivery of clinical
services in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and disorders.
    (c) The supervision must be obtained at the rate of two hours of supervision per 40 hours of
professional practice. The supervision must be evenly distributed over the course of the supervised
professional practice. At least 75 percent of the required supervision hours must be received in
person. The remaining 25 percent of the required hours may be received by telephone or by audio
or audiovisual electronic device. At least 50 percent of the required hours of supervision must be
received on an individual basis. The remaining 50 percent may be received in a group setting.
    (d) The supervised practice must include at least 1,800 hours of clinical client contact.
    (e) The supervised practice must be clinical practice. Supervision includes the observation
by the supervisor of the successful application of professional counseling knowledge, skills,
and values in the differential diagnosis and treatment of psychosocial function, disability, or
impairment, including addictions and emotional, mental, and behavioral disorders.
    Subd. 3. Conversion from licensed professional counselor to licensed professional
clinical counselor. (a) Until August 1, 2011, an individual currently licensed in the state of
Minnesota as a licensed professional counselor may convert to a LPCC by providing evidence
satisfactory to the board that the applicant has met the following requirements:
    (1) is at least 18 years of age;
    (2) is of good moral character;
    (3) has a license that is active and in good standing;
    (4) has no complaints pending, uncompleted disciplinary orders, or corrective action
agreements;
    (5) has completed a master's or doctoral degree program in counseling or a related field,
as determined by the board, and whose degree was from a counseling program recognized by
CACREP or from an institution of higher education that is accredited by a regional accrediting
organization recognized by CHEA;
    (6) has earned 24 graduate-level semester credits or quarter-credit equivalents in clinical
coursework which includes content in the following clinical areas:
    (i) diagnostic assessment for child and adult mental disorders; normative development; and
psychopathology, including developmental psychopathology;
    (ii) clinical treatment planning, with measurable goals;
    (iii) clinical intervention methods informed by research evidence and community standards
of practice;
    (iv) evaluation methodologies regarding the effectiveness of interventions;
    (v) professional ethics applied to clinical practice; and
    (vi) cultural diversity;
    (7) has demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the board, successful completion of 4,000 hours
of supervised, post-master's degree professional practice in the delivery of clinical services in the
diagnosis and treatment of child and adult mental illnesses and disorders; and
    (8) has paid the LPCC application and licensure fees required in section 148B.53,
subdivision 3.
    (b) If the coursework in paragraph (a) was not completed as part of the degree program
required by paragraph (a), clause (5), the coursework must be taken and passed for credit, and
must be earned from a counseling program or institution that meets the requirements in paragraph
(a), clause (5).
    (c) This subdivision expires August 1, 2011.
    Subd. 4. Conversion to licensed professional clinical counselor after August 1, 2011. An
individual licensed in the state of Minnesota as a licensed professional counselor may convert to a
LPCC by providing evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant has met the requirements
of subdivisions 1 and 2, subject to the following:
    (1) the individual's license must be active and in good standing;
    (2) the individual must not have any complaints pending, uncompleted disciplinary orders,
or corrective action agreements; and
    (3) the individual has paid the LPCC application and licensure fees required in section
148B.53, subdivision 3.
    Subd. 5. Scope of practice. The scope of practice of a LPCC shall include all those services
provided by mental health professionals as defined in sections 245.462, subdivision 18, and
245.4871, subdivision 27.
    Subd. 6. Jurisdiction. LPCC's are subject to the board's statutes and rules to the same extent
as licensed professional counselors.
History: 2007 c 123 s 40

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Revisor of Statutes