Certification and Licensure

School Counseling Certification and Rank Change

Provisional School Counseling Certification (P-12) requirement is completion of the M.A. of School Counseling Program. Provisional Certificates must be renewed every five (5) years by taking nine (9) credit hours of counseling coursework, post-masters degree and then reapplying for the certificate.

Standard School Counseling Certification (P-12) requirement is completion of two years school counseling experience (one year for counselors with teaching certification) and six (6) credit hours of approved counseling coursework, post-masters degree. Standard Certificates must be renewed every five (5) years by reapplying for the certificate.

Approved courses — 6 hours

• CNS 625 Legal and Ethical Issues (Required)
• CNS 676 Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
• CNS 694 Advanced Counseling and Supervision
• CNS 722 Substance Abuse and Addictions Counseling
• CNS 734 Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
• CNS 752 Trauma and Crisis Counseling

Rank change for salary purposes may be received on the completion of the Midpoint Clinical Application Exam in the M.A. of School Counseling Program (Rank II) and on the completion of the Ed.S. degree in School Counseling (Rank I).

Application for any and each of these, certification or rank change, follows the same procedure:

1. Retrieve the CA-1 Application for Certification or Rank Change. It may be found at your local school board office or online on the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) for Kentucky webpage.
2. Complete all of page 1, page 3 and the top portion of page 5 (part A) of the CA-1 form.
3. Mail the form to the Teacher Education Services (TES) office:  Teacher Education Services, 2101 Alexander Hall,  Murray, KY 42071. The TES office will complete the form and submit it to the EPSB in Frankfort, KY.
4. Pay the certification fee by mailing it directly to EPSB or you may pay online.
5. Send an official transcript directly to EPSB.

To renew the Provisional or Standard Certificate:

1. Retrieve the CA-2 Application for Certification Renewal/Duplicate. It may be found at your local school board office or online on the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) for Kentucky webpage.
2. Complete all sections of the CA-2 form.
3. Mail the completed form and an official transcript directly to the EPSB in Frankfort, KY.
4. Pay the renewal fee by mailing it directly to EPSB or you may pay online.

For credentialing outside of Kentucky please refer to ASCA's State Certification Requirements.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Licensure  

The Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors may issue credentials of Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) to an applicant who:

1. Has paid the application fee and the appropriate examination fee to the board;
2. Is of good moral character;
3. Has received a master's, specialist, or doctoral degree in counseling or a related field from a regionally accredited institution;
4. Has completed a minimum of sixty (60) graduate semester hours in the following:
   1. The helping relationship, including counseling theory and practice;
   2. Human growth and development;
   3. Lifestyle and career development;
   4. Group dynamics, process, counseling, and consulting;
   5. Assessment, appraisal, and testing of individuals;
   6. Social and cultural foundations, including multicultural issues;
   7. Principles of etiology, diagnosis, treatment planning, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior;
   8. Research and evaluation; and
   9. Professional orientation and ethics;
5. Has obtained a board-approved supervisor of record.

The Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors may issue credentials of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) to an applicant who:

1. Has completed all requirements of sections (A) to (D) for the LPCA
2. Has completed a minimum of four thousand (4,000) hours of experience in the practice of counseling, all of which must have been obtained since obtaining the master's degree and must be under approved supervision and shall include but not be limited to a minimum of one thousand six hundred (1,600) hours of direct counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups and a minimum of one hundred (100) hours of individual, face-to-face clinical supervision with an approved supervisor. Each applicant is encouraged to include as part of the total hours of experience a minimum of ten (10) hours of direct counseling with individuals in a jail or corrections setting. All applicants shall complete an organized practicum or internship consisting of at least four hundred (400) hours; and
3. Has achieved passing scores on all portions of the examinations required by the board.

Specific and current information regarding Kentucky licensure requirements can be found on their website. For licensing outside of Kentucky please refer to ACA’s listing of State Professional Counselor Licensure Boards