Answers to Consumer Questions
Question 14: "COUNSELOR
CREDENTIALS: I'm confused. I hear a 2008 state law is
eliminating the Registered Counselor (RC) category and creating
eight (8) new credentials. What are all these credentials that
counselors use? What do they mean and what's the difference?"
Consumer's Guide to Counselor Credentials
Washington State
The Registered Counselor category
was formerly a catch-all category for counselors who were not
licensed. A 2008 law is eliminating many registered
counselors and moving the rest into eight new categories based on
college degree level, years of experience as a registered
counselor, employment status, or
other issues. Registered counselors can continue
practicing until July 1, 2010, and then the category will be
eliminated. Only those who qualify for a new counselor
credential can continue to work and practice in the State of
Washington after 7/1/10. All counselor credentials are listed below,
beginning with the licensed categories that existed before.
The new credentials are listed in roughly the difficulty of
qualifying for the credential.
|
Highest
Qualifications: ________________________________
The previously existing
licensed categories
LICSW = Licensed
Independent Clinical Social Worker:
Masters-level clinical social workers with advanced experience who
have met state requirements for licensure.
LMFT = Licensed
Marriage and Family Therapist:
Masters-level marriage and family therapists with advanced
experience who have met state requirements for licensure.
LMHC = Licensed Mental Health Counselor:
Masters-level clinical mental health counselors with advanced
experience who have met state requirements for licensure.
--------------------------------------- New Categories below
↓ --------------------------------
High
Qualifications--working toward licensure: __________________
MHCA = Mental Health
Counselor Associate:
Designates a Counselor who has completed the Masters Degree program
and is working under approved supervision toward a mental health
counselor license.
MFTA = Marriage and Family Therapist Associate:
Designates a Counselor who has completed the Masters Degree program
and is working under approved supervision toward a marriage and
family therapist license.
SWAA = Social Work Associate Advanced:
Designates a Social Worker who has completed the Masters Degree
program and is working under approved supervision toward a social
work advanced license.
SWAIC = Social Work Associate Independent Clinical:
Designates a Social Worker who has completed the Masters Degree
program and is working under approved supervision toward a social
work independent clinical license.
Minimum
Qualifications: __________________________________
CC = Certified
Counselor:
Persons "grand-fathered in" may have no degree. New applicants
must be a registered counselor in
good standing or have a (four year) bachelor’s degree in a counseling-related
field. [Washington State] Certified Counselors are authorized to do private practice
counseling, but only within the limitations, restrictions and
guidelines of
RCW 18.19.200.
CDP = Chemical
Dependency Professional:
New CDPs are required to have at least an (2 year) associate of arts degree and to have completed all the supervised counseling
experience requirements.
CA = Certified Advisor:
New applicant are required to have a (two year) associate of arts degree,
including a supervised internship, in a counseling-related field.
[Washington State] Certified Advisors are authorized to do private practice counseling, but
only within the limitations, restrictions and guidelines of
RCW
18.19.200.
Absolutely No
Minimum Requirements: (The God-Only-Knows Categories)
CDPT = Chemical Dependency Professional Trainee:
(bottom feeders).
Designates a
counselor who is working under supervision in a state licensed
chemical dependency treatment facility toward a chemical dependency
professional certification. To become a CDPT the applicant
must only agree to this statement: "I declare I am obtaining the
education and experience required to receive a chemical dependency
professional credential." Unlike applicants for other types of
credentials (above) who are working on their supervised internship,
the applicant does not need to have the degree first. The trainee
certification can be renewed four times. This means that the CDPT
may work as a chemical dependency counselor for a total of five
years without completing his/her associate of arts degree. This
policy permits chemical dependency treatment facilities to lay off
experienced Chemical Dependency Professional and stock the facility
with trainees.
AAC = Agency Affiliated Counselor:
(bottom feeders).
A counselor who is employed by or
has an employment offer with an agency or facility that is licensed
or certified by the State of Washington. The agency or facility sets
the degree and experience requirements for employment, if any. No
degree. experience, or scope of practice standards are established
or required by the State of Washington. [The Washington State
Legislature wasn't going to raise the ire of the mental health
treatment facilities who are free to reduce costs by keeping their
employment standards as low as they wish.] As a client of such
a facility, it is your responsibility to inquire about the
qualifications of each of the counselors who are assigned to your
case and decide whether it is someone that you are willing to work with.
What kind of employment standards does the agency have?
