Human Services

Certification and Licensure for Counselors

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For specific information on how to apply for your Counselor Trainee (CT) status, National Counselor Examination (NCE), and Licensed Professional Counselor credential (LPC), please view our Procedures Document (PDF).

Certification

Counseling graduates who successfully pass the National Counseling Examination (NCE) meet curriculum requirements for certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC®), an independent not-for-profit credentialing body for counselors, was incorporated in 1982 to establish and monitor a national certification system, to identify those counselors who have voluntarily sought and obtained certification, and to maintain a register of those counselors. NBCC's certification program recognizes counselors who have met predetermined standards in their training, experience, and performance on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE®), the most portable credentialing examination in counseling. NBCC® has over 36,000 certified counselors.

The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) sets the standard for quality rehabilitation counseling services in the U.S. and Canada. As an independent, not-for-profit organization, CRCC has certified more than 30,000 counselors since its incorporation in 1974.

Specialty certifications are offered through the NBCC and CRCC. Students are encouraged to research these certifications in order to enhance their professional credentials. Addiction Counseling graduates may become certified as Master Addictions Counselor (MAC). Mental Health Counseling graduates may become Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC). Rehabilitation counseling graduates may become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), as presented by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). Lastly, graduates of the School Counseling program may become National Certified School Counselor (NCSC).

Certification Organizations

For information on national certification requirements for counselors, contact:
National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.
3 Terrace Way
Greensboro, NC 27403-3660

For further information becoming a CRC, contact:
Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification
1699 East Woodfield Road, Suite 300
Schaumburg, IL 60173
 

Licensure

Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Addiction Counseling, and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling graduates meet curriculum requirements (60 semester credit hours in specified content areas) for Ohio licensure as a Professional Counselor (PC) or Professional Clinical Counselor (PCC) by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, & Marriage and Family Therapist Board. Upon passing the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and completing the Master's program, students may obtain licensure as a PC and can eventually become eligible to obtain licensure as a PCC by fulfilling various post-graduate requirements. 

  1. Credential Title: Counselor Trainee
    Legal status obtained and used for the completion of practicum and internship. 
     
  2. Credential Title: Professional Counselor (PC)
    Examination: National Counselor Examination (NCE)
    Application Requirements: Successful NCE test results, official transcript of conferred graduate degree in counseling, BCI & FBI criminal records check, completed LPC application, completion of the board's online "Laws and Rules" video 
     
  3. Credential Title: Professional Clinical Counselor (PCC) 
    Examination: National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE)
    Application Requirements: Successful NCMHCE test results, two years of documented supervised experience (a minimum of 1,500 hours each year (3,000 hours total)), completed LPCC application, completion of the board's online "Laws and Rules" video

Ohio Licensure

Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, & Marriage and Family Therapist Board (OCSWMFTB)
77 S. High Street
24th Floor, Room 2468
Columbus, OH 43215-6171

Phone: 614-446-0912
Fax: 614-728-7790

School Counseling Licensure

Students interested in gaining more information contact Leslie Neyland-Brown, Ph.D.
108X Allyn Hall, 937-775-2584.

 


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