Licensing & Certification
The School of Health Sciences' Clinical Mental Health Counseling program (CMHC) program is CACREP-accredited and registered with the New York State Education Department (NYSED), meeting the educational standards required for licensure in New York State. The coursework in our program includes the 350-hour educational requirements needed to apply for the CASAC-Trainee certificate.
Certification
CMHC graduates are eligible to apply to sit for board certification through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Exams include both the National Certification Exam (NCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam (NCMHCE) leading to certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) respectively. Please visit the NBCC Board Certification website for complete and up-to-date information about the NCE and the NCMHCE.
Licensure
CMHC graduates are eligible to apply for licensure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All states except New York will likely request a syllabus review of the CMHC curriculum. Licensure requirements for clinical mental health counselors, titles (e.g. LMHC, LPC, LPCC, LCPC, LCMHC, LMHP), and application procedures vary by state. Please visit the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) list of state licensure requirements. The ACA list is updated regularly; however, states’ licensure requirements evolve, and it is recommended graduates always access the specific state licensure board website. States may require success on either the NCE or the NCMHCE or both. Please visit the NBCC State Certification Exam Lookup website for a directory of all states’ licensure boards for more information about which exam is required.
Students are encouraged to visit NYSED website for an outline of the licensure requirements for the State of New York.
State Licensing
|
State |
Licenses Granted |
Board Name |
Requirements Status |
Notes |
|
Alabama |
LPC, ALC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Alaska |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Arizona |
LPC, LAC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Arkansas |
LPC, LAC |
Board of Examiners in Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
California |
LPCC |
Does Not Meet Requirements |
*12 hours of California-specific laws and ethics coursework |
|
|
Colorado |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Connecticut |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
*Internship taught by faculty member licensed or certified as a professional counselor or its equivalent in another state. |
|
|
Delaware |
LPCMH, LACMH |
Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
District of Columbia |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Florida |
LMHC |
Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling |
Does Not Meet Requirements |
3 credit graduate-level Human Sexuality course required. |
|
Georgia |
LPC, LAPC |
Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
Hawaii |
LMHC |
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
Idaho |
LPC, LCPC |
Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
Illinois |
LPC, LCPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Indiana |
LMHC, LMHCA |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Iowa |
LMHC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Kansas |
LPC, LCPC |
Meets Requirements |
||
|
Kentucky |
LPCC, LPCA |
Meet Requirements |
||
|
Louisiana |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Maine |
LPC, LCPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Maryland |
LCPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Massachusetts |
LMHC |
Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
Michigan |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Minnesota |
LPC, LPCC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Mississippi |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Missouri |
LPC, PLPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Montana |
LCPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Nebraska |
LMHP, LIMHP DHHS |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Nevada |
LCPC |
Board of Examiners for Marriage and Family Therapists and Clinical Professional Counselors |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
New Hampshire |
LCMHC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
New Jersey |
LPC, LAC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
New Mexico |
LMHC, LPCC |
Regulation and Licensing Dept: Counseling and Therapy Practice |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
New York |
LMHC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
North Carolina |
LPC, LPCA, LPCS |
Meets Requirements |
||
|
North Dakota |
LPC, LAPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Ohio |
LPC, LPCC |
Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
Oklahoma |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Oregon |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Pennsylvania |
LPC |
Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
Rhode Island |
LMHC |
Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage/Family Therapists |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
South Carolina |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
South Dakota |
LPC, LPC-MH |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Tennessee |
LPC, LPC-MHSP |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Texas |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Utah |
LCMHC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Vermont |
LCMHC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Virginia |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Washington |
LMHC, LMHCA |
Mental Health Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Social Workers Advisory Committee |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
West Virginia |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Wisconsin |
LPC |
Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling and Social Work Examining Board |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
Wyoming |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
American Samoa |
|
??? |
??? |
|
|
Guam |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
LMHC |
|
Meets Requirements |
|
|
Puerto Rico |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
|
|
US Virgin Islands |
LPC |
Meets Requirements |
|
