Bill Text: NJ S1875 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Concerns eligibility requirements for licensed professional counselors and associate counselors.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-27 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee [S1875 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-S1875-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Concerns eligibility requirements for licensed professional counselors and associate counselors.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the licensure of professional counselors and associate counselors, and amending P.L.1993, c.340.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 7 of P.L.1993, c.340 (C.45:8B-40) is amended to read as follows:
7. Each person applying for licensure as a licensed professional counselor shall make application therefor to the board on the form and in the manner the committee prescribes and the board shall immediately refer each application to the committee for appropriate action. Each applicant shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the committee that he:
a. Is at least 18 years of age;
b. Is of good moral character;
c. Has completed a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours in a planned educational program, which includes a master's degree, educational specialist degree or doctorate in counseling from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, of which 45 graduate semester hours are distributed in at least eight of the following areas:
(1) Counseling theory and practice;
(2) The helping relationship;
(3) Human growth and development and maladaptive behavior;
(4) Lifestyle and career development;
(5) Group dynamics, processes, counseling, and consulting;
(6) Appraisal of individuals;
(7) Social and cultural foundations;
(8) Research and evaluation;
(9) The counseling profession;
d. Has had at least three years of supervised full-time counseling experience in a professional counseling setting acceptable to the committee, one year of which may be obtained prior to the granting of the master's degree. The committee shall establish criteria for determining the qualifications and status which may constitute supervised counseling experience. An applicant may eliminate one year of the required supervised counseling experience by substituting 30 graduate semester hours beyond the master's degree if those graduate semester hours are clearly related to counseling and are acceptable to the committee. In no case, however, may the applicant have less than one year of supervised professional counseling experience after the granting of the master's degree; and
e. Has passed the National Counselor Examination of the National Board for Certified Counselors.
(cf: P.L.1997, c.155, s.7)
2. Section 8 of P.L.1993, c.340 (C.45:8B-41) is amended to read as follows:
8. Each person applying for licensure as a licensed associate counselor shall make application therefor to the board on the form and in the manner the committee prescribes and the board shall immediately refer each application to the committee for appropriate action. Each applicant shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the committee that he:
a. Is at least 18 years of age;
b. Is of good moral character;
c. Has completed a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours in a planned educational program, which includes a master's degree, educational specialist degree or doctorate in counseling from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, of which 45 graduate semester hours are distributed in at least eight of the following areas:
(1) Counseling theory and practice;
(2) The helping relationship;
(3) Human growth and development and maladaptive behavior;
(4) Lifestyle and career development;
(5) Group dynamics, processes, counseling, and consulting;
(6) Appraisal of individuals;
(7) Social and cultural foundations;
(8) Research and evaluation;
(9) The counseling profession; and
d. Has passed the National Counselor Examination of the National Board for Certified Counselors.
(cf: P.L.1997, c.155, s.8)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under the provisions of section 7 of P.L.1993, c.340 (C.45:8B-40), in partial fulfillment for licensure as a licensed professional counselor or associate counselor, a person is required to complete a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours in a planned educational program, which includes a master's degree or doctorate in counseling from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, of which 45 graduate semester hours are distributed in at least eight subject areas. This bill stipulates that such planned educational program may be provided by means of an educational specialist degree in counseling as well as by means of a master's degree or doctorate, as currently provided by law.
