Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CACREP) – District Of Columbia
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
The District of Columbia requires that applicants for this licensure have a master’s degree or higher from an institution of higher education which was accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department of Education, the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, or its successor, or is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or deemed by the board to be substantially equivalent to a CACREP approved program.
Applicants must have completed a minimum of forty-eight (48) semester hours, or the equivalent number of quarter or trimester hours converted into semester hours in counseling or a related field of study after earning a bachelor’s degree.
Practicum Requirements
Applicants must complete a one hundred (100) hour face-to-face supervised practicum, with forty (40) hours in direct service to clients. Applicants must have met for at least 1 hour per week with a supervisor that is a program faculty member, student supervisor, or a site supervisor working in biweekly consultation with a program faculty member in accordance with a supervision contract. In addition to individual or triadic supervision, the applicant must have received one and one-half (1.5) hours per week of group supervision during the practicum by a program faculty member or a student supervisor.
Internship Requirements
Applicants must complete a six hundred (600) hour face-to-face supervised internship, with at least two hundred forty (240) hours in direct service to clients. One (1) hour per week of individual or triadic face-to-face supervision shall be provided to the applicant by an on-site supervisor and one and one-half (1.5) hours per week of group supervision shall be provided by a program faculty member.
Additional Requirements
Students must ensure their practicum and internship meet DC’s requirements.
For more information:
https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/professional-counseling-licensing